Newtonin Moondraam Vidhi is the kind of movie for which the phrase 'old wine in a new bottle' was coined. The film tells one of the oldest stories in Tamil cinema - that of a man seeking revenge for what happened to his loved one. But the story is presented with a few touches that help differentiate it from the other movies in the genre. The differences don't make the film entirely fresh or surprising but they do help make it engrossing for the most part.

When we first meet Guru(S.J.Suryah), he is still mourning for his girlfriend Priya, who died exactly a year back. He then calls JD(Rajeev Krishna), the head of the second largest cable TV network, Eagle TV, and promises him that he is gonna kill him in exactly 2 hours. As Guru puts his plan in motion and JD scrambles to find out who his unseen enemy is, we learn about Guru's romance with Priya(Sayali Bhagath) and his reason for targeting JD.

The most welcome aspect of the film is the focus on brain rather than brawn. The way Suryah plots Rajeev's downfall is interesting and the manner in which he attacks each aspect of his life(like bringing Rajeev's ex-lover into the picture) shows some good thinking. Even at a smaller level, like when Suryah is pushed into a corner(literally!) by Rajeev and his thugs inside the building and especially when he is cornered by the rowdies on the road, he relies on his wits to get out of the tight situations instead of resorting to fisticuffs. He does resort to fighting in the climax but considering that he doesn't have much to lose and is really desperate, it is easier to believe than the usual stunts we see in other movies.

While Suryah takes on an action-hero role here, he doesn't move away completely from the image he has earned through films like New and A Aa. His romance with Sayali has the requisite risqueness that we've come to associate with the director-turned-actor. But it does manage to be somewhat sweet and is convincing enough that we feel sorry for Sayali as she is chased and then cornered by Rajeev.

With Suryah giving Rajiv a 2-hour deadline, the movie mostly seems to proceed in real time(except for the flashbacks ofcourse). That gives it a sense of urgency and the occasional timestamps work to make us think about how Suryah is going to complete the remainder of his plan in the time left. The final sections of the movie are done in 'real' real time, with the ticking clock showing us the passage of time. So, though it feels like there are far too many anticlimaxes and the climax itself is ripped off from Shoot 'Em Up, the real-time aspect adds a new dimension to keep us hooked.

Suryah has to be brooding and serious most of the time. As a result, he is forced to tone down his usual loud voice and irritating mannerisms and so is convincing as the man on a mission. Sayali makes do with just the one expression where she opens her eyes real wide and employs it whether she is surprised, shocked or scared. Rajeev Krishna, who was the hero in Aahaa, is good as the bad guy. His character is completely two-dimensional but he manages to bring out its cold-bloodedness and viciousness.