Star Cast: Mohanlal, Prithviraj Sukumaran
Director: Prithviraj Sukumaran
L2 Empuraan Movie Review Synopsis:
L2 EMPURAAN is the story of a mysterious man. Five years have passed since the events of the first part. A check dam is being built in Kerala on an existing dam. This project threatens to displace thousands of villagers and hence, there is a lot of resistance to it. The chief minister of the state Jathin Ramdas (Tovino Thomas), however, seems to support it. He has also become autocratic and in no way close to the way his late father, P K Ramdas aka PKR (Sachin Khedekar) used to function, which causes uproar in the party, IUF. Jathin holds a special meeting and keeps the agenda hidden. At the meeting, he informs that he is leaving IUF as he’s unhappy with the party members and their activities. He decides to float his own party called the IUF-PKR. Moreover, he joins hands with a communal leader, Baba Bajrangi (Abhimanyu Singh). The decision shocks the people and political class of Kerala as they fear that it’ll prove detrimental to the ideals of the state. Govardhan (Indrajith Sukumaran), the journalist-cum-activist, appeals to Stephen Nedumpally (Mohanlal) to return and save God’s Own Country. Stephen disappeared from Kerala 5 years ago and his present-day whereabouts are uncertain. The mention of Stephen scares Jathin and he instructs CIB officer Karthik (Kishore) to ensure that Stephen won’t meddle in the affairs of the state. Sadly for Jathin, Stephen decides to return to save his homeland. He’s once again joined by Zayed Masood (Prithviraj Sukumaran), who has a personal vendetta against Baba Bajrangi aka Balraj. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
L2 Empuraan Movie Story Review:
Murali Gopy’s story has a lot of elements compared to the first part, LUCIFER [2019]. Murali Gopy’s screenplay is gripping. The best part of the writing is that there are a lot of subplots but he puts all of them together very nicely. Murali Gopy’s dialogues and their Hindi translation are likeable.
Prithviraj Sukumaran’s direction is cinematic. LUCIFER was also a grand film but L2 EMPURAAN goes many notches higher in this regard. It is not easy to have a film that talks not just about the politics of a state but also about the chaos in the world of spies. Prithviraj blends both of them neatly and hence, it doesn’t give an impression that either of the tracks is forced into the narrative. Moreover, it’s also a brave film as it talks about communal politics and its dangers. The film begins on a shocking note and it nicely serves as a base. The back-and-forth narrative is also done stylishly and yet, it’s easy to understand what is going on. A few scenes that stand out in the first half are Jathin leaving IUF, Stephen’s entry and the interval point. Post-interval, the scene of Priyadarshini Ramdas (Manju Warrier) at the public meeting is memorable. But the scene thereafter is even more entertaining and would be greeted with whistles and claps. The climax is also quite massy.
L2 Empuraan Trailer (Hindi) | Mohanlal | Prithviraj Sukumaran | Gokulam Gopalan | Antony Perumbavoor
On the flipside, it is compulsory to watch LUCIFER before watching L2 EMPURAAN. But it’s difficult to say how many people have seen the first part in the Hindi-speaking belt. As a result, they might not be able to fully get involved in the proceedings as they will not be able to comprehend the goings-on in the absence of the back story. Secondly, this is a rare film where the main hero’s entry happens at the 61st minute, that is, almost after an hour! It might make people restless, especially his fans. The run time of 179 minutes is also a bit of a downer, especially during the extended climax. Lastly, the lack of buzz and release period can affect the prospects of the Hindi version.
L2 Empuraan Movie Review Performances:
Mohanlal makes up for the late entry with his subtle yet impactful performance. The way he communicates with his eyes is seen to be believed. Prithviraj Sukumaran has less screen time, just like last time, but yet again, he rocks the show. This time, viewers get to know more about his character and it adds to his performance. Special mention should also go to Karthikeya Dev, who plays the young Zayed. Tovino Thomas and Manju Warrier leave a huge mark. Abhimanyu Singh is terrific as the villain. Sukant Goel (Munna) also makes his presence felt. Sachin Khedekar is decent in a cameo. Indrajith Sukumaran, Andrea Tivadar (Michele Menuhin), Jerome Flynn (Boris Oliver), Eriq Ebouaney (Kabuga), Nikhat Khan (Subhadra), Fazil (Father Nedumpally), Saikumar (Mahesha Varma), Baiju Santhosh (Murukan), Alexx O’Nell (Robert McCarthy) and Mikhail Novikov (Sergei Leonov) do well. Saniya Iyappan (Jhanvi), Nyla Usha (Arundathi) and Giju John (Sanjeev Kumar) are wasted.
L2 Empuraan movie music and other technical aspects:
Deepak Dev’s music has no scope. ‘Phir Zinda’, however, is well-utilized. Deepak Dev’s background score is powerful and elevates impact in several scenes.
Sujith Vaassudev’s cinematography adds considerably to the scale of the film. Stunt Silva’s action is disturbing but also mass-appealing. The scene in the jungle especially will be loved by the audience. YFX Studios, Labyrinth Studios- Mumbai, Binary Circus, Paperplane, Ident and DTM’s VFX matches global standards. Prithviraj Productions’ production design is of superior quality. The same goes for Sujith Sudhakaran’s costumes. Akhilesh Mohan’s editing is slick but also dragging in some places.
L2 Empuraan Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, L2 EMPURAAN has its share of mass-appealing scenes, grandeur, powerful subject and impressive performances by Mohanlal and Prithviraj Sukumaran. However, its business in Hindi might be affected due to the SIKANDAR wave and limited buzz. It’ll need positive word of mouth in the Hindi-speaking markets to spring a surprise at the box office.