L2: Empuraan

Rather than concentrating on the narrative and expanding the 'Lucifer' universe, it seems the creators prioritised showcasing the impressive scale and opulence they achieved, particularly striking for an industry that rarely ventured into such lavish and extravagant realms.

This emphasis is evident at frequent intervals, especially when they lead the protagonist to exotic locations, make him do sleek, slo-mo action, all while maintaining an air of sophistication and grandeur.

Now do not get me wrong, I am not opposing the ambition to go grand and embrace flamboyance, particularly when the film's budget allows for such creative freedom. However, that should not compromise the quality of the writing or the development of the characters. When one strips away all the glitz & glamour and assesses the feature purely from a story point of view, shortcomings become apparent.

FYI, I appreciated the original 'Lucifer' for its intent to weave a compelling political thriller, and I was captivated by the character of 'Stephan', I was eager to delve deeper into his story in this continuation.

Even when the trailers for the sequel promised an entirely new experience, I held onto my hopes for something deserving of my wait & anticipation, but unfortunately, none of those were fulfilled, it did not meet my expectations.

I was always skeptical about how good a sequel to Lucifer which goes international can get, and the trailers made me feel like it would be a technically solid but overall okay film, and with that thought this film met my expectations.

The technical side is incredibly done. The ambition behind this film is huge. Switching between international dealings with British intelligence, cartel faceoffs in Africa and the Middle East, the politics in Kerala, and riots in North India, it should still feel like the same movie. In terms of writing, there's so much more to be desired, but the technical side is where they compensate the most. The coloring was well done to make that consistent feel to all of it by giving a larger-than-life cinematic feel which also made some of the actor's skin feel AI-generated but I won't really complain about it considering what they were trying to do. The lighting on the other hand is what worked the best for me. The use of shadows, silhouettes, etc was so pleasing to see but the writing and music didn't step up to make those scenes more impactful.

The movie felt really long, there were a lot of things that felt repeated, some from the previous part and some in this same movie itself. A lot of stuff in the first half just felt very predictable and the stuff that is meant to be intriguing simply felt flat. They really tried to compensate for it firstly by incredible production quality and making, but along with that they also used real-life incidents as well as parallels with so many important political milestones. But the most hilarious attempts were the constant not at all subtle imageries like the "Ls" throughout the movie. There are so many other imageries here that are so on the face that it loses all the intrigue that they were able to create in Lucifer where it was subtle.

I was a bit bored in the first half because of how flat it felt, but the second half was really entertaining to me. Even though it still felt overlong, the action sequences were fun and the build-up to them was also pretty good. Manju Warrier's arc was well done which may be the only character with a proper character arc in this movie, unlike Lucifer. Surprisingly Antony's cameo was damn well too. I can't believe how well he was presented here.

Overall, even though there were so many things that didn't work in this for me and it's not as good as Lucifer which itself wasn't as great to me as it was to a lot of people, this was still fun to watch. The production quality and a few scenes that worked really well, as well as watching Mohanlal and Prithviraj fighting together made this worth it for me.

While it is a movie from lucifer franchise but empuran doesnt meet the expectations and lack of story telling is the major issue. 2nd half is just ok overall beliw average movie. The main positives are the location and casting. Bgm was totally disappointing, and lady characters also doest meet expectations. Story was little lagging. Director failed in making the emotional attachment and the songs also not giving a fresh feel. The major negative is the duration of the movie and over expectations by the filim crew. New technics was brilliantly used and climax is just ok. Overall its not a decent watch one.

I watched the movie yesterday and noticed that the director (or someone involved) seemed to have a hidden agenda influencing the narrative. The first half had no real connection to the previous part , making it feel somewhat disconnected. However, I believe the filmmaker achieved their target without any cost.

The movie touches on various political issues in Kerala, highlighting the weaknesses of its leaders and referencing sensitive incidents. Given the nature of these topics, it should have undergone stricter censorship before release. While having a business-driven mindset is understandable, it should not come at the cost of manipulating history.

That said, the movie excels in its technical aspects-especially the action sequences and choreography, which were executed brilliantly. Overall, it's a commendable attempt, but it falls short of being a complete success.

Thanks!

Empuraan had the potential to be a masterpiece, but it falls short due to misplaced priorities. Instead of focusing on storytelling, Prithviraj seemed more invested in making every frame grand.

At its core, there is a compelling story, but it gets buried under indulgent filmmaking. Manju Warrier carries the film, yet character arcs feel rushed because Prithviraj prioritized exotic locations over depth. The same over-the-top storytelling prevails despite the attempt to be "different."

A major issue is the inclusion of white actors who can't act. Many Indian films do this, and *Empuraan* follows suit, making these performances feel artificial and distracting.

Then there's Mohanlal-practically every shot of him is slow motion. The overuse of this, paired with an excessive background score, becomes exhausting. The helicopter shootout scene? Completely unnecessary. Had Prithviraj focused on political intrigue rather than gimmicks, this film could have been brilliant.

The film shines when it delves into Indian politics, creating genuinely engaging moments. The villain had a strong introduction-well-written and menacing. However, instead of developing him further, he gets sidelined once the audience has enough reason to dislike him. A missed opportunity that weakens the film.

For such a massive budget, the editing is surprisingly poor. Unnecessary jump cuts and excessive zoom-ins hurt immersion. These choices cheapen what could have been a polished cinematic experience.

The cinematography, however, is excellent. Not to be confused with the VFX, which remain subpar. But the lighting, framing, and composition stand out. If the storytelling had matched the cinematography's quality, Empuraan" would have been far stronger.

Prithviraj's character suffers from forced emotional beats. One key scene feels like a plot device rather than genuine development, only for the film to cut abruptly to an unrelated sequence.

Mohanlal, despite being an icon, feels more mythical than human. His constant deep, philosophical dialogues add little to his character. This detachment weakens his role as the film's emotional anchor.

Ultimately, Empuraan excels when focused on India, its politics, and its power dynamics. Those moments shine. However, its obsession with spectacle over substance holds it back from greatness.

Visually impressive but narratively inconsistent, Empuraan prioritizes style over depth. It could have been much more.