#L2Empuraan AKA #Empuraan Review

#L2Empuraan AKA #Empuraan

Malayalam - 2025

Starring : Mohan Lal , Manju Warrier , Tovino Thomas , Indrajith Sukumaran , Fazil , Abhimanyu Singh & Prithiviraj Sukumaran

Directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran 

Plot : Five years after the events of Lucifer, Kerala's Chief Minister Jathin Ramdas stuns the state by resigning and forming a new party with the backing of Union Home Minister Bajarangi Baba, sparking outrage among the people. Investigative journalist Govardhan, sensing a larger conspiracy, decides to bring Stephen Nedumpally—also known as Khuresh Ab'raam—back into the picture. Meanwhile, the KA Nexus, led by Khureshi, is engaged in a brutal turf war against the rising "God-Axis," also called the Shen Triad Nexus, to eradicate the narcotics trade. As these two battles unfold, a deeper connection emerges—Bajarangi Baba has ties to Zayeed, Khureshi’s most trusted lieutenant. With Kerala’s fate at stake, unexpected alliances are forged, leading to a high-stakes confrontation where they must come together to fight for the state's future once again.

Performance wise , Mohan Lal has lesser scope compared to the prequel . With limited screen space and massive screen presence, Lalettan scores once again as KA. Tovino Thomas as Jathin unfortunately gets a very one sided role and tries to bring new dimension to the character but unfortunately doesn't reach the maximum potential. Manju Warrier gets a much meatier role than First Film and has done an exemplary job. Subtle yet Powerful perfomance. Indrajith gets a very small role and has done a decent job. Fazil , Kishore, Saniya Iyappan , Baiju Santhosh , Saikumar and Sshivada get a very minimal role and do what they are expected to in that limited role. Abhimanyu Singh as the Antagonist does a very average job but due to the character being very underwritten , it fails to make him a worthy Antagonist. Suraj Venjaramodu wasted. Eriq as Kabuga gets a good small role but again wasted. Jerome Flynn and Andrea T gets a decent role and perform well. Prithiviraj in a Extended Cameo is fantastic. Minimal Dialogues but maximum screen presence. He scores a victory.

Technically, the film is one of the finest films ever made in Mollywood. Each and every frame is rich and wonderful. Cinematography by Sujith Vasudev is brilliant. Each and every frame is wonderful. Music By Deepak Dev tries to match his score in Prequel but unfortunately falls short. Phir Zinda song was good and Decent BGMs. Editing by Akhilesh Mohan is sharp but could've had better cuts and transitions. Decent VFX that does not come out corny.

The film opens with the backstory of Zayed Masood before shifting to the present, set five years after the events of the prequel. The first hour focuses on establishing the characters and their motivations, blending Kerala’s political landscape with global agencies like MI6, which are tracking criminal nexuses such as KA Nexus and God Axis. Mohanlal’s introduction comes nearly an hour into the film, but the build-up is exceptional. While the sequences are engaging, the erratic editing makes them hard to follow. The pre-interval confrontation is a standout, and though the first half moves at a slow pace, it remains intriguing.

Unfortunately, the film slips in the Second Half. While there are standout sequences in the Second Half such as the Jungle Sequence and Handcuffs sequences, the writing unfortunately goes into predictable mode. What starts off as a Suave Espionage / Political Thriller quickly slips into a regular template Revenge Drama. Also in terms of scenes , nothing is new and largely feels like a rehash of high moments from LUCIFER. The Lack of a strong Antagonist like Bimal Nair from the Prequel makes this film sink. Also there are a lot of Sub Plots that are introduced but are either ended in a silly manner or are left hanging without a proper conclusion (kept for the Sequel I guess).The Half baked Second Half comes in a middling manner making the entire Third act very monotonous and predictable. Also the Post Credit Scene felt very forced and cameo was very underwhelming.

Coming to Writer Murali Gopi , the film has a lot of inspiration from real life events and tried to spin a International Level Thriller mixed with State politics but unfortunately only suceeds partially in that. The Writing in Second Half feels convinent and lacks uniqueness. Director Prithiviraj has terrific presentation skills and that is clearly visible in both the films , but when the writing is uneven and incoherent his direction isn't enough to salvage it. While Lalettan's Swag and Manju Warrier's earnest performance tries to keep the film engaging , the film partially fails to satisfy the core audience from the Prequel. Its not bad, neither great too. Feels like a Filler film to end the Trilogy.

Highlight : 

1) Lalettan Intro Scene

2)Pre Interval Kabuga Confrontation Scene

3) Jungle Fight

4) Handcuff Episode starring Manju

Overall: L2 Empuraan/Empuraan is a film that resonates the Tag "More Style but Less substance" . With a Tighter Screenplay and Better Subplots connection , the film would've come close to its Predecessor. Nevertheless, It's not Bad , not too Great too .

Rating : 2.75-3/5

Satellite Rights: Unsold

Television Rights : Unsold