L2: Empuraan

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.

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.

The Good Great visual treat, fantastic sets, very realistic. Locations are awesome, very good casts from Hollywood, Bollywood and Mollywood. Very few dialogues but still Mohanlal shines.

The Bad Story has a weak and predictable arc, a lot of credit has been given to the writer, yes writers should be given credit, but not this one, not one original idea or plot, just rehash or old tried and tested ones.

The Ugly Loopholes Galore: Shotgun shots produce rifle bullet effects. An unepected jungle running scene has people being picked off my hidden ropes as if its planned. A tree is set fire to, just for effects. Fight sequence go on for too long, you see 7 thugs attacking but during fight scenes 20 of them are being beaten up. Riots is shown completley one sided, and the worst of the riots is put together for people to endure. Why the CM should switch sides when he has won and is already ruling is pointless and not explained at all, its done just to fit the storyline. Small budget films like Kishkindha Kandam, Jaya Jaya Jaya he, Rekhachitram, Officer is executed better.

In an effort to make a pan Indian film Prithvi forgot what made malayalam films good. Hope there is some meat in L3.

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 extremely impressed by Prithviraj's direction and the overall making of the film. The visuals, cinematography, and background score were top-notch and clearly demonstrated the effort and vision behind the project. The scale of the film and its technical aspects were commendable, setting high expectations for the story that followed.

Unfortunately, the content of the film didn't quite live up to those expectations. It felt cluttered with unnecessary elements, many of which didn't add any real value to the narrative. One of the biggest disappointments was Mohanlal's portrayal of the character Abraham. His performance lacked the depth and expression we've come to expect from him, especially when compared to his iconic role as Stephen. The character of Abraham came across as flat and unimpactful, leaving fans longing for the familiar charisma and emotional depth that Stephen brought to the screen.

Additionally, the movie was bogged down by an excessive number of characters who seemed irrelevant to the plot. Their presence detracted from the main story and weakened the overall impact of the film. It felt like the movie was trying to juggle too many storylines, which ultimately left it feeling disjointed and unfocused.

In conclusion, while the craftsmanship and ambition behind the film are commendable, the content and storytelling failed to meet the mark. What could have been a gripping, memorable experience ended up feeling bloated and underwhelming.