‘L2: Empuraan’ Movie Review: Mohanlal’s Swagger Keeps Saving Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Grand but Exhaustingly Over-Stuffed ‘Lucifer’ Sequel (LatestLY Exclusive)
L2 Empuraan Movie Review: The simple gist of L2: Empuraan can be summed up by this line: Stephen Nedumpally screwed up by choosing the wrong person in Lucifer, and now he has to return to Kerala to make amends for that mistake. When the trailer dropped, a North Indian friend of mine – a fellow critic – remarked how the film seemed to follow the same formula as every South Indian potboiler sequel: go international, even if the core of the story belongs closer to home (see Pushpa 2, KGF 2, Indian 2). In doing so, they often fracture the film, struggling to balance bigger budgets and ambitions with justifying the continuation of the hero’s journey. Unfortunately, his prediction came true for L2: Empuraan. Lucifer Movie Review: Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Directorial Debut Is A Cliched But Stylishly Shot Fanboy Tribute to Mohanlal’s Mass Persona.
I won’t say it’s a bad film. Watching it at a jam-packed 7:30 am show with enthusiastic Mohanlal fans was an experience in itself. For them, director Prithviraj Sukumaran has delivered plenty of whistle-worthy, clap-inducing moments. Like its predecessor, L2: Empuraan is Prithviraj’s love letter to Mohanlal’s larger-than-life screen presence – the superstar’s uncanny ability to dominate the screen, making you believe no one else could command such power. But love letters need good prose, not just glitter and fragrance – and that’s where L2: Empuraan keeps stumbling.
‘L2: Empuraan’ Movie Review – The Plot
When we last saw him, Stephen Nedumpally (Mohanlal) wasn’t just a political kingpin in Kerala – he was a far greater ‘devil’: Khureshi Ab’raam, leader of an international smuggling racket (though no drugs or human trafficking involved). He also left Kerala in the hands of Jathin Ramdas (Tovino Thomas), son of his late benefactor PK Ramdas (Sachin Khedekar), bypassing the latter’s daughter Priyadarshini (Manju Warrier).
Five years later, Jathin remains Chief Minister but has turned corrupt. He’s split the IUF party with his own faction, backed by rising Hindu right-wing forces in the state, and supported by a hardline North Indian politician, Bajrangi (Abhimanyu Singh). As things spiral, conspiracy theorist Govardhan (Indrajith Sukumaran) realises only one man can save the state – the one who created the mess in the first place: Stephen Nedumpally.
Watch the Trailer of ‘L2: Empuraan’:
But Stephen hasn’t been in Kerala for five years and seems oddly indifferent to Jathin’s corruption – until Govardhan comes calling. He’s content being Khureshi Ab’raam, making grand entrances whenever the film starts lagging (and trust me, there are plenty such opportunties). Most of Mohanlal’s scenes are stylish, slow-motion intro shots designed to trigger wild fan reactions. As Riyaz Khan once famously said, “Adichu keri vaa!”
‘L2: Empuraan’ Movie Review – Stylish Direction and Grandiose Feeling
Like Lucifer, this film thrives on buildup – arguably too much. Mohanlal appears about an hour in, and the long wait made the theatre erupt in thunderous applause. That said, I preferred his intro in Lucifer, where his arrival felt earned after clever buildup. Here, he just shows up mid-massacre, killing faceless goons in a desert with Apaches hovering. If you don’t like that intro, don’t worry – wait a couple more scenes, and there would be another one, and then another one. And so on.
A Still From L2 Empuraan
Prithviraj, the director, knows how to present his film – he just needs restraint. L2: Empuraan feels like a virtual globe-trotting ride. It opens with an Iraq action sequence, flashes back to the 2002 Gujarat riots (a disturbingly violent origin story for Zayed Masood), then hops to present-day Kerala, then London, Senegal, and more international locales. The production design gives the film its larger-than-life appeal.
There’s clever symbolism – a falling cross breaking into an ‘L’, a flaming tree branch doing the same – and Prithviraj clearly aims to build Khureshi Ab’raam’s mythos, echoing The Usual Suspects: “The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” The bigger budget lets him play with scale, and Sujith Vaassudev’s cinematography delivers grandeur – like Stephen standing before a burning tree, flanked by his men.
A Still From L2 Empuraan
Yet, Mohanlal shines brighter as Stephen Nedumpally than as Khureshi Ab’raam. One second-half action sequence – where he appears as Stephen – is among Malayalam cinema’s best mass scenes. The buildup, lighting, choreography – everything clicks. Mohanlal folding his mundu oozes more swagger than him strutting in stiff suits. Deepak Dev’s score elevates these moments brilliantly – those demanding Anirudh can take a hike.
‘L2: Empuraan’ Movie Review – Scrambled Screenplay
But L2: Empuraan fixates on Khureshi Ab’raam’s mythos, neglecting Stephen Nedumpally’s character. Murali Gopy’s scattered screenplay lacks focus. The Kerala political thread should’ve been the anchor, but international subplots fracture the narrative. By the time it reaches China, the constant location-hopping feels exhausting. The film is in clear need of stronger editing in the first half and then in the concluding portions. ‘L2: Empuraan’ Twitter Review: Netizens Call Mohanlal-Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Film ‘KGF 2 of Mollywood,’ Praise ‘Lucifer’ Sequel’s Hollywood-Level Visuals.
A Still From L2 Empuraan
Gopy stuffs too much in: international crime rackets, MI-6, Hindu fascism, a Shailaja-K Muralidharan-inspired sibling feud, potshots at Congress and CPI(M), a half-baked LeT subplot, a track inspired by Mullaperiyar dam issue and a revenge arc for latecomer Zayed Masood (Prithviraj Sukumaran).
A Still From L2 Empuraan
The film dazzles visually but loses itself in directionless sprawl. Its critique of right-wing politics is bold but superficial – reducing it to ‘good guys kill bad men’ without the actual Hydra-like infection across various strata of society. Still, Gopy’s dialogues sparkle, especially for Lucifer fans catching callbacks.
‘L2: Empuraan’ Movie Review – A Mohanlal Swag Show
Talking about the actors, L2: Empuraan is certainly a treat if you are simply here to cheer for Mohanlal the superstar. Yet the film’s so busy mythologising Mohanlal that it forgets to showcase the actor. Thankfully, he’s not in Barroz mode here – his intensity in mass scenes is spellbinding. Unlike recent outings (excluding Malaikottai Vaaliban, where he was solid despite the film’s flaws), the superstar is in top form – the movie just needed more of that.
A Still From L2 Empuraan
Prithviraj, the actor, appears only in the second half; his track is merely passable – though he and Mohanlal make a dynamic duo in the climactic fight. Manju Warrier shines in strong speech scenes, but her character’s resurgence feels weakly written. Tovino Thomas’s return feels like atonement for past Mohanlal trolling on Facebook – his character’s descent into corruption isn’t fleshed out, and unlike Vivek Oberoi’s Bobby (from Lucifer), Jathin never becomes a formidable foe for Stephen. Tovino’s decent, but the role underserves his talent and his star cadre.
A Still From L2 Empuraan
In the vast supporting cast, Baiju Santosh lands some applause-worthy lines. Suraj Venjaramoodu starts strong as a hardline politician but fades into a sidekick. Indrajith Sukumaran is serviceable. As for the hyped foreign cast – Jerome Flynn (Game of Thrones), Andrea Tivadar (Warrior Nun), Eriq Ebouaney (Transporter 3) – they barely register. Flynn, so scene-stealing sardonic as Bronn in GoT, feels like he’s sleepwalking here. Abhimanyu Singh and Sukant Goel, as the antagonists, do their parts with the required sneer.
A Still From L2 Empuraan
PS: SPOILER ALERT – Temper your expectations for the big cameos – unless Anthony Perumbavoor’s obligatory appearance excites you. This time, even his son pops up (unrecognised by my theatre). And yes, Lalettan’s son shows up, teasing L3 with Khureshi Ab’raam’s origin story. Sigh…
‘L2: Empuraan’ Movie Review – Final Thoughts
L2: Empuraan is a film caught between two worlds – one continuing Lucifer‘s political storyline, the other lost in a globetrotting spectacle. When it remembers what made Lucifer work – Mohanlal’s magnetic presence, sharp political commentary, and Stephen Nedumpally’s aura – it thrills occasionally. But too often, the movie gets distracted by its own ambition, piling on subplots and exotic locales without depth. For fans, the highs (Mohanlal in mundu, that killer second-half fight) will justify the ticket. For everyone else, it’s a bloated saga with occasional flashes of brilliance – one that could’ve been great if it allowed the Devil to roost more in God’s own country.
(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of Today News 24.)
(The above story first appeared on Today News 24 on Mar 27, 2025 01:15 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website todaynews24.top).
