[myavu]

Booked L2 Empuraan's IMAX tickets for tomorrow. I don't want to miss the theater experience. Also eagerly waiting for Thudarum.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by myavu

Booked L2 Empuraan's IMAX tickets for tomorrow. I don't want to miss the theater experience. Also eagerly waiting for Thudarum.

Oh I just came here to post on IMAX. I watched in IMAX at PVR in VR Mall Bangalore and was generally disappointed. Understood from the last promotion interview that it was not shot in IMAX but upgraded. Somehow the quality seemed off and the sound was also loud and jarring. Not a theater issue has I have watched other movies there. Not sure if was done more as a marketing strategy to be the 'First Malayalam Film in IMAX'. Of course, not that it is very bad or anything just that it is not as good as expected.

Not sure if it was just me. Let us know your thoughts once you watch

[myavu]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Oh I just came here to post on IMAX. I watched in IMAX at PVR in VR Mall Bangalore and was generally disappointed.

Straight from the horse's mouth.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=7GnbgYTVpr0?si=Q5FgrZkFG3Rh5SGV

I will be watching Empuraan at PVR IMAX Laser, Vasant Vihar. My friend who watched yesterday is of a similar opinion as yours. Visuals are really good but not IMAX good. But as per him, sound quality was exceptional.

[yedukrishnan199]

Originally Posted by StarrySky

I guess it will be hard for the movie to match up to sky-high expectations, so just hoping that the makers haven't prioritised spectacle and visuals over content. They claim content is the key and spectacle is secondary, but let's see.

Exactly how it turned out, the film couldn't meet expectations, but the quality of he visuals, camera work, etc, is excellent. The makers indeed seemed to have prioritised spectacle and visuals over content.

I watched the second show on the date of release and went home slightly disappointed.

[naveen.raju]

L2: Empuraan



Had watched Lucifer couple of days back to get the flow of the 2nd installment. Glad I watched it since Empuraan turned out to a big disappointment.

Not everything was bad. Technically, it was brilliant. Cinematography was top notch and BGM complimented it well. Right up there with Hollywood standards. They have just blown money on this. But that was it.

Poor storyline, messed up screenplay (could easily guess where the movie was going as there was no build of suspense unlike Lucifer) and average acting (nothing special here). Mohanlal’s introduction did have that goosebump moment but why did they Amal Neerad’s signature slo-mo sequence each time? (Exactly what BHPian Vibbs pointed out). The crowd went crazy for the intro and then nothing. It kinda got bored and I felt like I was reaching for the remote to skip the slo-mo.

Action sequences were pretty well choreographed but way too long. Could have kept short.

Guess the screens here are pushing in shows to reel in as much as money possible soon since they too have a feeling this might not last long. They canceled many other movies and opened up new shows which was why I managed to get the ticket yesterday.

Rating - 2/5. Wont enjoy much on OTT. Watch in a good theater with good audio.

[Latheesh]

This is sad, but expected. Makers should have been careful while finalizing the script.
"Empuraan Producers To Implement 17 Voluntary Cuts; Some Dialogues"

[balenoed_]

Empuraan - 0/5

Just watched this yesterday.

Umpteen Mohanlal introduction/Entry kind of scenes in slow motion and that's it. That's all Mohanlal for you, really didn't get the fact of what is "Empuraan" here. Infact, it is a movie of all other characters minus Mohanlal. Even the party worker side kick Baiju seems to have got a better screen presence than L. Mohanlal literally has only those slow motion walks and a few dialogues here and there and he hardly talks in the role of Khureshi Abraam.

I would say Prithviraj sidelined him in the script and wouldn't dare to say that his intention was to smartly use Mohanlal's name and fame and create his own brand and image instead and he got reasonably succesfull in executing that strategy. This is not or not supposed to be a Malayalam movie. Totally out of place script for a Malayalam film. No justice done to call it as a continuation to its first part Lucifer. And I feel pity for those all those Pan India audience who had to watch it, cannot imagine how the translated dialogues would have turned out.

[jayded]

Empuraan - 3.5/5

Watched the movie here in Adelaide last night. There were only 10–12 people in a theatre with a 90-seat capacity, which is expected for a late-night Sunday show here. I liked the overall storytelling and never felt it dragged at any point. Sure, there are some extended fight sequences, but they are well made and great to watch. Mohanlal doesn’t have a lot of screen time, but he delivers when he does. Definitely a theatre watch to do justice to the visuals and background score.

[benbsb29]

Empuraan - Malayalam



Watched this one in the theatre for the movie experience and it did not disappoint.
While Lucifer built on the characters, L2E went on to extrapolate this into something so visually appealing that the need for character development or the fact that too many distractions take away from the movie went unnoticed.

Looking at the positives, the scale of things as well as the cinematic appeal must be lauded. Everything from the action sequences to the locations exude finesse. Manju Warrier's character is nicely done. You can see some of the attention given as a car lover - using Pajeros in what is a scene in Dakar, didn't go unnoticed to my eyes. Background music is amazing.

The negatives: Too many new characters introduced. The movie has gone far away from what made Lucifer appeal or relatable. Personally i felt there was no need for all these locations that are depicted in the movie. The extreme violence in the first quarter while helping to set the scene for the rest of the events, felt a tad too much/visual.

Summary: As a family, we enjoyed the visual spectacle. Ignore Lucifer as the first part or even utilising Mohanlal's capability as an actor and you really cant complain too much. When you add these into the equation, the scale tilts against L2E.

I appreciate what they've tried to depict from the political angle although I fail to see why some people make it to be a bigger issue than it is. Am glad we got to watch it before the 17 'voluntary' edits and villain character being renamed.

I wouldn't mind catching it on OTT once again, there are a whole lot of worser ways i can choose to waste my time.

Rating: 3/5

[vb-saan]

Empuraan – Malayalam – 3.5/5

Watched this yesterday in IMAX here in Singapore, just before the so-called voluntary cuts are implemented. After all the mixed / negative reviews I was worried if the steep 30 SGD (~ 1800 INR) ticket cost will go waste, but came out satisfied with the end product. The granduer, scale, CGI etc. was pretty awesome for a Malayalam movie. I find Prithviraj’s acting skill pretty average, but he scores really high as a director and did full justice to Murali Gopy’s brilliant writing. The cinematography, editing, sound, all were top notch. The music/BGM was heavily criticized, but for me it worked mostly except for one action sequence. The movie doesn’t have the earthiness of Lucifer, but as a stand alone movie, or as a middle part of a trilogy, it worked for me.

Now coming to the negatives. The action choreography looked overdone in parts - almost like the characters are posing for a still in between the fights. And secondly, its 6 years after the release of Lucifer. Between Lucifer and Empuraan Prithviraj became more Pan Indian, collaborated with the likes of Prashanth Neel or S.S. Rajamouli. I felt the impact has brushed on him, and lost a bit of identity as a director. The first 15-20 minutes of the movie easily can fit in a Salaar or KGF - be it the color grading or ambience. If the so called 3 minutes cuts are mostly happening in the initial section, that probably will make the movie better in my opinion.

The actors all did their part well, be it Mohanlal, Manju Warrier, or the supporting cast. Some minor glances, reactions etc. from seasoned performers like Saikumar, Suraaj, Baiju were just brilliant. Tovino’s character looked slightly overcooked though. Same goes for Indrajith.

Looking forward to the third installment; hope the current controversies won’t tamper the plans.

[myavu]

L2-Empuraan 3.5/5

I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is not as great as Lucifer, but the making, tech, etc., is unparalleled to anything to date from the Malayalam cinema industry. And of ofcourse A10's swag and aura. The IMAX experience was mixed for visuals. It was not full screen. But details were there. Sound and effects were excellent.

It's worth mentioning that Kabuga and desert scenes with helicopters were just sets (Chennai and Ladakh, respectively) and life-size models. Kudos to the art and cinematography departments.

NB: I think today onwards the shows will be a 2-minute reduced version due to the ongoing political hue and cry.

[Suifuto]

L2- Empuraan - 4/5

Watched Empuraan First day, First show at Hyderabad. Expectations were very high, since it was a sequel to Lucifer, and since I couldn't watch Lucifer in the big screen, I was planning to compensate it with Empuraan. I did watch Lucifer again the previous night to refresh the characters, since this was a direct sequel.

Initial 30min felt like they were trying to establish Prithviraj's character past, although I felt they could have toned down the violence a bit. Mohanlal's intro scene literally shaked the theatre!!!! Non-linear plot took the movie forward really well till the interval.

Overall, I didn't feel any highs in Empuraan, as compared to Lucifer, except for the Jungle fight scene. Mohanlal seemed a bit out of place while enacting Khureshi Abram, whereas he was in his comfort zone while playing Stephen Nedumpally.

[Pequod]

My thoughts on L2: Empuraan.

• Prithviraj is a marketing genius, a middling director and a rank bad actor.
• Mohanlal as Stephen Nedumpally is entertaining – the Kerala politician with swagger drawing on mysterious connections to international crime syndicates.
• Mohanlal as Khureshi Ab’raam is meh. Where’s the menace or terror in his body language? Trust me, I do get suspension of disbelief, but the dreaded head of an Indo-Arab crime syndicate who can hardly muster 2 words in Hindi, forget Arab or Pashto?
• One could remove the entire MI6 angle from the movie, and nothing would change. Maybe this is the creators idea of making the movie truly “international”.
• Manju Warrier’s character is intended as a progressive feminist beacon (?), but the closest analogy is that of a headless chicken running around in awe of a savior figure.
• There’s no compelling villain. No moral dilemma. No inner or outer conflict. Consequently, there’s no meaningful character development or arc. Just the writer/director using sledgehammer tactics to induce awe of the hero or sympathy for the hero’s sidekick. Yawn.
• The movie fails to reconcile the dual identities of its protagonist – an international mercenary/smuggler warlord with MI6 on his heels who just so happens to be an ex-Kerala legislator too. Again, suspension of disbelief doesn’t translate to leap of faith.

I didn’t get bored though, for it was comical, if nothing else.

PS - There’s a stinger at the credits!

[doxinboy]

Gana

Kannada Movie, avaliable on YouTube.

I like innovation, risk takers and out of the box ideas instead of the lackluster "old wine in a new bottle" romance carp we are accustomed to theae days. Surprise Surprise, someone in my karunadu was impressed by Interateller(spell check?) and Im sure he was mesmariaed by Marty from Back to the Future. Let Stephen Hawking be damned, its possible to connect the past and future with a portal and a "crack in time/space".

Though the film flopped and cinematography and editing is hanging below 1 star rating, I will clap for the team to do something unthinkable in Kannada cinema. Finally when an antique disconnected. telephone rings(tring tring), are you man enough to pick up the call?

[Asish_VK]

Empuraan – A Disappointing Sequel with Some Strong Individual Elements

While the movie boasts commendable technical finesse and well-executed individual components, it ultimately falls short as a cohesive cinematic experience, which was a key positive for Lucifer.

As a direct sequel to Lucifer, the film struggles to live up to expectations. I'll give it a 1.5/5.
Even when viewed as a standalone mass-action entertainer, I can rate it just 2/5.

Some Notable Aspects of the Film in my perspective:

PR & Marketing: (5/5) – Undeniably top-tier, creating immense anticipation.

Mohanlal as Qureshi Abram: (1/5) – Aside from a few impactful close-up shots, the portrayal lacks depth. Mohanlal doesn't have the aura to pull off a stylish gangster. He just lacks the screen presence that the character demands.

Mohanlal as Stephen: (4/5) – A significantly stronger performance. No one can match his swag when it comes to the Kerala attire (in dhoti).

Story & Screenplay: (2/5) – Fails to captivate, with a narrative that lacks the intrigue and engagement of its predecessor. It wanders off into unnecessary layers and subplots that don't add up to a satisfactory conclusion.

Background Score (BGM): (2/5) – Underwhelming and fails to elevate the film’s intensity. A good BGM could have made many scenes more impactful.

Making & Cinematography: (4.5/5) – Visually impressive with high production values. We can see that the money is well spent on the technical aspects.

And the climax fight sequence reminded me of 1990s Bollywood masala action. It didn't go well with the overall theme of the movie and the hero.

It will earn a lot of money at the box office, maybe more than expected due to the political controversy. But for me, Empuraan falls into the trap of style over substance.