Malayalam action thriller L2: Empuraan, which was grandly released in theaters on the occasion of Ugadi on March 27, 2025, was dubbed in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Hindi and released pan-India. The sequel to the 2019 super hit Lucifer, directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran and produced by Aashirvad Cinemas, Lyca Productions, and Sri Gokulam Movies, the film stars Mohanlal, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Tovino Thomas, Manju Warrier, Abhimanyu Singh, Indrajeet Sukumaran, and others. The film, written by Murali Gopi, with cinematography by Sujeeth Vasudev, music by Deepak Dev, and editing by Akhilesh Mohan, was made on a huge budget of ₹180 crores and created huge hype before its release. However, the film was plagued by controversies over some scenes, re-censorship with 17 cuts, and piracy leaks. Did this sequel recreate the Lucifer magic or disappoint? Let me tell you about my feelings, film highlights, and shortcomings in this review
What is the story?
Five years after the events of Lucifer, Kerala politics becomes unstable. Jatin Ramdas (Tovino Thomas), the Chief Minister of Kerala, leaves his party and joins hands with Bajrangi alias Balraj (Abhimanyu Singh). This decision is strongly opposed by Jatin's sister Priyadarshini Ramdas (Manju Warrier). Meanwhile, Stephen Nedumpally alias Qureshi Abram (Mohanlal), the leader of an international crime syndicate, settles scores abroad with his close friend Zayed Masood (Prithviraj Sukumaran). The backstory of Zayed's family being murdered in the 2002 Gujarat riots is crucial in this film. Qureshi Abram returns to save Kerala politics and seek revenge for Zayed. What is the action, political intrigue, and power game that takes place in this sequence? How did Abram face the challenges? You will know after watching the film.
My Feelings: Visually grand, but depth missing in the story!
When the film starts, after seeing the action sequence in Iran, the backstory of the 2002 Gujarat riots, and the Zayed family tragedy scenes, I felt, "Wow, this is going to be an international level thriller!" In the first half, the backstory of Zayed, the Kerala political setup, and Mohanlal's entry scenes were gripping. Sujeeth Vasudev's cinematography and Deepak Dev's BGM made me think "Super, this is grander than Lucifer!". The church fight scene in the interval and Mohanlal's dialogue delivery gave goosebumps in the theater. "Maybe there will be a massacre with action and political twists in the second half!" I thought.
But, in the second half, the story became stretched and routine. Although the forest fight scene was the highlight, the climax action and political drama did not give the expected impact. "Hey, where is the emotional depth and shocking twists like Lucifer?" I felt. The 2 hour 59 minute runtime bored me due to slow pacing and unnecessary subplots. Tovino Thomas, Indrajeet's roles are underutilized. Murali Gopi's screenplay is good in the first half, but the second half lacks depth. Overall, the film impresses with its visuals, Mohanlal's screen presence, and action scenes, but it fails to reach the level of Lucifer due to its weak story, stretched screenplay, and lack of emotional impact.
Technical aspects, acting
Sujeeth Vasudev's cinematography is the biggest asset of the film. Shot for 145 days in India, UK, USA, and UAE, the visuals are grand by international standards. Deepak Dev's BGM gives goosebumps in the action scenes, but the bass feels overwhelming in some scenes. The songs are so-so. Akhilesh Mohan's editing is sharp in the first half, but it would have been crispier if 15-20 minutes had been trimmed in the second half. Lyca, Aashirvaad's production values are top-notch, and the ₹180 crore budget is visible on the screen. Prithviraj's direction is impressive in the visuals and action sequences, but the balance is missing in the screenplay.
In terms of acting, Mohanlal Qureshi as Abram alone carries the film. His silent attitude, dialogue delivery, and energy in the forest fight scene made you feel "Wow, this is Mohanlal magic!" Prithviraj Zayed impresses emotionally in the backstory scenes and stylishly in the action, but his screen time is less. Manju Warrier is amazing in emotional scenes as Priyadarshini, her role is a plus for the film. Tovino Thomas is decent as Jatin, but the lack of depth to the character is a minus. Abhimanyu Singh is okay as the villain as Bajrangi, but routine. Indrajeet, Saikumar, Saniya Ayyappan's roles are underutilized.
In terms of acting, Mohanlal Qureshi alone carries the film as Abram. His silent attitude, dialogue delivery, and energy in the forest fight scene made us think “Wow, this is Mohanlal magic!” Prithviraj Zayed impressed us emotionally in the backstory scenes and stylishly in the action, but his screen time was less. Manju Warrier is amazing in the emotional scenes as Priyadarshini, her role is a plus for the film. Tovino Thomas is decent as Jatin, but the lack of depth in the character is a minus. Abhimanyu Singh is okay as the villain as Bajrangi, but routine. Indrajeet, Saikumar, Sania Ayyappan’s roles are underutilized.
Likes, Dislikes
Likes:
Mohanlal's performance—Silent attitude, dialogue delivery, impressive in action scenes.
Visuals—Sujeeth Vasudev's cinematography, grand production of international standard.
First half—Zayed backstory, interval church fight scene gripping.
Deepak Dev's BGM—Goosebumps in action scenes.
Manju Warrier's performance—Impressive in emotional scenes.
Dislikes:
Weak screenplay—Stretched second half, routine political drama.
Lack of emotional depth—Missed impact like Lucifer.
Slow pacing—Unnecessary subplots in 2:59 hour runtime.
Underutilized roles—Lack of scope for Tovino, Indrajeet, and Sai Kumar's characters.
Controversies—Backlash over some scenes, 17 cuts disturbed the flow of the film.
Who can watch it?
Action thrillers, political dramas, Mohanlal, Prithviraj fans, Lucifer fans should watch L2: Empuraan Descent. There are some violent action scenes with a UA16+ certificate, so the youth and mass audience can enjoy it. You can try it in theaters (in IMAX, EPIQ formats) for Mohanlal's entry, forest fight scene, and visual grandeur. But, those expecting emotional impact, tight screenplay, and shocking twists like Lucifer will be disappointed. The film will be streaming on Disney+ Hotstar from April 24, 2025, so those who missed the theater can watch it on OTT. Note: The film has been subject to piracy leaks, so we request you to watch it on official platforms only.
Rating: 2.75/5
L2: Empuraan impressed with Mohanlal's amazing performance, Prithviraj's stylish direction, visual grandeur, first half backstory, Deepak Dev's BGM. Lyca, Aashirvaad production, Manju Warrier's acting is a plus. But, the second half is stretched, weak screenplay, lack of emotional depth, unnecessary subplots, and controversies did not allow the film to reach the level of Lucifer. Action lovers and Mohanlal fans can watch it in theaters, but those expecting a strong story should lower their expectations
Release Date: March 27, 2025 (Theaters, IMAX, EPIQ)
Streaming: April 24, 2025 (Disney+ Hotstar)
Director: Prithviraj Sukumaran
Cast: Mohanlal, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Tovino Thomas, Manju Warrier, Abhimanyu Singh, Indrajeet Sukumaran
Music: Deepak Dev
Cinematography: Sujeeth Vasudev