Director - Prithviraj Sukumaran 
Writer - Murali Gopy
Cast – Mohanlal, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Abhimanyu Singh, Rick Yune, Tovino Thomas, Manju Warrier, Indrajith Sukumaran, Saniya Iyappan, Andrea Tivadar, Jerome Flynn, Eriq Ebouaney, Kishore, Baiju, Sai Kumar, Nandu, Nyla Usha, Suraj Venjaramoodu
Duration – 177 Minutes
 
Ah, sequels—the cinematic equivalent of that one friend who insists on tagging along to every party, even when no one asked for them. L2: Empuraan is exactly that friend. Directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, this follow-up to the blockbuster Lucifer tries to rekindle the magic, but instead, it feels like someone reheated the leftovers and served them with extra drama.
 
The film kicks off with an international operation where an elite team tries to capture Abram Khureshi (Mohanlal), only to whisk us away to Zayed Masood’s revenge saga that’s been simmering for 23 years. Then—plot twist!—we’re suddenly in Kerala politics, where Jathin Ramdas (Tovino Thomas) has gone full villain mode, teaming up with the ominous Balraj (Abhimanyu Singh). Before you can say, “Wait, who’s the real antagonist?” we’re back to the heart of the matter—Lucifer himself. Or as he’s known in this film, Stephen, who’s basically the guy everyone calls when things go south, like the human version of customer support for political chaos.
 
Now, here’s the problem: the first half of the film is like a Netflix series with too many episodes—plot setups that drag on longer than your aunt’s “back in my day” stories at family gatherings. Mohanlal’s entry scene? A snooze-fest that rehashes the end of Lucifer like it’s trying to be nostalgic but ends up feeling lazy. The second half finally delivers some action, but it’s like finding your favorite snack after hours of searching—good, but not worth the wait. The climax fight sequence? It’s got all the flair of a Telugu mass brawl, but with less energy and more “why is this so dark, I can’t see what’s happening?” vibes.
 
Mohanlal, of course, is Mohanlal—delivering his massy superstar charisma with the finesse of a man who’s done this a hundred times before. But even his larger-than-life presence can’t save a script that’s as outdated as a flip phone. Prithviraj Sukumaran, who was a powerhouse in Lucifer, seems to have misplaced his mojo here, delivering a climax that feels more like a half-hearted “meh” than an epic showdown. Tovino Thomas is decent, Manju Warrier tries her best, but Abhimanyu Singh as the antagonist? Let’s just say he’s more “meh” than menacing.
 
Cinematography? It’s like a “before” and “after” photo of someone trying to be artistic. IMAX helps, but it’s hard to appreciate the grand visuals when the story feels like it’s trying to win an award for most confusing plot twists. The background score, sadly, feels like it was borrowed from a random YouTube royalty-free playlist—except for the forest fight scene, where the reused Lucifer score actually works.
 
So, what’s the verdict? L2: Empuraan is like that sequel you didn’t ask for, but somehow, here it is—trying too hard, doing too little, and leaving you wondering if it was all just a long, drawn-out marketing stunt. It’s a film that could’ve been great if someone had just hit the “refresh” button on the script. Instead, it’s like a tired dad joke—trying to be cool, but only making you cringe.