Pushpa 2 The Rule review: Allu Arjun-Fahadh Faasil face-off lacks punch, overlong runtime ruins pace

Rashmika Mandanna and Allu Arjun in Pushpa 2: The Rule

The curse of a sequel is that it will always be compared with the original, especially if it's a Rs 360 crore (approx) box office mammoth. When Pushpa: The Rise released in December 2021, the Indian audience was still grappling with the aftermath of a pandemic, returning to the big screen experience after a long gap. Pan-India cinema was a fairly new concept. Director Sukumar captured the audience's imagination with a fascinating plot, an icon star, sleek action and chartbuster music. Unfortunately, the wow factor is lacking in Pushpa 2: The Rule.

Here's a quick look at the good, bad and the ugly of Pushpa 2: The Rule, that is out in theatres today.

The return of Allu Arjun

The film is named Pushpa, and it is all about him from beginning till the end, no surprises there. Icon star Allu Arjun brings in his signature swag, having now become a brand in himself. His gravity-defying stunts will entertain die-hard fans, especially in the last action scene. The Jathara scene transformation is also commendable. However, the emotional connect his character had established in the first part owing to his yearning for identity and respect, is missing in this one. Or simply, repetitive.

Props to Shreyas Talpade for voicing Pushpa in Hindi, although why would a South India-set film's lead talk like a Marathi person is beyond comprehension.

What is Rashmika Mandanna's role?

Other than cooking mutton curry and dancing to the cringeworthy 'Peelings'? Pushpa and Srivalli's romance has lost its cuteness in the sequel. The film pretends to be feminist with Pushpa's evident respect for the women in his life, but other than one monologue by Srivalli in her husband's defense, women have very little to do in the film.

Waste of Fahadh Faasil's talent

One of the biggest attractions for the sequel was the face-off between the two powerhouse actors - Allu Arjun and Fahadh Faasil - a taste of which we got in the original film. In the sequel, the chor-police chase gets monotonous, with Pushpa seeming invincible and Shekhawat being unidimensional. The novelty of Pushpa's ploys to get out of tricky situations has also worn off.

Can't bank on music for popularity

Oo Antava, Srivalli and Saami Saami were superhit songs in Pushpa: The Rise. Except for Sooseki (Angaroon Sa in Hindi), none of the songs of Pushpa 2 strike a chord.

Explain please!

The fight scene in the beginning - Allu Arjun's entry is fantastic - but we kept waiting for its explanation/connection later, which never came. The end of Fahadh's character is sudden, disappointing and poorly justified.

Someone get the editor to cut!

The hype of Pushpa: The Rule can bring the audience to the theatres for the second part, but the sequel has to keep the audience in the theatres. The last hour of Pushpa 2 will have you squirming in your seats out of boredom. New plots are hatched to introduce villains for the third part, but you have already lost interest after the elaborate fight scenes and elongated chase sequences. The official 3-hours-20-mins run-time almost feels like 4 hours. So if you are planning to go watch it, please ensure you have nothing else planned afterwards.