Story -
The film continues from where the prequel ended. Amarendra Bahubali (Prabhas) touted to be the next king is asked to mingle with his subjects in disguise and know their problems before his coronation ceremony by Rajamatha Sivagami (Ramya Krishnan). This journey leads him directly to Devasena (Anushka Shetty) and they fall in love. Back at home, Bhallaladeva (Rana Daggubati) and Bijjaladeva (Nasser) continue to plot their revenge against Bahubali. Whether Bahubali takes over the throne or not? and the much awaited Why Kattappa killed Bahubali? is answered in this prolonged flashback.
Post flashback it's all routine story of how Mahendra Bahubali aka Sivudu (Prabhas) avenges his father's death and saves his mother as well as the kingdom itself from Bhallaladeva.
Movie -
The first half really starts off on a high note with the established characters. SS Rajamouli is the best person to glorify the hero and with this scale, watching Amarendra Bahubali (Prabhas) showcase his skills is a treat indeed. The introduction of Devasena (Anushka Shetty) establishes her character of a no non-sense princess who is a true warrior by herself. A right match for Bahubali, It's a love at first sight and the follow up events laced with humour makes the flow pretty smooth. At it's core, this is a very simple story and SS Rajamouli knows how to present it. As Bahubali and Devasena fall in love, Bhallaladeva (Rana Daggubati) conspires to use this for his advantage. This covers the plot about who succeeds to get the throne. The interval block is emotionally high and of course along with Mahishmathi, even the audience would hold their breath considering the only unanswered question left to be Why Kattappa Killed Bahubali?
Second half has Amarendra Bahubali's flashback continue and the emotional angle is kept intact. The reason why Kattappa killed Bahubali might sound simple but the way SS Rajamouli builds up the scenes leading to the major reveal, shows his caliber. He succeeds in grabbing our attention throughout. Post this big reveal, the final battle in the second half again relies on the grandeur and CGI. The pace slows down post the reveal and the story becomes extremely predictable. And when it comes to heroism, Rajamouli is not the one to hold back. All such scenes totally play to the gallery and this old school treatment keeps the final act in a safe zone, ending this mammoth dream on a predictable note.
Performances -
Prabhas is good as Amarendra Bahubali and he lives that character. Sadly we don't get to differentiate between his two characters rather we are left with one option of accepting them as "like father, like son", as established in the prequel.
Anushka Shetty gets a superb introduction and ably supports Prabhas in the first half. In the second half, she gets sidelined. Tamannaah is hardly there in the sequel, while you hardly get a glimpse of her.
Rana Daggubati excels as the baddie. His efforts show on screen. In fact both Prabhas and Rana complement each other very well.
Nasser is first rate. Subbaraju as a comic relief succeeds in bringing in the chuckles.
Special mention to Ramya Krishnan as Sivagami and Sathyaraj as Kattappa who actually shine in this film. While, Ramya Krishnan looks majestic, she comes up with a fantastic performance. Sathyaraj gets to show his comic talent in the first half. He has given a commendable performance especially in the scenes leading to revealing why he killed Bahubali. It's their performances that stand out.
Plusses -
1. The grandeur and the epic scale of the film.
2. SS Rajamouli's vision continues to keep the audience captivated.
3. The humour in the first half.
4. The hero elevation scenes as well as the scenes glorifying Prabhas as Amarendra Bahubali.
5. Devasena's introduction and the scenes where she confronts Sivagami.
6. The battle with the Pindaris.
7. The interval block.
8. The scenes leading to Bahubali's kill.
Minusses -
1. The rope work during the action scenes stick out as sore thumb.
2. Songs act as speed-breakers. Apart from Dandalayya and songs from the prequel, rest don't impress.
3. Post the reveal, the film becomes extremely predictable.
4. The final battle between Mahendra Bahubali and Bhallaladeva has very little to offer and is no match to the battle scene in the prequel. It feels like a drag.
5. Once the flashback ends, the film gets least convincing.
Final Rating - 3/5 [plus 0.5 for the efforts.]
Final Words - SS Rajamouli's mammoth dream ends on a predictable note.
