Bahubali 2: The Conclusion

Bahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017)

Runtime: 168 minutes

Directed by: S.S. Rajamouli

Starring: Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, Tamannaah Bhatia, Sathrayaj

From: Arka Mediaworks

Yep, this was a conclusion to a pair of movies from the director of RRR.Last September via Netflix I saw the Tamil version of the first film, appropriately known as Bahubali: The Beginning. It was exactly the sort of OOT spectacle I expect from an Indian movie, especially one from the guy that gave us RRR. The original presented the story of the sibling rivalry between the titular character and Bhallaladeva, told to the son of the former. 

The conclusion contains plenty of catchy tunes, funny/bad CG, badass action scenes, macho moments, slow motion, unforgettable visuals, & rivalry/revenge worthy of Shakespeare; I stole the last thought from someone else on Letterboxd but I agree, which is a reason why I do rate this higher.

Another related reason is sheer entertainment. After all, the princess that is lusted over by multiple men is a badass who like our hero can fire THREE arrows from a single bow at the same time. As is common in modern Indian cinema, at least one person has such superhuman strength they might as well be a part of The Avengers. This tops the first film in every way, including the action in general and specifically, the climatic fight at the end which is especially absurd. 

There are plenty of wacky moments I honestly would look upon more unfavorably if it was a product from another country but India is a different market so because of that and NOT because I think of that country/its market as a lesser thing am I able to think this way-it’s not a double standard to me. That market enjoys OOT displays so I might as well revel in it, right? Anyhow, I won’t spoil the wildest moments-some of you may not believe them if they were told to you anyhow. They look like videogame clips, which is appropriate given the quality of the CG…

Even now this is still the biggest box office success in terms of gross in the country of India-by quite a bit-and also made a lot of bank elsewhere around the world. What this movie offered to its target market was clearly a success, and random people like me who aren’t South Asian can also appreciate the scope & vision that was presented here. You’d have to devote over 5 hours to see this epic (whether it be over a long day or a long weekend; that really is preferable to “over a 6 month span” like I did) but at least for me that was a journey well worth taking.