<p>Lucifer</p>.<p>Malayalam (U/A)</p>.<p>Cast: Mohanlal, Vivek Oberoi, Manju Warrier, Tovino Thomas</p>.<p>Director: Prithviraj Sukumaran</p>.<p>Rating: 2/5</p>.<p>Lights, camera, Mohanlal...</p>.<p><span class="italic"><em>Lucifer</em></span> arrives to a thousand hallelujahs. The hail brigade, in fact, gets down to business much before the fallen angel descends on screen.</p>.<p>In 2 hours 54 minutes, there are a zillion slo-mo shots designed solely to test the lung power of Mohanlal devotees. And they lap it up with a throaty flourish.</p>.<p>Well, well, we truly understand the fans. But what's with Prithviraj — an actor of considerable repute making his directorial debut here — wearing his heart on his sleeve, and the whole of his clothing! His <span class="italic"><em>Lucifer</em></span> is nothing but a costly nod to Lalism. It's one thing to admire an actor. It's another to be blinded as a fanboy.</p>.<p>So, you have a Stephen Nedumpally (Mohanlal, playing the go-to man of Keralites, Mumbaiites, Russians, Arabs and pretty much the entire universe) fighting an ugly power battle after the death of his political mentor.</p>.<p>Manju Warrier, Vivek Oberoi and Tovino Thomas play their own games and turn pawns in a tale that is powered entirely by Mohanlal's machismo. That studied gaze, twirling of moustache and the quintessential fights which are not complete without a peep of his white underpants...</p>.<p>Lucifer is all swagger as he makes a Machiavellian statement: It's not good versus evil, but evil versus evil. Which accounts for the dozen Biblical references in the movie, revolving around a 'god' whose empire is brought down by devils in angels' garb, and reclaimed by a greater evil.</p>.<p>Dressed in crisp white, Lal spills gallons of blood and accounts for a truckload of corpses. Prithviraj joins the massacre at the fag end. Amid the choking socio-political proceedings, Tovino pops up to offer some fresh air.</p>.<p>A character in the movie mouths a gem of a dialogue — that he watches "mass masala" entertainers just to know when the crowd goes berserk, so that he can use those cues for political mileage. Clearly, Prithviraj stacked a lot of masala, but forgot to make a meal. </p>
<p>Lucifer</p>.<p>Malayalam (U/A)</p>.<p>Cast: Mohanlal, Vivek Oberoi, Manju Warrier, Tovino Thomas</p>.<p>Director: Prithviraj Sukumaran</p>.<p>Rating: 2/5</p>.<p>Lights, camera, Mohanlal...</p>.<p><span class="italic"><em>Lucifer</em></span> arrives to a thousand hallelujahs. The hail brigade, in fact, gets down to business much before the fallen angel descends on screen.</p>.<p>In 2 hours 54 minutes, there are a zillion slo-mo shots designed solely to test the lung power of Mohanlal devotees. And they lap it up with a throaty flourish.</p>.<p>Well, well, we truly understand the fans. But what's with Prithviraj — an actor of considerable repute making his directorial debut here — wearing his heart on his sleeve, and the whole of his clothing! His <span class="italic"><em>Lucifer</em></span> is nothing but a costly nod to Lalism. It's one thing to admire an actor. It's another to be blinded as a fanboy.</p>.<p>So, you have a Stephen Nedumpally (Mohanlal, playing the go-to man of Keralites, Mumbaiites, Russians, Arabs and pretty much the entire universe) fighting an ugly power battle after the death of his political mentor.</p>.<p>Manju Warrier, Vivek Oberoi and Tovino Thomas play their own games and turn pawns in a tale that is powered entirely by Mohanlal's machismo. That studied gaze, twirling of moustache and the quintessential fights which are not complete without a peep of his white underpants...</p>.<p>Lucifer is all swagger as he makes a Machiavellian statement: It's not good versus evil, but evil versus evil. Which accounts for the dozen Biblical references in the movie, revolving around a 'god' whose empire is brought down by devils in angels' garb, and reclaimed by a greater evil.</p>.<p>Dressed in crisp white, Lal spills gallons of blood and accounts for a truckload of corpses. Prithviraj joins the massacre at the fag end. Amid the choking socio-political proceedings, Tovino pops up to offer some fresh air.</p>.<p>A character in the movie mouths a gem of a dialogue — that he watches "mass masala" entertainers just to know when the crowd goes berserk, so that he can use those cues for political mileage. Clearly, Prithviraj stacked a lot of masala, but forgot to make a meal. </p>