Pushpa 2: The Rule (2024)

Pushpa 2: The Rule runs 201 minutes, and the whole plot is set off by a politician who won’t pose for a photo. That’s the sequel in a nutshell: huge, swaggering and powered by ego. Allu Arjun is back as Pushpa, now the king of the red sandalwood trade, and when the Chief Minister snubs him, he decides the state needs a new one: his ally Siddappa. Fahadh Faasil’s Shekhawat, the cop Pushpa humiliated last time, goes as far as disguising himself as a laborer to get even, and Faasil steals scenes with a restless, funny edge. The jatara festival sequence is the peak, with Allu Arjun going all in. A decoy plan with bullock carts is clever too. But Sukumar builds big moments and forgets to connect them, and plenty of critics called the story disjointed. It still pulled $13 million from North American theaters alone. A 5.2 because Allu Arjun is unstoppable and so, sadly, is the movie. $7,939 says you turn down a selfie with someone this month just to see what happens.

What works: Allu Arjun is pure swagger, Fahadh Faasil is restless and funny as Shekhawat, and the jatara festival sequence is a genuine showstopper.

What doesn’t: The story is disjointed and built around big moments instead of a clear line, and at 201 minutes the sag in the middle is hard to ignore.

Who it’s for: Fans of the first film and anyone who wants a full-throttle Telugu mass entertainer, with snacks for the intermission.