Bāhubali 2: The Conclusion (2017)
Movie · 2017 · Action, Adventure, Fantasy · 2h 47m · NR · TE
Curator score: 7.8/10 (178.9K ratings)
Overview
When Mahendra, the son of Bāhubali, learns about his heritage, he begins to look for answers. His story is juxtaposed with past events that unfolded in the Mahishmati Kingdom.
Ratings
- Curator score: 7.8/10
- IMDb: 8.2/10
- Letterboxd: 3.83/5
- Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
- TMDB: 7.5/10
Director
S. S. Rajamouli
Production
Arka Media Works
Cast
Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, Sathyaraj, Nassar, Ramya Krishnan, Subbaraju, Tamannaah Bhatia, Prudhviraj, Rohini, Kalpalatha, Ashrita Vemuganti, Tanikella Bharani, Bharani Shankar, P. Ravi Shankar
Where to watch
Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A maximalist mythic blockbuster that turns royal melodrama, romance, revenge, and battlefield spectacle into a crowd-pleasing epic. It’s knowingly extravagant, occasionally absurd, and often thrilling in exactly the way big fantasy cinema should be.
Best for
- Viewers who want huge-scale spectacle and operatic emotion
- Fans of mythic hero stories and dynastic conflict
- Audiences who enjoy stylized action, pageantry, and big set pieces
- People open to melodrama and heightened storytelling
Skip if
- You need grounded realism or subtle character psychology
- CGI-heavy fantasy tends to pull you out of the movie
- You dislike long runtimes and elaborate flashback structures
- You prefer restrained action over grand, flamboyant spectacle
Overview
Bāhubali 2: The Conclusion is the kind of blockbuster that commits to excess as a virtue. It builds a kingdom out of color, scale, and myth, then keeps escalating until the emotional stakes feel as enormous as the armies on screen. The film’s confidence is contagious: even when it tips into soap opera, it does so with such conviction that the melodrama becomes part of the pleasure.
Worth noting
What makes it work is the fusion of old-school storytelling with contemporary visual ambition. The action is staged for awe, the music pushes every reveal toward catharsis, and the story treats lineage, duty, and betrayal like matters of legend rather than mere plot mechanics. It’s not subtle, but it is purposeful.
Bottom line
If you respond to cinema as pageantry, this is a feast. If you want realism or tonal restraint, it will probably feel overblown. But as a fantasy epic that wants to be remembered in images, gestures, and thunderous payoffs, it lands with real force.
Top Letterboxd reviews
James (Schaffrillas) (4.5★) · 1078 likes
Bahubali: 2 hours of flashback and then The Conclusion is in the last 30 minutes
sydney (5★) · 486 likes
i believe completely in equality and community and i know life and human beings are shades of gray, but i will always be enchanted by the fairytale of two big gorgeous hunks, one perfectly good and one perfectly evil, going to war to rule a kingdom
Sean Gilman (5★) · 300 likes
Home of both the best musical sequences of the year and the best action sequences of the year. The second part of the Baahubali story matches the first in the audacity of its use of CGI, using technology to expand the possibilities of reality rather than merely attempting to imitate it. But in following the story to its conclusion, ingeniously paralleling and inverting the structure and events of the first part, the film also reveals its mythopoeic theme, the conflict… more Home of both the best musical sequences of the year and the best action sequences of the year. The second part of the Baahubali story matches the first in the audacity of its use of CGI, using technology to expand the possibilities of reality rather than merely attempting to imitate it. But in following the story to its conclusion, ingeniously paralleling and inverting the structure and events of the first part, the film also reveals its mythopoeic theme, the conflict… more
Michael James (4★) · 212 likes
The second part of the epic revenge saga exceeded all high expectations by delivering a much bigger and grandeur entertainer. The storytelling gets much crisper, offering several memorable goosebump moments, with its terrifically choreographed action sequences turning out more innovative and extravagant. Also, the comedy and romance get effectively infused into the storyline this time around. The visual effects, cinematography and music are top notch. Prabhas, Anushka, Rana, Ramyakrishan and the entire cast are yet again magnificent. Despite of a few minor hiccups, it indeed ends up as one highly recommended awe inspiring fictional epic masterclass.
Jessica Wessica (4.5★) · 193 likes
They heard our criticism of the last movie's hour-long flashback and opened this one with a TWO-hour-long flashback, and you know what? I'm here for it. Also Devasena is an epic girlboss I love her so much this sequel clears
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Topics
epic fantasy, Indian cinema, blockbuster spectacle, mythology, revenge saga, royal intrigue, melodrama, action-adventure, CGI spectacle, crowd-pleaser