At the intermission for “Baahubali: The Epic,” the placeholder title states that the audience won’t have to wait two years to know what happens next. It’s an amusing nod to the fact that the latest release from S.S. Rajamouli (“RRR”) is actually a dynamic combination of his two-part action epic, “Baahubali: The Beginning” (2015) and “Baahubali 2: The Conclusion” (2017), into a single, rollicking movie.
The streamlining and remastering preserve the vigor of this tale of royal intrigue that was Rajamouli’s signature achievement before “RRR” danced its way to an Academy Award. “Baahubali: The Epic” recounts in flashback the twisty story of two brothers, Amarendra Baahubali (Prabhas) and the unscrupulous Bhallaladeva (Rana Daggubati), both vying to be king of Mahishmati. That’s framed by the later story of Mahendra, the son of Amarendra Baahubali, who grew up believing he was a villager named Sividu (Prabhas again), and proceeds to challenge Bhallaladeva, who has ruthlessly taken power.
The story’s scheming remains suspenseful, aided especially by Ramya Krishnan as the steely queen mother, undermined by a back-stabbing husband (Nassar). The battle scenes and one-on-one combat roar with energy, blending Rajamouli’s C.G.I. artistry, staging and inventive showmanship. The militarized kingdom of Mahishmati has the grandeur of silent-screen epics, and although romantic sequences with the rebel warrior Avanthika are scaled back, the film’s flying-ship song set piece is a candy-coated delight.
This tenth-anniversary victory lap for the Baahubali story should attract fresh appraisals, and the deadly loyalty of the royal soldier Kattappa (Sathyaraj) lands with only greater force in our politically fraught era.
Baahubali: The Epic
Not rated. Running time: 3 hours 50 minutes. In theaters.
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