Ikal (Lukman Sardi, left) and Arai (Abimana Aryasatya) dream to take on the world. - Courtesy of Falcon Pictures

The highly anticipated sequel of Laskar Pelangi (Rainbow Troops) tells of an Indonesian student'€™s uncertainties after fulfi lling his dream to study at the Sorbonne in Paris, but is unfortunately a frowninducing film.

The complicatedly titled Laskar Pelangi 2 '€” Edensor is the third installment of a movie series based on the best-selling four-part book series Laskar Pelangi by Andrea Hirata.

Edensor is supposed to follow the highly successful and award winning predecessors Laskar Pelangi and Sang Pemimpi (The Dreamers), which were released in 2008 and 2010, respectively.

Both of the films were written, produced and directed by the cinematic big-name trio of Salman Aristo, Mira Lesmana and Riri Riza.

Series opener Laskar Pelangi became an institution, leading to spin-offs in the form of the Laskar Pelangi TV series and Laskar Pelangi Musical.

Laskar Pelangi - Courtesy of Falcon Pictures

The trio, however, were absent in Edensor.

Mira said they had to let go of the Edensor project because Laskar Pelangi cinematic copyright owner Mizan wanted an immediate release, and they were still busy with another movie project.

Edensor is written and directed by Benni Setiawan, an Citra-winning director known for his films such as Madre (2013), 3 Hati, Dua Dunia, Satu Cinta (3 Hearts, Two Worlds, One Love) (2010) and Bukan Cinta Biasa (Not Ordinary Love) (2009).

In Edensor, Ikal (Lukman Sardi) and Arai (Abimana Aryasatya) , two poor boys from Belitung, finally reach their teenage dream of studying at the University of Paris. Both of them win scholarships to study their master'€™s degrees. Ikal studies economics and Arai biology.

Arai is Ikal'€™s distant cousin and considers Ikal his brother and best friend.

Living off their scholarships, Ikal and Arai have a very modest life in Paris, sharing a one-room apartment. They also befriend fellow scholarship receivers form Mexico, India and Georgia.

Although they can live sufficiently with the scholarship, Ikal and Arai always try to make more money to send to their families back home: from waiting in cafes to street busking.  

Ikal cannot forget his childhood love Aling, whom he has not seen for many years. Arai mocks Ikal because he thinks Ikal'€™s love is absurd.

At the university, Ikal meets Katya (Astrid Roos), a beautiful student from Germany who has caught the eyes of Gonzales and Manooj. Surprisingly, Katya takes an interest in Ikal.

Initially unsure, Ikal decides to go on with Katya, leading to a missmatched romance. Religious and conservative Ikal has to repeatedly explain his principles to the modern and hedonistic Katya.

Arai notices Ikal has been receiving bad grades. He scolds Ikal, saying he has forgotten his purpose of studying in Paris and reminds him of their dreams. Ikal argues back at Arai and says he too isn'€™t doing well with his studies and is too busy with political activities.

Life looks gloomy for Ikal. Despite living the dream as a Sorbonne student, he faces uncertainties with his studies, his relationship with Katya and his relationship with Arai. Matters get more confusing as Ikal receives news that Aling is in Paris.

Any anticipation that Edensor will carry on the torch from where Laskar Pelangi and Sang Pemimpi left off goes unanswered.

The film spends over half of its 90-minute running time appearing to be uncertain about what story lines it wants to focus on. Many plot points are delivered through narration and are not supported visually, leaving the audience with a strong sense of vagueness.

Edensor feels out of touch with its predecessors. Location might be the culprit for this. Long gone are majestic and scenic frames of Laskar Pelangi and Sang Pemimpi '€” courtesy of Belitung'€™s beautiful landscape; they are replaced with generic urban shots of Paris.

Lukman and Abimana'€™s acting prowess, however, save the film. Thanks to the great chemistry between the two, any scene containing them together always leads to the movie'€™s better moments.

Released a week after the critically acclaimed Soekarno '€” in which Lukman also features '€” Edensor will likely face tough competition in the weeks ahead.