"Above-average attempt at fantasy and a lowbrow fair comedy"

The promos for Aladin weren't very mind blowing and nor is the film. But it is a good attempt by director Sujoy Ghosh to bring the fable to life. He pays great tribute to Tim Burton in the initial sequences when he gives us bird-eye views of his fictional town of Khwaish, a colorful presentation of surreal buildings pasted against clear blue skies as a background. Here is where Aladin(Ritiesh Deshmukh) resides, an orphan, a loser who because of his name is bullied by his classmates to rub lamps. One such encounter actually releases the Genie(played by an over the top Amitabh Bachchan). The rest of the story takes its regular course with a scheming Sanjay Dutt thrown in for villainous measure.

What stops the movie from becoming a good adventure tale is a boring love story thrown in which just drags and drags. And to make it worse, after showing some genuine creativity with the sets, story and screenplay, the movie plunges into stale jokes of borrowing famous lines from Amitabh movies. And before you know the the good and the evil have clashed and the movie is done. Deshmukh makes a good Aladin, the new heroine is breathtakingly beautiful but has precious little to do. Dutt and Bachchan ham which is probably the need of the hour. Bar one song, the music is forgettable.

Rating : 2.5/5

Another Rohit Shetty film, another lowbrow comedy. This time it is about switching identities to keep the flow of pocket money coming in from big brother inspired from an old American play. What the movie lacks in taste makes up for it in some cool songs(albeit they slow down the narrative) and sexy wardrobes on the ladies. Yes, there are genuine moments of laughter like the Sanjay Mishra track but mostly the movie remains more miss than hit. It was a pleasure to see Johny Lever back after a long hiatus. Watch it if you have absolutely nothing to do. If you have the time, then rent a Hrishikesh Mukherjee classic comedy. You will be better off.

Rating : 2/5