It is a testament to Neeraj’s skill that despite these flaws, he’s created a film that has drama and moments in which you clap and cheer. I especially enjoyed watching Taapsee Pannu, who plays a female agent, kicking serious butt. There are glimmers of genuine insight — early in the film, the head of Baby (a suitably grim Danny Denzongpa) says that the fact that terror groups now have Indian recruits reveals a failure of the state. But Neeraj chooses not to pursue that thorny narrative thread. Instead, we stay with the far more palatable and heroic tale of a few good men and one woman ready to sacrifice their lives for their country.

I’ve seen plenty of bad films this year but Action Jackson raises the bar on awful. I’m sure I’ve lost a few brain cells with this one. I request you to stay at home — I have suffered it so you don’t have to.

The story is interesting, but it plays out at such an amateurish level that you can’t take any of it seriously. The film is filled with fine actors but none of the characters has any meat on it. I felt especially bad for Kangana, who is totally wasted here. Ungli feels dated and tedious. A story like this needed to hit a lot harder.

Happy Ending isn’t half as clever as it needed to be…I suspect that somewhere in there was a genuinely sparkling and subversive love story. Sadly, it never emerges.

Kil Dil doesn’t have weight or enduring value. But while it lasts, Shaad makes sure you’re having a good time.

The Shaukeens improves substantially in the second half when it becomes more about Akshay and less about the buddies. In fact Akshay earns the film an extra star.

Super Nani is a special kind of awful.

I have a very high tolerance level for anything Shah Rukh is in, and yet Happy New Year was a slog. Which compels me to repeat a line from my review of Chennai Express: Come back, Rahul. All is forgiven.

At the heart of Haider is the love between a passionate, complex woman who seeks a sliver of happiness amidst overwhelming circumstances, and her son, who both loves her with an unnatural intensity and hates her for her betrayal of his father. Vishal handles the Oedipal undertones with exquisite daring and understanding. This relationship powers the film. Haider must be seen for this alone.

Sadly, Shashanka displays none of the eccentric creativity that we saw in his earlier films, though he does create moments of charm.