As the plot slowly but surely meanders out of control in the service of delivering a big-bang finish, it’s the sequences in the jungle and the incredibly real computer-generated animals that endure over the greedy and confused humans.

Shorgul has no scope to explore the unending rise of communal feelings among ordinary people, and the confused plotting and never-ending turn of events further muddle an already mixed message.

Most of the acting is strictly functional, with Chatterjee making an unlikely inspirational teacher of the wonders of physics, and the production values are better suited for television than the big screen.

The message is muddled and the pace glacial even at 90 minutes. Most of the acting is strictly functional, with Chatterjee making an unlikely inspirational teacher of the wonders of physics, and the production values are better suited for television than the big screen.

The idea that Raghav is merging into Ramanna is provocative and thought-provoking, but the movie doesn’t elaborate on its cleverness and focuses instead on delivering shocks and jolts. They come unfailingly whenever Ramanna is on the screen, swinging an iron rod and wearing a helmet to add his personal touch to an already macabre scene.

Udta Punjab soars on the back of hard-hitting scenes and superb performances from its cast, but a shorter trip would have given the movie the kick it sorely needed to be counted as the definitive drama on the moral corruption of an entire society.

If the movie works, it’s because of the casting and direction of the children. Hetal Gada is especially lovely as the protective yet strict older sister who knows more than she should for her age. Krrish Chhabria strictly follows instructions to convey his blindness by tilting his head to one side¸ keeping his eyes down at all times, and looking at his toes while he speaks. But his affection for Pari is unmistakable, and their bond guides the movie over its many bumps.

The exquisiteness of the marine backdrops get drowned by the uninteresting yammering of the characters, especially Dory, whose refrain that she does not remember anything but her name is charming only at the first instance. The detailed reproduction of underwater life is there before the eyes, but it constantly competes with the assault on the ears from talkative and neurotic sea creatures that have clearly spent too much time in human company.

Apart from fans of the popular video game World of Warcraft, the movie Warcraft is also of interest to two other sets of viewers: those who have been missing their regular dose of orcs, dwarves, wizards and kingdoms caught between sorcery and normalcy, and fans of Duncan Jones.

Te3n is unable to capture the briskness of Kahaani, whose director, Sujoy Ghosh, is one of Te3n’s producers. Dasgupta’s feature film debut (he has previously made short films and the television series Yudh) shares with Kahaani an attempt to create a Kolkata neo-noir setting in which dread and death lurk in unlikely spaces.