It feels longer than its two hours running time, and you won’t be able to shake off the feeling that it delivers very little in the end.

Jack Black continues to own his role as the bumbling but eternally optimistic Po, and the animation is gorgeous, blending influences from traditional Chinese art with a stunning palette of colors that make the images pop in nicely rendered 3D. The story may be slight – it’s never as inventive as some of Pixar’s best work – but this is a charming film with plenty laughs for both the young and the young at heart.

The slugfest between the two big guys is engaging but never exhilarating, and then it quickly segues into a longer, seemingly never-ending battle with an entirely CGI villain that reminded me of the big blob that Ryan Reynolds had to fight in Green Lantern.

ohn Abraham performs these portions convincingly. He’s in beast mode for the bulk of the film, and there’s a strange thrill in watching him dispatch the bad guys systematically. He’s sincere even in the quieter bits with the little girl next door, but eventually let down by the corny dialogue and a script that’s steeped in cliché, right down to the assassin’s tragic back-story.

It’s an average film at best, one that merely skims the surface of one of sport’s biggest scandals.

Dark and moody and mildly engaging despite its inconsistencies, Triple 9 benefits from a solid cast – including Woody Harrelson as an eccentric detective investigating the gang. It’s not the best crime thriller you’ll see, but there are some powerful moments here.

Neither suspenseful in its execution of the escape, nor in the big reveal of the mastermind behind Raghu’s problems, the film seems to exist for no other purpose than to showcase Himesh and his limited talent.

I first watched 45 Years at the Berlin Film Festival in February last year, and I wasn’t able to shake it off for weeks. Having re-watched it again this week for the purpose of this review, I’m happy to report it hasn’t lost any of its incredible power.
The film creeps upon you slowly and just doesn’t let go.

Jai Gangaajal doesn’t offer anything you haven’t seen before, especially in the director’s own previous films. It’s also interminably long at nearly 2 hours and 40 minutes. Priyanka Chopra and Prakash Jha’s performances keep you engaged and invested despite the familiar narrative, but by the end you’re overcome by the unmistakable feeling of exhaustion.

Iñárritu’s muscular filmmaking must be applauded, even if the film itself is as exhausting as it is thrilling.