Ittefaq is crisp at 107 minutes, but not particularly brisk. It’s well shot and skillfully executed, but the big climactic twist is entirely unconvincing.

Like in most films of this genre, the road-trip in Jia aur Jia is a metaphor for a journey of self-discovery. Prejudices are overcome, dark secrets are revealed, and life lessons are learnt, but there isn’t an iota of freshness in the way that the narrative unfolds.

Logic indeed is in short supply here, and frankly the real magic the filmmakers conjure up is the ability to keep this franchise on the road for all these years with such minimal creative investment. Golmaal 5..? Wanna bet it’s on the way?

Chef isn’t perfect; it lags in places, offers quick-fix solutions to characters’ problems, and feels wholly familiar. But at a little over two hours, it doesn’t ask much of you, and offers some pleasure in Saif Ali Khan’s return to form as an actor hard to look away from.

There’s no question that if there had to be a remake of Judwaa, it had to have Varun Dhawan. The more important question is – did there really have to be a remake of Judwaa in the first place?

I’m going with two out of five. I laughed a few times.

A better title for Lucknow Central might have been Boredom Central. At nearly 2 hours and 30 minutes, it’s far too long and far too dull to inspire any other response.

In the end, there’s a lot to appreciate in Daddy, yet sadly it’s not enough. The craft is admirable and the big denouement is thought provoking, but pacing issues cripple the film to the extent that you’re exhausted by the time the lights come back on.

My problem with this kind of film is the desensitizing effect it tends to have on us with regards to crime and killings. So many shootouts, such scant regard for consequence.

A Misguided Film That Offers Little Relief…

It’s not bad, it’s just same old, same old.