But any and all promise is ultimately short-lived, as the script comes undone in the end with a twist that is underdeveloped and underwhelming to say the least. It’s so lazy, in fact, that it’s not even true to the film’s own logic.
It’s got its moments, but that’s all there is.

In the end Raid left me very frustrated. It’s promising and delivers many rousing moments, but it runs out of steam well before the finish line.

The key to becoming invested in the film – despite its overall familiarity and lack of any genuine surprise or originality – is Vikander’s natural performance, and her commitment to the physical requirements of the role. She’s the reason Tomb Raider isn’t a complete waste of time.

At less than two hours though, the film is never a slog. There was potential here to create a compelling drama about the dark secrets that ordinary folk bury out of sight. But at best it’s a half-baked experiment with a few shining moments.

Pari doesn’t come together in a coherent, satisfying way. There’s a lot going on in the film, including references to true historical events from the subcontinent, and an over-dependence on old wives’ tales about spirits and ‘ifrits’ and ‘jinns’. What starts out interestingly, ends in a mess.

PadMan is admirable and has its heart in the right place, but it might have benefited from a less sermonizing tone.

Wrapping up its business in a brisk 95 minutes, My Birthday Song kept me guessing until the end. It’s not a perfect film, but there’s enough to merit a single watch.

If you do decide to watch the film, you’d do well to take a cue from the film’s title and go in comfortably inebriated to get through the brain scramble that it is.

The humor is hysterical but never consistent. And sadly there’s not a lot more to it.

…aside from some inspired portions, “A Bad Moms Christmas” feels formulaic and safe, and never as over-the-top as this kind of sequel needs to be. These moms may be bad, but they needed to be ‘badder’ for this film to truly fly.