It’s an annoying series of rants rather than an entertaining film
The heroes are frustrated, bullied and unhappy fools in love. The heroines are unsympathetic, unreasonable, temperamental, deceptive and intrusive. It takes over two hours for the men to figure out the mess they are in.

Based on Korean drama Seven Days, Jazbaa shows the Indian judicial system working at the speed of light and also a leading lady going over the top. Jazbaa is a ham-fisted drama which is loud and never hits the right notes.

It’s hard to not see the influence of Anurag Kashyap, who enjoys credits not only as a presenter but even as an editor. Kashyap’s style here sees a few slo-mos and a pivotal gun fight sequence unfolding in fast motion. But these techniques don’t make for a gripping watch. Instead it is Qadri, who wrote and acted in Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur, who occasionally shows promise and lifts the film with a few amusing scenarios in which the lads pull each other’s legs.

Producer Salman Khan, who is also the singer of the only tolerable track in the film, continues his rather poor innings as a supporter and encourager of new talent in Bollywood. Pancholi and Shetty will hope that they get a second shot at glory. Hero is a debut film that makes Saawariya and Student of the Year seem good movies. That says a lot about the film itself.

Phantom is a hotchpotch of many Hollywood films such as Argo, Zero Dark Thirty, Mission Impossible series, Captain Phillips and towards the end even Titanic. The end result is a thriller sans thrills.

Manjhi tries to be many things – a biopic, a social drama, a love story, a superhero flick with bad special effects – and fails to be good at being either of them.

Brothers is supposed to be an action drama but it ends up being an action comedy. Characters cry here at the drop of a hat. That’s because three leading males have a lot of issues.

There are far too many songs, all of which seem akin. It is not just that Jaanisaar doesn’t draw viewers to the epic romance of Ameer and Noor, it also fails to evoke any animosity for the British who are shown here to destroy Awadh. That is ultimately the film’s undoing – its inability to make viewers care about anything in the film.

Good intent doesn’t translate into a good movie. As Pravin and Hafeez engage in religious discourse, they get a better understanding of their own religion. But these scenes are so contrived that they irk more than enlighten. By the time the wannabe terrorists have a change of heart and head and turn peace activists, the audience is exasperated with the events.

With the sluggish first half in which Kamat gives Tabu a dramatic slo-mo entry, the more suspense-driven second half is a vast improvement. Kamat just about holds it together as he takes a will-they, won’t-they approach to the Salgaonkars and engrosses viewers into their fate. Nonetheless, you’ll be better off watching the Malayalam original.