This Ben-Hur isn’t a total washout, but it doesn’t hit that much-needed high note that could distinguish it from its far superior predecessor.

What Gowariker lacks in story and SFX, he makes up for with scale and action. There’s an extravagantly mounted song and dance routine extolling the grandeur and fame of Mohenjo Daro and the creation of this legendary land is commendable and the fight scenes are well executed.

Besides the innumerable sexual references (beeped out profanities and mentions of male and female genitalia), boozing and a smattering of laughs, the film doesn’t push the envelope far enough. No matter how often the moms tell you their children are a joy and how much they love them, they seem to love cheap Chardonnay and single hot Hispanic men more.

There’s far more emphasis on style than script, but Dishoom won’t disappoint fans of the buff leading men.

The balance between wit, irreverence, philosophy, blockbuster tropes and action is deft, but if only the plot had been more convincing.

The narrative is not entirely smooth, the direction is uneven, the screenplay flirts with unnecessary cleverness and a pre-interval ballad makes you groan. But Irrfan Khan’s soaring performance compensates for many of these niggles and leaves you thinking about the common man’s angst.

While the animation is topnotch, and there’s enough for young audiences, the accompanying adults them might find this course a slog.

The ‘Masti’ series lowers the bar even further with this genre mash-up…

Kinetic at times, colourful and with scattered humour, The Secret Life Of Pets is a treat for children, but offers no great insights into the secret life of pets.

More than the adventure, the love story works like a charm, with Skarsgård and Robbie—who is just lovely as the brave, confident Jane—establishing a warm rapport.