7 Dogs

Ahmed Ezz and Karim Abdel Aziz lead a visually rich action spectacle that impresses with scale but falls short on writing.

7 Dogs puts explosive action ahead of logic and finesse. Mindless entertainment is now a genre by itself. 7 Dogs strives to join the lot.

Get Smart knew it was a joke. 7 Dogs seems blissfully unaware and is not even as funny.

7 Dogs has all the money, stars and kinetic action you could want, but its vanity-project sheen cannot hide a painfully empty screenplay. Despite Adil and Bilall's kinetic visual style and some entertaining action, the generic screenplay and predictable twists keep the film from making much of an impact.

Halfway between Mumbai masala and Hollywood salsa, 7 Dogs is the kind of over-the-top timepasser that thrives on low expectations. Although Salman Khan makes no impact, Sanjay Dutt is a good fit as the flamboyant Ranjit.

However, the extravaganza fails to find its footing because of generic writing and a stilted Hindi dub. The screenplay functions like an excuse to jump from one explosive set piece to the next, and even the hyperkinetic sequences feel like self-indulgent gimmicks rather than serving real narrative purpose. By aping Hollywood templates, the film strips away the emotional intimacy and rich poetic realism that have defined Arabic cinema for decades.