The film’s biggest problem is not that it is offensive on many levels on multiple occasions, but that it is incredibly unfunny. None of Murray’s rock bottom ignominy is amusing at any instance. Most of his dialogue seems to have been improvised on set, because it’s so terrible you won’t believe a major studio would have gone through the script and confirmed it.

The film offers many openings, but fails to close them down, with a weak screenplay. The second half, however gathers pace, with a quick narrative filling the openings. The camerawork is steady, but offers no creative shots, with mid-range shots being used excessively. Murray brings to the fore his trademark wit in a few scenes, with the dialogues bringing out a few laughs in the second half.

Rock the Kasbah is neither about rock nor a casbah, and only Bill Murray, the craggy-faced prince of pathos, single-handedly steers the movie from one stupefying bad moment to the next.