Thumbs up, by Subhash K Jha, Bolly Spice : ...Go for Baby John without expectations. Its 1980s’ swag will surprise you. And wait for the post-climax surprise when ‘Bhai Jaan’ Salman Khan joins Baby John in a joint promise of a sequel.... full review

Thumbs up, Bollywood Life : ...With its perfect mix of action, emotion, and top-notch filmmaking, Baby John is a must-watch for movie lovers. This holiday season, Baby John is set to become another blockbuster that will continue the tradition of December 25 releases being the biggest hits of the year. If you’re looking for a film that delivers on every front, Baby John is the one to watch.... full review

Thumbs up, by Aman Wadhwa, DNA : ...The mass commercial actioner is directed by Kalees, who retains the Atlee flavour and adds his own style into the mix. It should lift off the Christmas curse from the Hindi film industry as the last few films released on this festive season failed to bring audiences to the theatres. Baby John is the perfect masala entertainer that the Bollywood needed to round off a rather disappointing year.... full review

Thumbs up, by lachmi Deb Roy, FirstPost : ...Varun Dhwan has done a good job as an action hero, the show stellar is undoubtedly Jackie Shroff, but Wamiqa Gabbi is hugely underused in the film. the biggest surprise indeed is Salman Khan’s cameo with his trademark swag. Making a masala film is also an art and when you have a tough competition from Pushpa 2 which is still reigning the big screens. The biggest low was the two hours 40 minutes runtime.... full review

Thumbs up, by Iqbal Pervez, Glamsham.com : ...Overall, Vanvaas is a film that this society needs where children often abandon their parents or force them to live in old age homes. Banwaas holds a mirror to our lives, emphasizing the importance of human relationships. This heartfelt film is worth watching with your family and friends.... full review

Thumbs up, Movie Talkies : ...Baby John also contains two or three scenes that are extremely emotional and somewhat disturbing. It has been quite a while since we had a proper Hindi masala action flick, so here's Baby John to make your Christmas merrier. Overall, this is the perfect bonanza to end the year with. Go and enjoy "Good vibes only."... full review

So-So, by Devesh Sharma, Filmfare : ...The film has plenty of stylised action for sure. Varun Dhawan had won his fans back with Honey Bunny and we hope they stay loyal and stick to supporting him in Baby John too.... full review

So-So, by Murtuza Iqbal, Filmi Beat : ...The songs in the movie are impressive and even the background score is quite good. Nain Matakka as we all know has already become a chartbuster, and it is fun to watch it on the big screens.... full review

So-So, by Manmath Sahu, fullhyd.com : ...The action choreography is fantastic - Sunil Rodrigues crafts fights that crackle louder than firecrackers on Diwali night. And Thaman's thunderous background score shakes the very theatre seats. The songs are however skippable - each musical interlude disrupts the momentum like a poorly timed ad break, and by the second number, you'll be reaching for your phone.... full review

So-So, by Sana Farzeen, india today : ...Another highlight of Baby John is its music and background score by composer S Thaman. While 'Nain Matakka' and the title track are already chartbusters, 'Bandobast' and 'Hazaar Baar' have also been picturised beautifully, making your experience enjoyable. The background score too adds to the narrative, showing the magic of sound.... full review

So-So, by CHIRAG SEHGAL, News18.com : ...While Baby John boasts commendable performances, it falls short of being a compelling thriller due to its lackluster plot and uneven pacing.... full review

So-So, by Rishil Jogani, Pinkvilla : ...Baby John attempts to tackle a serious social issue but falls short due to its superficial treatment and over-reliance on overused narrative tropes. While the action sequences and background score are commendable, the film fails to provide a nuanced or innovative take on its subject matter. It might entertain fans of straightforward action dramas, but it lacks the emotional and intellectual depth to leave a lasting impression.... full review

So-So, by Dhaval Roy, Times of India : ...The movie has its moments as an actioner, but in terms of content and narrative, it could have been more impactful.... full review

Thumbs down, by L Ravichander, Deccan Chronicle : ...The one redeeming feature of this exhausting insensitive no-brainer is that no one musters credibility as an artiste. While Keerthi Suresh is only required to look good, Wamiqa Gabbi is not even called upon to have a defined character. The audience is as clueless about her as she is about Baby John. Jackie Shroff tries hard to be a villain. Loads of mascara and minimal clothing do not make him menacing. The role could have left a Gabbar-like impact. In contrast, it falls flat. As does the movie.... full review

Thumbs down, by Prathamesh Jadhav, Free Press Journal : ...In all this madness, we see his earnestness and his sincerity, but in all honesty, the execution of the film fails him. The hugely mounted mass appeal starts losing its sheen quickly. Keerthy Suresh looks both pretty and sharp, in terms of the visual appeal and the performance respectively. Wamiqa Gulabi just looks pretty and Jackie Shroff plays a menacing character without much impact.... full review

Thumbs down, by Rishabh Suri, Hindustan Times : ...Overall, there’s nothing much that makes Baby John stand out apart from the action. It’s watchable if you can sit through the boring songs, and the atrocious first half hour. PS- Please stop wasting Salman Khan for a cameo in every other film. Kitni baar use karoge, Bhai?... full review

Thumbs down, by Onam Gupta, india.com : ...For the first 40 minutes, Baby John fails to engage the audience. There’s no clear direction and the dynamic of the cute girl bossing around her dad feels ineffective. Well, in short, nothing makes sense until Varun Dhawan enters the police station and a fellow inspector calls him Satya. That’s when the story begins but it still doesn’t manage to captivate. While a few action scenes are somewhat engaging, the story remains lacking. The saddest part is even Rajpal Yadav’s comedy couldn’t recover the film.... full review

Thumbs down, by Shubhra Gupta, indian express : ...It was about the only time I heard a ripple of laughter in the preview theatre. It is the kind of punchline that masala movies use to bring the house down. And it says a great deal about Baby John, which weighs in at a punishing 164 minutes,... full review

Thumbs down, by Shreshtha Chaudhury, koimoi : ...Watch or Not?: Varun Dhawan and Salman Khan’s fans might have a fun ride, but otherwise this is overall a huge letdown and can be enjoyed on OTT too.... full review

Thumbs down, by Mayank Shekhar, MiD DAY : ...Baby John is closer to the deliberately badly-made, Hindi-dub seeming southern stuff, Ready (2011), Bodyguard (2011), that Salman Khan would throw up a decade-plus ago.... full review

Thumbs down, by Saibal Chatterjee, NDTV : ...A Bollywood A-lister makes an appearance in the final sequence of the film and joins Baby John aka Satya Varma in wishing the audience Merry Christmas and for all the other festivals that Indians celebrate. Trouble is that Baby John falls way, way short of working action movie fans up into a celebratory frenzy.... full review

Thumbs down, by Isha Sharma, NewsBytes : ...Baby John never stops to breathe, justice is served within minutes, and both love stories and rivalries intensify rapidly. For a film that runs hurriedly with absolutely no brakes, 164 minutes is an awfully long runtime, and after a point, you stop caring about the plot or the characters (the makers couldn't care less either). This Christmas, mark yourself safe from Baby John. Done!... full review

Thumbs down, by Sukanya Verma, Rediff : ...So much of Baby John, starting with that loony title, makes the movie look like a parody.... full review

Thumbs down, by Nandini Ramnath, Scroll.in : ...The 164-minute movie’s disinterest peaks when John dismantles Nana’s entire kingdom – in a single montage. Baby John follows the action thriller formula without even waiting for the results. Unsuited to play an all-out action hero who can commandeer the film through unending nonsense, Varun Dhawan barely bothers, like Baby John itself.... full review

Thumbs down, by Pratikshya Mishra, The Quint : ...So, where do we go from here in the Baby John universe? Because there will be more and if the Salman Khan cameo in the end proves anything, bhai jaan might have to carry Baby John till they figure out what the film actually wants to be.... full review