wogma rating: Don't bother (?)
It's cute! Not the film. No. It's cute that they felt the need to offer logic. Even cuter that there is an attempt at metaphors. Why bother? When the intent is to evade tax by making the most terrible film possible ?đ
Streaming Partner: JioHotstar
Click here for full reviewNothing, absolutely nothing, is sacrosanct in Welcome to the Jungle. Language, age, objectification, racism, casteism, disabilities, to name a few. Oh, and body-shaming in all dimensionsâheight, width, depthâall bases covered. Everything is game to be the butt of a joke. So, every other scene in this true-blue equal opportunity offender has something problematic about it. And when it's not that, it is characters putting each other downâall with the good intentions of making the audience laugh.
They wear the answer to "Why they got involved with this film?" on their sleeve. "Money."
Okay, before I put the entire movie down. I began laughing out loud in one scene, and it became uncontrollable for a bit. Things were getting just way too silly. Also, once you accept that the idea is that the characters berating each other constantly, some of the scenes have witty quips. But, I've never found it in myself to spend energy on considering roasting as a form of humour.
Then there is the other regular slapstick fairâloudness, slurping, people getting shot in the buttocks, and so on. Oh, and characters talking over each other. All the time. To top it off, they go ahead and make it a feature. Character gets talked over âĄď¸ They lose track of what they were saying âĄď¸ They try to remember what they are saying âĄď¸ Other characters create more confusion âĄď¸ The first character remembers âĄď¸ And repeats the train of thought! I wonder how many extra minutes this non-comedy added to the almost 3-hour film.
Speaking of which, did they just shoot a series of "item" numbers? Sure, some of them will hit the clubs regularly. But, I could spot three left over after an "explainable" one and an end-credit one. How do I know they had extra songs in their kitty? Well, they have one inexplicably follow what I am calling the "explainable" one, one before the end-credit one, and oneâŚhold your breathâŚduring the interval! Not just before or just after the interval, right after "INTERVAL" shows up on screen.
It is remarkable in this mayhem and some-15 oddly-written characters that you can recall some of the actors. Every one other than Akshay Kumar share screen space almost equally. His act is as insufferable as ever. Arshad Warsi stands out because he doesn't shout all the time. Jacqueline Fernandes might stay in memory a little longer than usual because her character owns how dim she is made out to be. Once you give in to the quirks written for Farida Jalal and Kiran Kumar's characters, you appreciate their performance. Also, we know Jackie Shroff is barely changing expression between films. Is he not changing makeup either? Having said that, I am not sure how much we can judge the acts, when the dubbing is off so often.
Other than that, the writing has at least one self-referential element for many actors. As usual, this feels like lazy writing though I guess forcing it in the story requires some skill too. Given that then, it is surprising to have a "Fate versus Choice" debate thrown in.
Equally commendable was the self-aware pre-end-credit-item-number item-number. Yes, as much as I complained about it. But more importantly, they wear the answer to "Why they got involved with this film?" on their sleeve. "Money." Either they get a tax write-off, or they earn money selling a film that they know is terrible. Win-win for them. Lose-lose for us, isn't it?
- meeta, a part of the audience
Thumbs up, by Sahelee Rakshit, Bollywood Life : ...If you're looking for nuanced storytelling, deep themes or meaningful cinema, this may not be the film for you. But if your idea of a good time involves switching off your brain, gathering the family and enjoying a loud, unapologetically entertaining Bollywood comedy, Welcome To The Jungle delivers exactly what it promises.... full review
Thumbs up, Deccan Chronicle : ...Welcome To The Jungle is a loud, chaotic, and unapologetically commercial entertainer that understands exactly what it wants to be. It offers an entertaining mix of comedy, action, adventure, and pop-culture humour, making it an enjoyable big-screen outing. If you're looking for a film that allows you to switch off your brain and simply have a good time, this one delivers exactly that. Grab some popcorn, gather your family or friends, and prepare for a fun-filled rollercoaster of madness.... full review
Thumbs up, DNA : ...The movie looks really good too. It is colorful and fun. The songs are good. They do not interrupt the movie. The music, in the background is good too. It makes the movie more fun.... full review
Thumbs up, by Rachit Gupta, Filmfare : ...Welcome To The Jungle uses these bits of unconventional tidbits to make the conventional comedy more palatable. And in all fairness, it all comes together to make one silly but entertaining film.... full review
Thumbs up, by Murtuza Iqbal, Free Press Journal : ...The songs of Welcome To The Jungle are strictly decent. Apart from Ghis Ghis and Ucha Lamba Kad Forever, no other song leaves a mark. Also, while Disha has tried her best in Ucha Lamba Kad Forever, we still missed Katrina Kaif a lot!... full review
Thumbs up, by Nitin Jain, Glamsham.com : ...Ultimately, Welcome To The Jungle succeeds because it never breaks its own promise. It knows exactly what it wants to be and commits wholeheartedly to that vision. It is loud, chaotic, exaggerated and completely unafraid of being over the top. If you walk in expecting realism, you are watching the wrong film.... full review
Thumbs up, by Rishabh Suri, Hindustan Times : ...Overall, not every film needs to be profound. Some just need to entertain. Welcome To The Jungle understands that assignment from the outset and, despite an average finale, delivers enough laughs to make the ride worthwhile.... full review
Thumbs up, by Twinkle Gupta, India TV : ...The songs of Welcome to the Jungle are average. Apart from âGhis-Ghisâ and âUncha Lamba Kad Foreverâ, none of the tracks leave a strong impact. Even though Disha tries her best in âUncha Lamba Kad Foreverâ, the absence of Katrina Kaif is felt. The songs by Vikram Montrose, Anand Raj Anand and Talwinder are also not particularly impressive.... full review
Thumbs up, by Trisha Gaur, koimoi : ...Akshay Kumar needs a mention again as he steers the climax effortlessly with a double role none expected to be this funny! I know that making fun of disabilities can never be cool, but you need to see it to believe that it is done with an absolute sense of funny intent!... full review
Thumbs up, by Mayank Shekhar, MiD DAY : ...Frankly, this sort of screwball, slapstick stuff â whether timepass, or terrible, and this is the former â doesnât merit a review. You enjoy it for the parts, rather than the whole, within a disjointed mess, and measure it by the number of laughs; even a few are good enough.... full review
Thumbs up, Movie Talkies : ...Overall, Welcome To The Jungle is an action-packed, adventurous comedy that fully commits to its chaotic vision. Itâs loud, nonsensical, and unapologetically entertaining. If youâre in the mood for a carefree cinematic experience, this one deserves a big-screen watch with your family or friends. Sit back, switch off logic, and enjoy the madnessâitâs a full-on blockbuster-style movie outing.... full review
Thumbs up, by TITAS CHOWDHURY, News18.com : ...Basically, Welcome To The Jungle throws everything at the wall, right from meta humour, slapstick and nostalgia to action and gibberish, and somehow, enough of it sticks. Thereâs nothing that lies beneath the noise and it may not make sense, but then again, sense was never really the point. It works best when you surrender to its wild, logic-defying energy and simply go along for the ride.... full review
Thumbs up, by Gayatri Nirmal, Pinkvilla : ...Your jaws will hurt from laughing, a complete family entertainer that brings back the magic of old-school Bollywood comedy.... full review
Thumbs up, by Tanmayi Savadi, Times Now : ...Welcome To The Jungle should be watched without expecting logic. Better than most comedies, this film has some excellent scenes that could eventually become meme material and cult classics.... full review
So-So, by Subhash K Jha, Bolly Spice : ...Making a mindless comedy is not childâs play. Itâs a lot more difficult than making mindful movies triggered by murky mayhem. Welcome To The Jungle is much more on-the-ball than it was expected to be. Not all the intended laughter hits target. But thereâs enough to smile over, even if you donât want to be caught doing so.... full review
So-So, by Vinamra Mathur, FirstPost : ...Welcome To The Jungle works more than it doesnât due to its self-awareness. Itâs a film that fully commits to its idiocy. It stops at nothing. It halts at nothing. We may not take back anything. But a smile amid the time of gloom also works if you canât entirely guffaw.... full review
So-So, by Vineeta Kumar, india today : ...The screenplay keeps changing lanes. One minute it's slapstick, the next it is action. Then romance. Then patriotism. Then terrorism. Then another explosion. By the end, the film seems as confused about its identity as the audience is about what exactly they have paid to watch. At one point, Rajpal's Dev instructs the actors in his film-within-the-film to do whatever they want, move at their own pace and build the story themselves. The irony of that now.... full review
So-So, by Saibal Chatterjee, NDTV : ...The film gives an unwieldy cast the kind of freedom that only a muddled, overstuffed screenplay can. The actors stop at nothing, hamming it up like there is no tomorrow.... full review
So-So, by Aishani Biswas, Outlook India : ...Technically, the film looks polished enough. Ahmed Khan stages the large ensemble with reasonable confidence and manages to keep the action visually energetic. The production design is colourful and suitably larger than life, while the music blends comfortably into the film's nostalgic tone. Yet the screenplay remains wildly uneven. The first half takes too long to settle and several characters exist without adding much to the story.... full review
So-So, by Sukanya Verma, Rediff : ...Comedy hits best when it's genuinely committed to the dishonesty at play. Welcome To The Jungle's moment of truth arrives when Akshay pleads 'Hum sab bhand hain' in the face of fear and power. If only the rest of this slog was as self-aware as this single scene.... full review
So-So, by Archika Khurana, Times of India : ...Welcome To The Jungle is not a flawless comedy. It is overcrowded, noisy and often indulgent. But despite its flaws, it manages to deliver enough laughs and entertaining moments to justify the ride. This is the kind of film that asks you to leave logic behind and simply surrender to the madness. If you enjoy chaotic ensemble comedies packed with slapstick humourâ this jungle ride offers enough fun to keep you engaged.... full review
Thumbs down, by Aakash Kumar, Filmi Beat : ...Overall, Welcome To The Jungle is a disappointing comedy that fails to live up to expectations. While Akshay Kumar and the supporting cast work hard to entertain, the weak screenplay, overcrowded narrative, and inconsistent humour prevent the film from becoming the laugh riot it aims to be. Fans of the franchise may find a few enjoyable moments, but the film ultimately falls short of delivering the classic Welcome experience.... full review
Thumbs down, by Shubhra Gupta, indian express : ...Me, I donât have any problem with dimaag occasionally being turned into dahi when Iâm at such movies, because thatâs the ask. Just donât bore me.... full review
Thumbs down, by Isha Sharma, NewsBytes : ...Skip this and re-watch 'Welcome' instead; 1.5/5 stars Khan throws everything at the wall in the hope that something sticks, and the result is a bloated mess. Patani barely gets any dialogues, Lara Dutta has an excessively loud character, and several supporting actors get only a line or two. In one scene, an exasperated Rajeev asks, "Aye, comedy chal raha hai kya idhar?" The answer is a resounding no.... full review
Thumbs down, Scroll.in : ...Akshay Kumar exercises his privilege as one of the filmâs co-producers and has far too many scenes to himself. Welcome to the Jungle tries to weave this hogging into the script, but the severely overstretched 164-minute movie isnât that self-aware to carry it off.... full review
Thumbs down, by Kartik Bhardwaj, the new Indian Express : ...Welcome To The Jungle is a ludicrous, hodgepodge of events which works only when the actors and the audience are in on the absurd. However, it is fun to see Akshay Kumar get down his saviour high-horse and improvise some funny bits. He is hilarious as an actor who wants to hog all the limelight. The meta-ness can be a tad-bit on the nose but Akshay sells it.... full review
Thumbs down, by Agnivo Niyogi, The Telegraph : ...Yet throughout the film, one cannot help but miss the manic brilliance that Nana Patekar and Anil Kapoor brought to the earlier Welcome films. Their absence leaves a noticeable void that no amount of star power quite manages to fill.... full review
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