‘Housefull 5’ review: A star-studded slapstick ride that relies on crass, situational gags

Six years since its last outing, the ‘Housefull’ franchise is back with its fifth instalment, which hit theatres this Friday. Armed with an ensemble cast that could rival a film festival lineup, director Tarun Mansukhani sets out to deliver a grand-scale family entertainer.

While his intentions are in the right place, the film largely slips into the trap of recycled tropes, relying heavily on slapstick humour and crass gags. Yet, it manages to land a few punches, thanks to some spirited performances and unexpected twists that offer brief moments of fun.

Here’s what happens

Set on a luxury cruise, the plot revolves around a billionaire, Mr Ranjit (played by Ranjit), who dies two days ahead of his 100th birthday and leaves behind his fortune for his son, Jolly, from his first wife. His other son from his second wife, Dev (Fardeen Khan), gets nothing. Meanwhile, three Jollys – Jolly 1 (Riteish), Jolly 2 (Abhishek), and Jolly 3 (Akshay) – arrive on the cruise with their respective wives – Zara (Sonam Bajwa), Sasikala (Jacqueline Fernandez), and Kanchi (Nargis Fakhri).

Just as Dev decides to find out who the real Jolly is with the help of a DNA test, a series of murders takes place on the cruise, with the three Jollys being the prime suspects. Maya (Chitrangada Singh), Ranjit’s work associate, then decides to call the police, which marks the entry of Bhidu (Sanjay Dutt) and Baba (Jackie Shroff).

As the chaos of whodunnit unleashes, everyone on the cruise becomes a suspect, and Baba-Bhidu’s senior Dhagdu (Nana Patekar) joins the investigation. Who is the real Jolly, and will the killer be caught?' is what forms the rest of the plot.

Where the film scores

Tarun faced the daunting challenge of juggling a star-studded ensemble while ensuring each actor got their moment to shine. Remarkably, he manages to strike a balance—no small feat, considering the lineup includes some of the industry's biggest names.

When it came to performances, Akshay, of course, led the team, given that he has a knack for comedy. It’s entertaining to see him act in a comedy, for he elevates the dialogue with his expressions and delivery.

Basically, Akshay knows how to breathe life into comic dialogues, especially if it’s a situational comedy. Abhishek and Riteish are equally good with their comic acts, and so is the chemistry between the real-life Baba and Bhidu.

What’s interesting is that the film has two separate climaxes, with separate villains. Based on ‘Housefull 5A’, the climax may seem predictable at first, but just as it feels like an easy guess, an unexpected twist shakes things up, adding a much-needed edge to the narrative.

Areas that didn’t land

Co-written by Farhad Samji and Tarun and with a story by Sajid Nadiadwala, the film’s storyline is nothing that you haven’t seen before. In fact, its plot feels heavily inspired by the Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston-led ‘Murder Mystery 2’.

The biggest area of concern is the jokes, of which very few managed to land well, while the rest fell flat.

The dialogue is a weak link here, which is why you’ll see that the film is dependent on crass comedy. Whether it’s the blatant objectification of Ranjit’s lawyer Lucy (Soundarya Sharma) or a scene where Zara, Sasikala, and Kanchi crawl through a duct while the camera lingers unnecessarily on their bodies, the film leans heavily into crass humour and visual gags that feel outdated.

In terms of execution, ‘Housefull 5’ jumps right into the action in the first half but gets dragged in the second. The climax is a reminder of at least two films – ‘Hungama’ and ‘Welcome’ – but so poorly executed that the chances of you laughing are fairly low.

Verdict

If logic isn't a priority and you're in the mood for loud gags and louder performances, ‘Housefull 5’ might just do the trick—for everyone else, proceed with caution.

Rating: 3 stars out of 5