Director: Tarun Mansukhani
Rating: **½
The much-anticipated Housefull 5 arrives with all the ingredients of a blockbuster — a massive ensemble cast, extravagant sets, a celebrated comedy franchise, and a murder mystery twist. Directed by Tarun Mansukhani, this latest installment premiered in theatres on June 6, dividing its climax into two parts — Housefull 5A and Housefull 5B. This review focuses on Housefull 5A, which attempts to blend slapstick humor with suspense but ends up as a chaotic misfire.
A Promising Setup on the High Seas
The story sets sail aboard a luxurious cruise ship where a 100th birthday celebration turns into an inheritance war and, eventually, a murder investigation. The wealthy tycoon, just before his death, declares that his fortune will go to Jolly — his son from his first wife. Things spiral into madness as three different men claim to be Jolly:
Akshay Kumar as Julias
Abhishek Bachchan as Jalbhushan
Riteish Deshmukh as Jalabuddin
As tensions mount, Dev (Fardeen Khan), the son from the tycoon’s second wife, calls for a DNA test to reveal the truth. However, before the results are revealed, a drink-spiking incident leaves the trio with memory loss — and the doctor conducting the test ends up murdered.
The Murder Mystery: More Confusing Than Compelling
What starts as a quirky comedy quickly takes a dark turn, though not convincingly. With all evidence pointing at the three Jollys and their memories wiped, the mystery deepens. Enter Sanjay Dutt and Jackie Shroff as eccentric cops tasked with solving the bizarre murder.
However, instead of a tight thriller-comedy fusion, viewers get long-winded explanations and predictable plot twists that dilute any suspense. The pacing suffers, and despite its comedic intentions, the film often feels like it’s going through the motions.
Cast Performance: A Mixed Bag of Energy and Exhaustion
The core trio of Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, and Abhishek Bachchan dominates screen time, delivering some effective punchlines, particularly from Kumar and Deshmukh, whose chemistry has been the soul of the Housefull franchise. Their timing and camaraderie provide occasional relief in an otherwise tiring narrative.
The film features a glam-packed female cast — Jacqueline Fernandez, Nargis Fakhri, Chitrangada Singh, Sonam Bajwa, and Soundarya Sharma — yet none of them enjoy any meaningful screen presence or well-developed arcs. They remain eye candy in a plot that doesn't value their potential.
Veteran actors like Dutt and Shroff are underutilized, their comic timing and potential buried under weak dialogues and direction.
Script and Direction: A Slippery Slope of Slapstick
Director Tarun Mansukhani struggles to balance comedy with mystery, and the result is a film that lacks rhythm. The screenplay is overstuffed, trying to juggle 15+ characters with subplots that go nowhere. The dialogues aim for laughs but often land as forced gags or recycled one-liners.
Slapstick comedy works when it’s tight and sharp — here, it's exhausting. After nearly 160 minutes of chaotic storytelling, the film feels overlong and underwhelming.
Music and Nostalgia: A Brief Spark of Joy
What Housefull 5 does get right is its music. With tracks like “Laal Pari” and “The Phoogdi Dance”, the film pays homage to the musical charm of its predecessors. The picturization is visually rich, adding some much-needed flair to the otherwise dull screenplay.
Nostalgic callbacks to earlier Housefull films provide brief, enjoyable moments for fans of the franchise. A surprise cameo in the climax adds a nice touch but doesn’t redeem the overall experience.
Female Representation: Glamour Over Substance
One of the longstanding criticisms of the Housefull series has been its shallow treatment of female characters. Unfortunately, Housefull 5 follows the same pattern. The women are reduced to props in a male-dominated narrative, with no individual growth or significance to the storyline.
This imbalance highlights a missed opportunity in a time when audiences expect stronger, more layered female roles even in commercial entertainers.
Final Verdict: Chaos Without Comedy
Housefull 5 had all the right ingredients for a box office winner — a big cast, an established brand, and an exotic setting. But what it lacks is the most crucial element: smart, engaging storytelling. The film leans too heavily on slapstick tropes and recycled gags, offering little in the way of genuine humor or fresh surprises.
Despite a few standout moments and decent performances from the lead trio, the movie drowns in its own chaotic ambition. The murder mystery is muddled, the jokes feel outdated, and the pacing is sluggish.
Pros:
Strong comic timing by Akshay Kumar and Riteish Deshmukh
High production value and visually stunning songs
Nostalgic elements that connect to previous films
Cons:
Weak plot with predictable twists
Overstuffed screenplay with underdeveloped characters
Slapstick comedy that rarely lands
Poor representation of female characters
In conclusion, Housefull 5 is a glossy misfire — a film that tries to bring back the franchise's madcap fun but ends up as a convoluted, unfunny ride. It might appeal to die-hard fans of the series, but for most viewers, it will be a disappointing watch with more noise than nuance.
