Housefull 4 audience review: Akshay Kumar's star power cannot save this illogical and drab multi-starrer

(Every Friday, Firstpost will be running an audience review of the big release of the week, in an attempt to answer the most fundamental question: should you watch this film or not?) What is the movie about? Akshay Kumar brings his team back with Sajid Nadiadwala producing the fourth installment of the Housefull franchise. Directed by Farhad Samji of Sajid-Farhad duo, Housefull 4 is a reincarnation comedy film that spans between 1419 and 2019. With an ensemble cast of Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Bobby Deol, Kriti Sanon, Pooja Hegde and Kriti Kharbanda, Housefull 4 has the same plot of a total chaos created due to confusion that started way back in time and how the characters revisit history to change their present. What works? Just one name and that is Akshay Kumar. That’s it. In spite of having an ensemble cast that could’ve contributed to all the laughs and performances, only Akshay manages to get the audience laugh out loud with his comedy timing and hilarious expressions. But that also stays limited to the first half of the movie. [caption id=“attachment_7427101” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Bobby Deol, Akshay Kumar and Riteish Deshmukh in a still from Housefull 4[/caption] What doesn’t work? You can create all the hype you want with a dance challenge by the star cast for the fans on social media or travel by train from Bombay to Delhi with the media, but all that is so old and done that even the audience knows this is just another marketing gimmick to save the movie. It’s really sad that a talent like Riteish Deshmukh couldn’t deliver his best in this movie. His contribution in Heyy Baby or the other Housefull series was much more. Bobby Deol has nothing to prove in this movie. It’s unfortunate that a star like him is struggling to find the right roles and movies. Kriti Sanon, Pooja Hegde and Kriti Kharbanda have no importance whatsoever. They don’t have any funny one liners, their apparent comedy scenes are a waste and their roles won’t be remembered. An icon like Johnny Lever was reduced to such a drag by the makers. There is not even one scene where the audience enjoyed his jokes. Fahrad Samji, who took control over the project from Sajid Khan midway through the shooting, fails to hit the ball out of the park with Housefull 4. Looks like he’s exhausted all the jokes he had in his comedy book. The second half of the movie is unbearable and I’m being very polite when I say that. Even the person running the movie in the theatre was so bored that he turned on the lights during the interval and started the movie again within seconds while people were leaving to buy their popcorn. The songs have no value to the film at all. ‘Bala’ is one song that’s hyped in the background with Akshay’s character throughout the film. Nawazuddin is also reduced to a joke by associating with this project and same with Rana Daggubati. Final Verdict Housefull 4 is not the Diwali dhamaka you’re looking for. The only dhamaka it creates is to your bank balance when you buy the ticket and then to your brains when you step out from the theatre. The team should stop producing such mediocre content and invest in something better. I got HouseFOOLED and won’t want this to happen to you.