Housefull 5 trailer review: An unfunny promo with repeated gags and same old comedy with Akshay Kumar being the only savior

The trailer of Housefull 5 is here. It’s a trailer I was looking forward to and it’s a film I am looking forward to since it’s not just a comedy but a murder mystery too. And there are 19 actors in one film and one frame and the idea is expectedly ambitious. But the promo reeks of sameness and datedness despite the grandeur and style on display.

It feels like a rehash of the first two films in the franchise with one gag from part one and one song from part two. All the actors nearing their 40s, 50s, 60s are making faces in the name of humour with little help from the smartness of the narrative. Once again, we have three people with the same name- Jolly. Not so jolly. We have the incredibly talented Chitrangda Singh go largely unnoticed in the promo.

The madness this time unfolds on a cruise so there’s nowhere to run. Jackie Shroff and Sanjay Dutt are long past their prime to give the Khalnayak nostalgia a gratifying touch. But yes, Shroff does own one moment that involves his son’s viral dialogue. It’s only Akshay Kumar who seems to be doing all the heavy-lifting as always. But the freshness is fading away. Nana Patekar joins the ensemble too, the man who always aces the genre of poker-faced comedy.

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The film releases in cinemas on June 6. The last Housefull is still the biggest hit of Akshay Kumar’s career. This has to go beyond and above, even if it’s as unamusing as the promo.