A Comedy Rollercoaster with Familiar Antics
Welcome to our latest Movie Review, where we delve into the much-anticipated “Housefull 5,” starring Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan, and Riteish Deshmukh. This fifth installment in the popular franchise was released on June 6, 2025. Does it live up to the hype, or does it fall into the familiar trap of its predecessors? Read on to find out!
| Director | Tarun Mansukhani |
| Cast | Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Abhishek Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Fardeen Khan, Shreyas Talpade, Nana Patekar, Jackie Shroff, Dino Morea, Jacqueline Fernandez, Nargis Fakhri, Chitrangada Singh, Sonam Bajwa, Soundarya Sharma, Chunky Pandey, Nikitin Dheer, Johnny Lever |
| Budget | ₹375 crore |
| IMDb Rating | 7/10 |
| Duration | 2 hr 43 min |
The Grand Setting: A Comedy-Mystery on the High Seas
Housefull 5″ boldly ventures into a new direction, presenting a comedy-mystery plot. The story unfolds aboard a lavish cruise ship, named “Aiee,” a name associated with the villainy of Ranjeet. The premise kicks off with a murder when a 100-year-old Ranjeet’s character “pops it” and leaves his billions to his son, Jolly.
This sets the stage for mystery using a “Knives Out” or cozy mystery template, sprinkled with crude humor. The plot, however, is considered thin for a 165-minute film.
A House Fuller Than Ever: The Ensemble Cast
This installment boasts a slightly fuller house compared to previous “Housefull” films. The primary trio, Akshay Kumar (Julius), Riteish Deshmukh (Jalabuddin), and Abhishek Bachchan (Jalbhushan), return as three “Jollys,” each arriving with a wife or girlfriend.
The cast is extensive, including regulars like Chunky Panday (Aakhri Pasta, also playing the cook) and Johny Lever (being Johny Lever, also playing the security man). New additions and returning faces include Fardeen Khan as Dev, the son from the second wife Nana Patekar in a dhoti and kurta, and Sanjay Dutt and Jackie Shroff playing Bhidu and Baba, who are suspended London police officers. Jacqueline Fernandez, Nargis Fakhri, Sonam Bajwa, Chitrangada Singh, Shreyas Talpade, Dino Morea, Nikitin Dheer (the ship’s captain), and Soundarya Sharma (the lawyer) also join the star-studded ensemble.
Performances: Hits and Misses
While the film has been described as a “madcap entertainer” that can make you “giggle, yell, whistle and applaud”, individual performances receive mixed reviews. Akshay Kumar is praised by some for his top-notch comic timing, with one user suggesting he delivers his best for this installment.
However, another review notes that the strain is “now showing” in his comedy, which he used to perform with ease. Riteish Deshmukh and Abhishek Bachchan are both lauded for “spectacular” performances, with Deshmukh specifically noted for his genuine comic flair and a running gag where he talks about two things simultaneously.
Jacqueline Fernandez and Nargis Fakhri are considered a “treat to watch,” while Sonam Bajwa’s role is deemed “more of an eye candy”. Sanjay Dutt’s character is said to have a suspense element that is revealed in the climax.
Humour and Antics: The Usual Suspects
The film stays true to the “Housefull” formula, featuring characters tumbling over each other and an abundance of “crass jokes about body parts and fluids”. The humour is often juvenile, with “homophobic gags randomly added” and women “deliberately dressed in skimpy outfits to fit into schoolboy fantasies”.
Recurring gags include memory-loss inducing drugs, DNA test labs, and masked murderers. Specific absurdities include a garrulous rainbow-coloured parakeet with a bigger speaking part than some ladies, Akshay Kumar roaming with a long plastic tail prop, and the three Jollys passing off a corpse as a living being. The climactic human chain, where the entire cast yells and screams, is a classic feature.
The film also features catchy song-and-dance sequences added when the humor starts to wear thin.
The Verdict: Loud, Formulaic, and Long
Directed by Tarun Mansukhani, “Housefull 5” is generally described as “loud, crude, and familiar”. Compared to previous films, it’s considered “slightly less idiotic and vulgar,” with some funny sequences that do land. However, it’s widely regarded as a “formulaic farce” and very much like the older “Housefull” movies.
The film is criticized for being too long, leading to the reviewer managing a nap during its runtime. A unique narrative twist is the inclusion of two alternate endings, each revealing a different murderer. Despite criticisms, the film had strong advance bookings, selling tickets worth Rs 9.84 crore and breaking “Kesari’s” record. The “Housefull” franchise has historically been a box office juggernaut, collectively raking in over Rs 788 crore worldwide.
Our Rating and Final Thoughts
Ultimately, “Housefull 5” receives a rating of 1 out of 5 stars from one reviewer, while another calls it “better than the previous films, which isn’t saying much”. The formula is wearing thin, but it appears the franchise is not giving up anytime soon.
If you’re a dedicated fan who expects little more than loud, chaotic comedy, then “Housefull 5” might offer some familiar laughs. Otherwise, prepare for a long, often blurry, and predictable experience.
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