Toy Story 5 is better than Toy Story 4 and raises an important point about screen addiction, difficulty faced by people in making friends despite being connected all the time etc. Hence, it is truly a film of today. Like any Disney-Pixar film, it is peppered with several entertaining and funny moments, while also leaving viewers with thoughts that make them ponder. However, a major issue with the film is that Woody (Tom Hanks), arguably the face of the franchise, doesn’t have much to contribute. Believe it or not, the story would have progressed even if he were not there. Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), too, is underutilized. Also, the humans are shown behaving in an absurd manner, especially when devices and toys do things behind their backs. Joan Cusack (Jessie) gets the maximum scope and, in fact, the film’s main focus is on Jessie this time. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen also do well, notwithstanding their insignificant parts. Conan O’Brien (Smart Pants) and Mykal-Michelle Harris (Blaze) make their presence felt. All in all, Toy Story 5 is worth watching for its relevance.

My rating - *** ½ out of 5!

Cocktail 2’s trailer doesn’t reveal the exact story and that works in the film’s favour. There are moments that border on bizarre, but director Homi Adajania treats them convincingly and hence, one goes along with the developments. Along with writers Luv Ranjan and Tarun Jain, he avoids taking the conventional route during confrontational scenes and instead adds quirk to such moments, which comes across as a breath of fresh air. Yet, the film is not shallow and the climax proves it. On the flipside, despite the best efforts, the film does get silly at places. The pre-climax is weak and leaves viewers wondering where the film is headed. Also, Kunal’s character is not fleshed out adequately and we don’t fully understand what makes him the way he is. Speaking of performances, Kriti Sanon steals the show. This is her best performance after Mimi and hopefully, the film gives her career the kind of boost that Cocktail did for Deepika Padukone. Shahid Kapoor is presented in a dashing avatar and, as expected, delivers a smashing performance. Rashmika Mandanna gets somewhat overshadowed but there’s no doubt that she puts her best foot forward. Tiku Talsania has limited screen time initially but leaves a mark later on. The songs are well-wovem into the narrative and ‘Tumhi Ho Bandhu’ in particular arrives at a crucial juncture. All in all, Cocktail 2 is a breezy, fun-filled entertainer.

My rating - *** ½ out of 5!

WILL COCKTAIL 2 MANAGE TO OPEN BETTER THAN COCKTAIL?

After two weeks of multiple releases, the next two weeks will see just one major Hindi film trying its luck at the box office – Cocktail 2. Like any other Maddock production, the romcom has been extensively marketed and is constantly in the news.

Cocktail 2 stars Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon and Rashmika Mandanna and is directed by Homi Adajania. The songs are peppy while the film’s promos promise a vibrant, youthful entertainer. For many months, there were murmurs that Kriti and Rashmika play lesbian lovers. However, they recently clarified at an event that it's not true. One song from the film, ‘Mashooka’, has especially worked well and is big on Instagram Reels.

However, the film faces some roadblocks. While there’s excitement for the film, a section of the audience will prefer to wait-and-watch, that is, go through the response and then book tickets. The film’s ‘A’ certification has raised eyebrows. It won’t affect business, as proven by Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar The Revenge that adult rating is no more a roadblock. However, viewers are curious why such a rating has been given to a film that doesn't seem really adult.

Cocktail 2’s advance booking is decent and is expected to have a double digit opening if collections jump as intended in the evening and night shows. The first part, Cocktail (2012), starring Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone and Diana Penty, opened at Rs. 10.47 crores. The aim of Cocktail 2 would be to go past this figure. With limited competition from holdover releases, the film should then aim for a Rs. 45-50 crore weekend.

Meanwhile, Haunted – Echoes Of The Past emerged as a surprise last week. An opening of Rs. 1.50 crores was considered the best-case scenario pre-release. But it went on to collect Rs. 2.25 crores and is the best-performing film of the week. The weekday trend is weak. But the job is done and it’ll the end Week 1 with earnings totaling Rs. 14 crores.

On the other hand, Main Vaapas Aaunga was expected to take a Rs. 2-3 crore start. Sadly, it opened at just Rs. 1.10 crores. One expected the collections to double on Saturday and Sunday. That didn’t happen and the film collected Rs. 1.85 crores and Rs. 2.50 crores respectively.

Thankfully, the Monday hold was strong, when the film collected as much as on Friday. On Tuesday, due to the discounted rates, collections jumped to Rs. 1.50 crores. On Wednesday, the earnings should have come down. Instead, the film collected Rs. 1.75 crores. The film is expected to collect around Rs. 11.50 crores in Week 1. It needs to earn as much or more than Week 1 to come out with some sort of respectable collections.