Funny and light

Rating: 9/10 (26 October 2014)

I've only written one other review on IMDb but with the negative reviews I felt compelled to write this in the hope to shed some light.
I have the feeling that for the negative reviewers, perhaps they were expecting something other than what was delivered. Although, the giveaway for me was that Boman Irani is in this movie. So, I did expect a comedic element.
But the confusion may be when you add Abhishek Bachchan and Sonu Sood to the mix. I've only seen Bachchan play "take no prisoners" macho roles and I suspect that those are the roles the Sood typically are in also. So if you are a fan of those two actors, then expect that for Happy New Year, they are in roles that are comedic and more of a slapstick nature. Although Sood still does has a "take no prisoners" role.
I very much enjoyed this film. I discovered Shahrukh Khan and Aamir Khan a few years back and have seen every film of theirs that I could get my hands on. (I know, they would probably cringe if they knew someone had used both of their names in the same sentence.) Because of their films, I have come to really enjoy Bollywood flicks. Shahrukh Khan was the draw for me in this film. Although I was happy to see the above-mentioned actors in it too.
I had no expectations going into the movie other than to be entertained. If you are looking for a serious crime drama then change your expectations for this film. It does have a serious undertone but it is delivered in a lighthearted way. Yes, it is like Ocean's Eleven but with a lot of zaniness. But because of the 3 hour window, it takes time to spell out the motivation behind the caper. So I say, change your expectations and simply lighten up and enjoy a good laugh. Please don't expect a deep movie. And expect your favorite actor to be playing a part outside of their typical role. I went with two other ladies and we each enjoyed this movie thoroughly.