Well, it's election time and the makers have used nicely, to convey a message that is the need of the hour: Every person should VOTE!

Starting off with where Bhoothnath ended, Bhoothnath comes back to Earth to get back his pride from the embarrassment he had brought to the whole ghost world after failing to scare SRK's on-screen son. The humor is pretty good since the beginning and the first half is a sure shot winner for this genre. Come second half and the political theme kicks in. Now there is good intention in the plot, but it uses the same age-old formula of fighting bad with its opposite and the whole scrupulous thingy which makes it look feeble all the way.

Amitabh Bachchan is fine but I loved Boman Irani more. The kid is fine. Supporting cast is good, as well. But when you use the same storyboard, it chafes the experience a bit. While the plot is strictly illogical & unrealistic (you weren't expecting otherwise, were you?),the elements it stands on are not strong enough reflect the cultural of cinema. Yes, it is entertaining, taking sarcastic potshots at corruption, politics, government and the present state of Indian bureaucracy. So a 6/10.

Again, unnecessary songs, wasted cameos and a slight essence of over- acting reduces the strength of the film as a celluloid.

BOTTOM LINE: The end is predictable and if your kids love such type of movies, it might be the good afternoon show. Watchable!

Bhootnath wasn't a great film but BR has a good concept of a ghost standing of elections. The film is well handled although it may not seem realistic and sometimes mockish but it goes well with the genre. What however doesn't work well is the lengthy second half and preachy scenes which look straight out of a Prakash Jha film. The film has a good message no doubt but the sudden change of scenario does not really gel yet the film does seem well intentioned

Direction is good Music is okay, Apun Ka Ilaaka(Dharavi Rap) stands out rest are okay Yo Yo honey Singh is getting repetitive.

Amitabh Bachchan does his role as always brilliantly, he is much more in control this time compared to Bhootnath, Parth Bhalerao as the child is superb and natural and teams up well with Bachchan. Amongst rest Boman Irani is perfect as the evil Bhau, though he has played such a role before Sanjay Mishra is perfect, Brijendra Kala and all others are good

A sequel to Bhoothnath, 'Bhoothnath Returns' is An Entertaining & Superbly Acted Sequel! Its well-intentioned & even funny, at times. However, a over-dramatic second-hour lessens its overall impact.

'Bhoothnath Returns' Synopsis: As Bhoothnath returns to 'Bhoot World', he is greeted with taunts & condemnation from other ghosts for bringing disrepute to the ghost-community for getting bullied by a kid on Earth. Post the humiliation, Bhoothnath decides to redeem himself & comes back to scare a bunch of kids. Bhoothnath's search for kids brings him to Akhrot, a slum kid who is also the only person who can see him. Together they agree to help each other & their friendship sees them get involved in a cause that is bigger than they had ever imagined. To move ahead they will need to take on one of the country's most powerful & corrupt politician, Bhau. The Lok Sabha elections are nearing & Bhau's victory is a mere formality, or is it? In a world, where a common man is afraid of politics, will a common man's ghost overcome his fear to stand up for what's right & fight against injustice?

'Bhoothnath Returns' has a breezy & funny first-hour. The camaraderie between the friendly ghost & the kid, is a delight to watch. The light-moments in this hour, entertain hugely. However, the second-hour gets over-dramatic. The proceedings get serious & even the pace dips. Also, the excessive running-time over 151-minutes, needed some trimming, by at least, 20-minutes. In short, the first-hour works wonders, but the second-hour is somewhat disappointing in comparison!

Nitesh Tiwari's Screenplay is very well-done in the first-hour, but loses steam post-interval. His Direction, on the other-hand, is good. Cinematography is picture-perfect. Editing needed more sharpness. Art Design is excellent. Music by Various Artists, is ordinary.

Performance-Wise: Amitabh Bachchan returns as Bhoothnath & he's wonderful all through. Parth Bhalerao is superb. The kid is at par with Bachchan. But, its Boman Irani, who steals the show. He's simply incredible as the screwed & conniving politician. His portions stand out, thanks to his extremely impressive performance. Sanjay Mishra does well, as always. Brijendra Kala is first-rate. In Cameos, Shahrukh Khan & Ranbir Kapoor are perfect.

On the whole, 'Bhoothnath Returns' is worth a watch.