Drew Campbell I watched this one chilly winter's afternoon while nursing a heavy cold, hoping for a mildly diverting way to pass an hour or so when even the thought of getting up off the settee was an effort. Feeling better now but still struggling to believe how this wreck of a movie ever got a green light.It was fascinating in a perverse way: Just how much lumpy dialogue, heavily telegraphed and unfunny jokes, inane and unconvincing plot twists, pointless steals and clichéd direction can be packed into one movie? How was a (mainly) decent cast ever persuaded to participate in this mess? Did nobody read the script? Do they not have agents? A waste of talent, of money, and of time - yours and everyone involved. Even if you're lying on a settee nursing a heavy cold.

TopBobUK Certainly not as bad as other reviews have made out. I knew nothing about the film in advance but had an expectation of a humorous horror. That's what I got. I didn't expect an Oscar winner, or something taxing with multiple subplots, or some subtext relating to Bolshevik Russia - and I wasn't disappointed in this. In terms of horror, comedy, crime thriller, love story, family relationships and everything else thrown into the film I found most aspects were topped by other films. None of these bits rose above the others and none stood out as particularly good. It was therefore a bit mellow and so a pretty simple watch. Some pop stars these days are raved about but I really wouldn't have them as anything other than background music at a dinner party. This warranted a bit more attention than a background film whilst I potter about the house, although I was occasionally tempted to grab a cup of tea and check my phone for emails/messages without pausing it. I am sure was not the wish of the director/producer. However, there was enough to hold me for the whole film. I thought the presentation and acting was as expected with the whole thing being slightly above average - hence the 6/10.

Dazz Camponi It might be a Wonderful Afterlife but it was even better when the movie ended. The story was basic and average and it didn't really hit you from the start. Sure the movie started off all good and well but when the spirits appeared, there were one or two funny scenes but it started becoming boring after a while and before you knew it, it started to drag on for too long. The characters weren't really well written and you just simply didn't care what happened to them. The acting wasn't good either as the actors could have done a little better in playing as their characters, although the actors who played the spirits were amusing from time to time. The writing is hit-and-miss because even though there were some okay scenes in the movie, sometimes it could drag on for too long. The directing isn't really bad and the script wasn't either but the movie just felt too rushed and unnecessary. There were quite a few scenes you could have taken out and you wouldn't have missed anything from the story.It was good for the first half an hour however, slowly but surely, it started to become tedious and boring. The acting wasn't bad but I have seen miles better from some of the cast such as Sendhil Ramamurthy, who plays Mohinder in Heroes. However, Sally Hawkins was great as Linda and she really lit up the movie. The movie's humour felt like it was trying to force itself to be funny too many times and, I admit, there were times when I laughed a little at the movie but there were some scenes that felt way too forced when it came to the humour department. There was one scene that just felt totally thrown in and random, I can't say much without spoiling the movie but you'll know what I mean if you decide to watch the movie, the scene involves Sally Hawkins. I was also disappointed with the fact that Preeya Kalidas, better known as Amira in Eastenders, was only in the movie for ten seconds. They should have used her more in the movie, as she is a great actress. Overall, if you want a movie that's hysterical, don't choose this one but if you want a comedy that is mildly entertaining, doesn't take itself seriously and will kill time, then this is perfect.Read more reviews at: www.dudedazzmoviereviews.wordpress.com

floorpopcornblog I was really excited about going to see It's A Wonderful Afterlife because Gurinder Chadha is the director and she has directed two of my favourite films - Angues, Thongs and Perfect Snogging and also Bride and Prejudice. I had also seen plenty of the film on TV and it looked like a fun film - I was right! The film is set in London but is all about Indians. It's a really weird storyline but that's what made it so funny and unique. Basically, an old woman called Mrs Sethi (Shabana Azmi) wants to commit suicide because she is a widow but she won't do it until her daughter Roopi (Goldy Notay) is married. Anyone who gets in her way gets killed in lots of funny and gruesome ways. Right at the start of the film, she stuffs a man so much by feeding him curry that he explodes and therefore prompting curry to fly about everywhere. I told you it was weird! The murder brings the police in to things and the officer assigned to the case is called Murthy (Sendhil Ramamurthy). He happens to be a close friend of Mrs Sethi and her daughter. Also involved is Linda, renamed Galani (Sally Hawkins), who wears Indian clothes, has an Indian fiancée (Jimi Mistry) and insists that she is psychic.It is a set-up for lots of funny things to happen. There are quite a lot of fat jokes which get old after a while and also a lot of slapstick that sometimes is really hilarious and sometimes isn't. There are also lots of people slipping over on curry which is so silly it's really quite funny. The ending is especially hilarious but I won't spoil it for you! The script overall is really funny and original. There is a happy ending with a wedding as in a lot of Gurinder Chadha's films but the way it gets to the end is really original. All of the cast are really good as well and deliver their lines perfectly, especially Shabana Azmi who is really super. The film also looks really good but the cheap gore and exploding curry looks a bit out of place.In many ways this is a typical romance film with some really funny moments. However, there are plenty of unique ideas in here and some great humorous moments that will make it worth seeing, especially if you like the director's other films.4/5