THE makers of Bollywood film Hari Puttar may have fought off US distributor Warner Bros in the Indian courts but the movie has had less success with the critics.
The film hit screens in India on Friday, a month after its scheduled release was delayed because of a legal challenge over its title, which Warner Bros claimed was too similar to Harry Potter.
They need not have worried: Hari Puttar -- A Comedy of Terrors was panned virtually everywhere, with critics assessing that it was in fact a poor imitation of another film: 1990's Home Alone starring Macaulay Culkin.
Words such as "dismal'', "puerile'', "unfunny'' and "sub-standard'' peppered other reviews.
Some reviewers at least tried to assess the merits of the film, a comedy that follows the fortunes of a 10-year-old Indian boy whose family moves to Britain.