After much hype and hoopla, Kites finally released worldwide today to not so favourable reviews.

So does this spell doom for the Hrithik Roshan-Barbara Mori starrer? What do other top reviewers have to say about the movie? Let's find out:

Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

"The film is free of both subtlety and irony, and it demands of its charismatic stars, Hrithik Roshan and Barbara Mori, that they act their hearts out with the utmost sincerity. The result is an exhilarating escapist entertainment that plays out like a violent and floridly poetic allegory."

Read the full review here 

Lisa Tsering, The Hollywood Reporter

"What makes the movie pop is a standout performance by Roshan, one of Indian cinema's treasures. Blessed with near-divine good looks and a chiseled form (not to mention an auspicious extra right thumb), the green-eyed actor also happens to be Bollywood's most accomplished dancer.

Despite the extremes of Basu's script and producer Rakesh Roshan's story, Roshan anchors the film with a solid, believable performance and a palpable chemistry with his co-star that will remind audiences just how hot a good Bollywood romance can be."

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Jeannettw Catsoulis, The New York Times

"Directed by Anurag Basu with a finger in every genre jar, "Kites" caroms from car chase to shootout, from rain dancing to bank robbing with unflagging energy. It's all completely loony, but the stunts are impressive, the photography crisp and the leads so adorably besotted that audiences might as well check their cynicism at the door."

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Peter Debruge, Variety

"What the two social climbers lack in innate sympathy they more than compensate for through sheer pinup appeal, and lush lensing by Ayananka Bose (with Dutch angles and Baz Luhrmann-worthy flourishes) makes the whole ride easy on the eyes."

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Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald

"Kites" echoes those great Sergio Leone spaghetti westerns. It's so over the top, so accentuated every step of the way by music, slow-mo and tragedy, it becomes a great guilty pleasure. See if you can resist."

Read the full review here