World War III

Ahmed El Gendy's 2014 Egyptian comedy is a fantasy set in an abandoned museum. Khamis is hopeless at football, and while playing with his friends he kicks the ball through the museum window; going in to fetch it, he discovers that the statues come to life at five o'clock. The figures that wake come from different periods of history and start arguing among themselves, and from this the film builds humour that gestures at both history lessons and current politics. It is one of the productions in which the young comedians popular in Egypt at the time worked together, and the comedy rests largely on impersonation and wordplay. The effects are limited and the pace high. Who it's for: viewers who like Egyptian comedy and light fantasy. Who it's not for: anyone expecting a coherent plot and technical care; the film prioritises neither.