Discover the Magic of Genie: A Movie Review
Director: Sam Boyd
Writer: Richard Curtis (Screenplay)
Cast
- Melissa McCarthy (Ghostbusters)
- Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You)
- Denee Benton (Our Friend)
- Jordyn McIntosh (Emancipation)
- Alan Cumming (X-Men 2)
Plot: The film is a fairy-tale comedy about a workaholic man who enlists the help of a magical genie to help win his family back before Christmas.
Runtime: 1 Hour 33 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Genie starts when workaholic Bernard (Essiedu) forgets his daughter Eve (McIntosh) birthday. His wife Julie (Denton) asks for time to help him find himself and when he challenges his boss Flaxman (Cumming) for more time off, he gets fired. However, Bernard finds a box in his home and after rubbing it Flora (McCarthy) appears as a Genie.
Now Bernard has a chance to try and fix his life with Flora. However, he finds Flora harder to control after being locked away for so long. But deep down Bernard would want to fix his life for the better.
Verdict on Genie
Genie is a festival comedy following a workaholic trying to fix his life after work gets in the way of what is important. He ends up releasing a genie and going on an adventure to learn what is the most important part of life.
This is a comedy that tackles the typical overworking parent who sees his life starting to spiral out of control. It uses the idea that wishing to fix things can always be the best solution. However, it points out that family time is the most important part of life. There are parts borrowed from other Christmas movies, including Elf. However, despite being about magic, it lacks that extra level of magic it could have achieved. Some of the comedy is overdone and leaves little to the imagination.
Where to Watch
JustWatchFinal Thoughts –Genie is a charming festive movie.