Genie

If you watched this movie expecting anything other than a delightful, LIGHT, family comedy, that's on you. It's a great holiday movie and everyone in it is believable enough...FOR A MOVIE ABOUT A GENIE. Get a grip on these comments, revert back to your pre-internet days before you criticized every.single.thing. This is a great movie. Turn off your anger and enjoy something for once. McCarthy is great. The main character is sweet, you will laugh, you will cry (if your heart is not two sizes too small), and you will think about how your wishes all revolve around money, while those in this movie do not...

Written by that prolific writer of usually hit film and TV productions Richard Curtis, this must be his idea of a Christmas stocking filler?

That is, it is light and airy and not to be taken too seriously, either plot wise or as a movie production. Its adequate, amusing, touching, and even laugh out loud funny in parts. Melissa McCarthy is its saving grace, delivering her lines with wit and charm, and emotion as only she can. The 3 actors comprising the family do not really gel together, the mum and daughter were not very well cast IMO. I think RC made the father lead watch a bunch of Stephen Merchant performances, and told him "act like that".

But it all held together well enough to enjoy as a pre Xmas movie taster, before you unwrap the real presents, such as Elf, National lampoon, A wonderful Life...or whichever are your go to Seasonal favourites.

This is a Peacock Original movie, the Executive Producer is Melissa McCarthy. Fittingly she also is the star of the movie, playing the Genie named Flora. With that as background we should all be surprised if it turned out to be an excellent movie. It is also a remake of "Bernard and the Genie" from 1992, which has Alan Cumming as the Genie. He is in this movie as the uncaring boss.

Having just watched it I can say authoritatively "Genie is a very ordinary movie." But the real question, "Is it entertaining", and my wife and I were mostly entertained. It is the kind of movie that, if you never see it, you are fine.

It starts with Paapa Essiedu as Bernard, a family man with the inability to properly balance work life and family life. Like missing his young daughter's birthday party because his boss asks him to stay late. At home alone, after mom and daughter go visit grandma, he picks up an old, bejeweled box and rubs it. That is how he meets Flora.

Most of the movie covers somewhat unimaginative instances where Bernard uses Flora's magic to grant wishes. But in the end he decides that wealth and fancy wishes were less important than mending relationships. Many won't like the end when he fails to wish for riches untold but that is in essence the message of the movie. Who you are and how you treat others is more important than wealth.

Melissa works for her paycheck while the rest of the cast is beyond terrible.

Whoooo signed off on the actors of Bernard and Julie?! Why?!

This proves that the best actor doesn't always get the job. Flat. Flat. Beyond flat.

I'm all for supporting less than "star" names but these two dragged every scene down. What a shame.

Production value is good. Cinematography is solid. Music fits.

I can only fault casting as well as the director.

The heartfelt ending made it worth the watch- that'll I'll also thank Melissa for.

Give new, unknown actors jobs- please- based on talent.

We want that. We support that.

I just love these reviewers that give movies like this a 1 or a 2 and say it's "unbelievable". Would they also give a Tom and Jerry cartoon a one because Jerry hits Tom over the head with a frying pan, and "Oh my gosh!! The cat didn't die! That's so ridiculous!!" C'mon folks, this movie is like a big cartoon, with human characters. You pretty much know where this movie is going by watching the preview. But so what. It's still loads of fun, and rated PG so you can watch it with your kids. Sorry all you serious film buffs. No naked women, no sex, no swear words, just a whole lot of fun and "fish out of water" type jokes. Melissa is a fun title character, and Paapa Essiedu is the perfect "straight man". Have yourself a nice, clean enjoyable evening watching this one.