‘Genie’ Movie Review: Melissa McCarthy Wins You Over With This Mildly Amusing Confection
Photo from Universal Pictures/Peacock
From Jeremy Kibler
If household names like Robin Williams, Shaquille O’Neal, and Idris Elba have all had the chance to play a genie on-screen, why not Melissa McCarthy? That’s exactly what she plays in the low-tech, high-concept fantasy-comedy (and you’ll never guess the title), Genie. Besides its irresistible star, another draw is the script being written by Richard Curtis (he of the much-adored Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Love Actually, and then some), adapting from his 1991 teleplay Bernard and the Genie. One does wish the script was sharper, but director Sam Boye conjures up an amiable, good-hearted confection that might have aired as an ABC holiday special back in the day. If you’re not always laughing, you’re at least smiling.
A sufficiently charming Paapa Essiedu plays Bernard Bottle, one of those movie family men who’s perpetually late to family functions. Of all the days to be working for snobby auctioneer Oliver Flaxman (Alan Cumming) at a New York City antique company, he is late to the birthday celebration of his daughter Eve (Jordyn Mcintosh). His wife Julie (Denée Benton) is furious and ends up taking Eve to her mother’s for a while. To make matters even worse, a downhearted Bernard then loses his job. When he accidentally rubs the dust off an antique jewelry box he tried giving Eve as a last-minute birthday gift, Bernard unleashes Flora Gwendolyn Laquit Firepit McCallister (McCarthy), a genie who’s been imprisoned by an angry sorcerer 2,000 years ago. His wish is her command, and Bernard gets unlimited wishes (the three-wishes limit is “fairy tale stuff”). The only rule is that Bernard’s wish to get Julie and Eve back can’t involve time-travel or changing their feelings. Can Flora help “Nardo” think of a plan to win his family’s hearts?
Genie is essentially Elf with Flora the Genie replacing Buddy the Elf, but not by any stretch is this going to become a rewatchable instant classic for the holidays. It does, however, have Melissa McCarthy, and her lovability and earnest commitment do go a long way in letting this aggressively nice trifle go down easier than it might have without her.
There are very few surprises in store, and the fish-out-of-water humor with Flora being out of the box is generally amusing if not exactly brilliant. Flora misuses air quotes, experiences the wonders of pizza (“this is just a triangle of red bread!”), gets down to Bubba Sparxxx’s “Ms. New Booty,” loves the zesty taste of hand sanitizer, and becomes a giant Tom Cruise fan. Her disbelief at how Jesus, “Mary’s kid,” became so famous is worthy of a quick chuckle, and Flora’s flirtation with Nardo’s chatty doorman Lenny (Marc Maron) is kind of cute. Some funnier moments involve Bernard openly making wishes around his family when they don’t believe Flora is a genie, accidentally sending his arrogant brother-in-law (John Reynolds) to hell for a minute.
Bernard is a bit of a bore, but Essiedu does provide a sensitive center that makes him worth following. An initial problem is that the script doesn’t fully set up the groundwork in terms of Bernard’s relationship with his wife and daughter. We don’t see Bernard’s previous tardiness, so it’s almost jarring to see how aggressively Julie reacts when he misses ice skating for Eve’s birthday by a few hours. Being perpetually late is a problem, yes, but Julie acts like Bernard is having an affair and says he won’t live in the real world. Honey, he’s working so you can have a roof under you and your daughter’s heads!
With the soundtrack always giving you a cozy Christmas needle drop and nearly every establishing shot of NYC looking like a gauzy, magical miniature, the film does know how to put one in the holiday spirit. Giving this material the charisma that it needs, Melissa McCarthy is so funny, warm, and sweet that Genie may just win you over, too. Overall, it’s very mild but pleasant enough to scratch that feel-good itch.
Rating: 2.5/5
Genie will be available to stream on Peacock on November 22nd, 2023.
