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 movie isn't going to solve the world's problems but it was great for 90 minutes of holiday entertainment. Perfect fun for children and a couple life lessons are thrown in for good measure. Don't look for anything deep here including character development - it's all just fun.

Who doesn't love NYC at Christmas time, a fairy tale Genie who can help you with anything, a bad guy with ann incredible acting resume and a happy ending.

I don't know what the naysayers were looking for when they panned this movie , but I say take a chance on this one. Melissa McCarthy is her usual silly self and you can't go wrong with Alan Cummings.

A nice, uplifting, and enjoyable movie to watch on a cold winter's day. Melissa McCarthy is wonderful, as always, and doesn't overplay it here. Paapa Essiedu was tastefully understated as Bernard. Loved the NYC setting. The rest of the supporting cast was also excellent, including Denee Benton (whom I love in "The Gilded Age") as Bernard's wife; Alan Cumming as Bernard's horrible boss; and Marc Marion as Lenny, the doorman.

There are some humorous moments for sure, but those are tastefully done within the story. The story is somewhat predictable, but does not take away from the enjoyable journey. (One silly side story could have been left out, but that's a small quibble.)

All in all, a nice light-hearted movie for the holidays.

Genie is a Peacock movie and our first Christmas movie of 2023 counting down to the end of the year. The film tells the fairy tale story of Bernard (Nardo) Follows who is played by Paapa Essiedu. Nardo losses his job and his family because of his workaholic demanding boss played by Alan Cumming. Alan's character was very similar to Scrooge from Charles Dickens novel. Nardo down on his luck opens an old box and out pops a genie who is played by Melissa McCarthy, she also helped produce this movie. Unlike most genies this one had multiple wishes and she helps Nardo find his ways. I felt I was watching a Hallmark made for tv movie but with corny laughable jokes. This was a good family oriented movie but I wouldn't watch it again.