Genie - A Magia do Natal

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.

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.

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.

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...

This movie has an impressive cast of actors. If nothing else, it was fun to see who would pop up in which roles. The story is fairly predictable and offers very little surprises, but isn't that kind of the point? This is a good in-the-background, silly holiday movie. It won't keep your attention, but it certainly makes for a fun atmospheric movie to have on. I loved seeing the actress from The Golden Age in modern clothes! She's gorgeous either way. I'm not familiar with the main actor, but he has a good amount of charm and warmth that I'll look up where else I can watch him. The movie did the classic "how in the world do they afford that New York apartment???" but it's not a documentary so I think we can roll with it. Again, don't go in with super high expectations and I think you can find parts of this movie that are enjoyable. Happy Holiday!!!