Genie
★★★
I wish Genie would have taken itself a little more seriously (see what I did there?). The modern version of wish-granting is not particularly new, but I was baffled by some of the decisions that director Sam Boyd lands on. This movie had a really good thing going, yet it squanders its potential with plot holes and gimmicks that aren't needed.
Melissa McCarthy can be hit or miss with these types of roles, but I found her quite funny in this one. She finds a good balance of sweetness and chaos and unquestionably that without her, this movie would be dead to rights. Also, the pairing with Paapa Essiedu didn't quite work for me. You can see Essiedu constantly trying to emulate McCarthy's charm, but the script does him no favors.
All that said, I was ultimately won over by the holiday charm that this film was meant to create. There are some genuinely funny moments (mainly from McCarthy) and as a family, we really enjoyed watching this one together. Unfortunately, the film decides to make a third act completely forgettable, which is a shame, because it has a structure that could have lived up to be so much more.
