KAZAAM
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 1997 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): * 1/2
Maxwell "Max" Connor (Francis Capra) has it rough. His mom, Alice (Ally Walker), works two shifts every day but one. She comes from the "you wash your mouth" school of parenting. She has a boyfriend Travis (John Costelloe) whom she plans to marry, but Max does not like him. He wants to find his father, Nick (James Acheson), who abandoned the family a decade earlier. When Max does locate him, Nick is a tough guy ("You get no second chances in life, no second chances") who initially rejects Max.
As last year's movie KAZAAM starts, some local bullies are chasing Max into an abandoned building. He hits the buttons on a boom box, and, voila, an instant genie named Kazaam (Shaquille O'Neal) appears. "You know who I am?" says Kazaam. "I am your genie." But Max is not impressed. "In that case," he tells him. "I wish I was as big as you but not so stupid!"
The script by Christian Ford, Paul Michael Glaser, and Roger Soffer comes alive only in Kazaam's periodic rap lyrics. The rest are laughably bad. "You smell like hippopotamus butt," Max yells at Kazaam in one of the film's typically trite snippets of dialog.
Capra, who played the rebellious younger brother in FREE WILLY 2, keeps his performance totally in cliche territory as the tough, street-wise kid. Max's first wish is for sky-high junk food. The others are a little better.
Only Shaquille O'Neal works at his part, the rest of the cast barely work up a sweat. The show works only as a showcase for O'Neal's modest acting talents. For all its failings, there is something to be said for a movie where at least one person, O'Neal, is clearly having a great time. Too bad he wasn't able to transfer his enthusiasm better to the audience. And too bad the show did not have a better script and supporting cast.
KAZAAM runs 1:33. It is rated PG for some cartoonish violence. The show would be fine for kids five and up and perhaps younger. My son Jeffrey, age 8, likes the movie a lot. He said his favorite part is when Kazaam flies his bicycle. I cannot recommend the film, and I think * 1/2 is more than generous.
**** = A must see film. *** = Excellent show. Look for it. ** = Average movie. Kind of enjoyable. * = Poor show. Don't waste your money. 0 = Totally and painfully unbearable picture.
REVIEW WRITTEN ON: May 18, 1997
Opinions expressed are mine and not meant to reflect my employer's.
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