Ensofter Overrated and overhyped

Ava-Grace Willis Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Allison Davies The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

NoTripod Bernard and the Genie (1991)(BBC-TV) Available on VHS and Region 1 DVDRowan Atkinson is in this strange BBC-TV Christmas movie, but for only 5 or so scenes. But what scenes they are. Atkinson is truly in Blackadder territory as he plays the CEO of a large rare art sales firm. Every single word uttered, facial expression and body language movement by Atkinson is truly a throwback to the truly despicable Lord Edmund Blackadder from the Second Blackadder series "Blackadder II" (1986). Take a look at the DVD cover (not the VHS) here at IMDb, ebay or Amazon and see if you don't agree.Yes there are bits about Christmas and a magical genie in this truly strange cobbled together mess, so don't think you are going to be enthralled with a warm-hearted Christmas favourite, because you are most assuredly not.See this movie for the 5 minutes of Rowan Atkinson RUINING the Christmas of a loyal and true worker, his conniving plans ala Lord Edmund and his unfortunate comeuppance. OK. I rated this movie 10 STARS. That is for the Rowan Atkinson contributions, which I admit are essential to the plot, however sparse. Judge my review on on these terms only. Get ye to a video shoppe posthaste and have a short visit with the great Lord Edmund Blackadder.AtomicVideo

mia_the_21st I first remember when this film came out on BBC1 when I was but a child. I remember lying in my room when my parents watched it, listening to my dad laughing all the way through. It was on too late for me to stay up and so it was recorded onto VHS and my parents allowed me and my brother to watch it the next day.Ever since then, it has become tradition in our household to watch this film at Christmas, just as it has always been tradition to eat roast turkey or to decorate the Christmas tree. I have seen it so many times that I know every single word to every single scene and can even mimic the hilarious sequence of movements Alan Cumming does during the 'It'll Be Lonely This Christmas' song.Despite all this, it is still one of the best Christmas films - let alone comedies - to come out of Britain. Lenny Henry's Genie is stupidly naive and every single line makes me laugh out loud. Even the silly humour (like when he uses the toothbrush to clean his ears!) makes me chortle, even now! Alan Cumming is great as the drown-trodden do-gooder Bernard who is done over by his nasty boss, Rowan Atkinson - who, is (as always!) absolutely fantastic in his role... especially during the scene when he fires Bernard: 'bugger-ye off!' Another one of my favourite characters is Kibble, Bernard's lift-man.. look out for him.. another great and properly British character!! The entire film is a non-stop riot of comedy and humour, puns and digs at religion in a light-hearted way, even with a Trevor MacDonald look-alike reading the news. But still, it remains heartfelt and emotional, a journey not only to find love and re-build your life, but also it boils down to the simple message that you cannot simply fix your life with a single wish; it takes hard work and good friends.A fantastic film.. definitely worth seeing!

BadWebDiver This is an hilarious take on the classic Aladdin-style story featuring British comics. The two leads handle their roles with the right amount of humour and affection. They're not cloying or raucous at all. My fav scene however, is at the end where Rowan Atkinson's Scrooge-like character has been made a reluctant notable benefactor of an international charity. A television crew is interviewing him on his enormous contribution, and he is forced to make condescending remarks to the camera while secretly seething with resentment inside. It is a superb comic moment, and Rowan Atkinson handles it to perfection.There are other great off-the-cuff moments like where the Genie makes a casual remark about attending Jesus' feeding of the multitude; and Bernard hugs a character for not being dead in an alternate story-line (you'll have to see the story to understand). All in all, a brilliant piece of comic storytelling; made more exceptional by its low budget and television environment.

AlabamaWorley1971 I saw this when it premiered on UK television, Christmas 1991. I taped it from A&E a few years ago, and now it's part of my Christmas Eve ritual! This is a really cute movie, and suitable for older children. (There's nothing really offensive in it; I just don't think there's enough happening to keep younger kids interested.) Alan Cumming and the brilliant Lenny Henry have a great chemistry. Rowan Atkinson is, as ever, brilliant. I love when the Genie tries ice cream for the first time; he runs out into the street and yells, "HEY EVERYBODY, YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS STUFF! It's freezing cold and tastes exactly like strawberries!" I also love the newscast with the results of the boys' wishes. People outside the UK won't get all the references, but it's still worth it!