Kazaam
Encyclopedia
Kazaam is a 1996
comedy film
directed by Paul M. Glaser
and stars Shaquille O'Neal
as the title character Kazaam, a genie
who appears from a magic boombox
to grant a boy three wishes.
destroying an abandoned building. The impact knocks over a magic lamp inside of the building, causing it to land on a boombox
. The genie inside decides to make residence inside the boombox from there on in.
Meanwhile, a schoolboy named Max (Capra
) is confronted and chased down by a group of bullies through the city of New Bronslin. Max is chased into the abandoned building, where he discovers the boombox and accidentally unleashes the genie inside. The genie, who introduces himself as Kazaam (O'Neal
), tells Max that he is now Max's genie and proves it to him by demonstrating his powers, which results in Kazaam disappearing off the face of the earth.
Max returns home to find that his mother is marrying a fireman. It is revealed that his mother lied to him about his real father's whereabouts, and that he is actually located in the city. Max set out to search for his father in the hopes of rekindling some sort of bond between them. He suddenly encounters Kazaam during his travels, who pesters Max into making a wish. Max eventually finds his father, only to learn that he is a musical talent agent who specializes in pirated music.
Max goes to his personal secret hideout and tells Kazaam about his father. They decide to have a bike race through Max's hideout, during which Kazaam shows off his powers. Kazaam finally convinces Max to make his first wish, which consists of junk food raining from the sky. While eating all of this, Max suddenly realizes that he owns Kazaam until he makes his last two wishes. Max and Kazaam go out to see Max's father again. After getting past an intimidating bodyguard,
Max is introduced by his father to the other employees of the agency and invited to a nightclub
. The owner of the nightclub, Malik (Manesh
), shows interest in Kazaam upon the realization that he is a genie, and he hopes to control Kazaam through Max's father. The next day, Kazaam stays in Max's home and passes himself off as Max's tutor.
Max confesses to Kazaam that he and his father aren't really connecting, though Kazaam attempts to shirk the issue with some rapping. Max attempts to wish for his father and mother to fall back in love, but Kazaam cannot grant this wish because he is not a djinn, and therefore not free to grant ethereal wishes.
Later that day, Max witnesses his father being assaulted by Malik and his minions and goes to Kazaam for help. Kazaam just received a record deal as a professional rapper and is unable to help Max out. Max is kidnapped by Malik and takes possession of Kazaam's boombox. Kazaam often says: "Look at my crow".
After pushing Max down an elevator shaft
, Malik summons Kazaam in the hopes that he will do his bidding. While Kazaam is initially powerless against his master, he soon breaks free from his oppression and defeats Malik and his minions.
Kazaam transforms Malik into a basketball and then slam dunks him into a garbage disposal. However, he then finds Max's dead body, and wishes that he could have granted Max's wish to give his father a second chance at life. Then, in his sorrow, Kazaam finally becomes a djinn, and is therefore able to do this for Max. Max survives, his father reconnecting with him, and Kazaam is now free.
and a 24 out of 100 on Metacritic. It is commonly considered one of the Worst films ever made. It is also currently ranked 95 on the IMDb's Bottom 100 list.
Shaquille O'Neal's performance in the film was considered poor and to date has been referenced in a number of movies, mainly either criticizing his acting or gloating about it. The film itself was a box office failure.
1996 in film
Major releases this year included Scream, Independence Day, Fargo, Trainspotting, The English Patient, Twister, Mars Attacks!, Jerry Maguire and a version of Evita starring Madonna.-Events:...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
directed by Paul M. Glaser
Paul Michael Glaser
Paul Michael Glaser is an American actor and director, perhaps best known for his role as Detective David Starsky on the 1970s television series Starsky and Hutch; he also appeared as Captain Jack Steeper on the 1999 to 2005 NBC series Third Watch.-Early life:Glaser, the youngest of three...
and stars Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
as the title character Kazaam, a genie
Genie
Jinn or genies are supernatural creatures in Arab folklore and Islamic teachings that occupy a parallel world to that of mankind. Together, jinn, humans and angels make up the three sentient creations of Allah. Religious sources say barely anything about them; however, the Qur'an mentions that...
who appears from a magic boombox
Boombox
Boombox is a colloquial expression for a portable cassette or CD player. Other terms known are ghetto blaster, jambox, or radio-cassette. It is a device capable of receiving radio stations and playing recorded music , usually at relatively high volume...
to grant a boy three wishes.
Plot
The film begins with a very big wrecking ballWrecking ball
A wrecking ball is a heavy steel ball, usually hung from a crane, that is used for demolishing large buildings. It was most common during the 1950s and 1960s. Several wrecking companies claim to have invented the wrecking ball...
destroying an abandoned building. The impact knocks over a magic lamp inside of the building, causing it to land on a boombox
Boombox
Boombox is a colloquial expression for a portable cassette or CD player. Other terms known are ghetto blaster, jambox, or radio-cassette. It is a device capable of receiving radio stations and playing recorded music , usually at relatively high volume...
. The genie inside decides to make residence inside the boombox from there on in.
Meanwhile, a schoolboy named Max (Capra
Francis Capra
Francis Capra is an American actor. Some of his best known roles are a young Calogero Anello in A Bronx Tale, Max Connor in Kazaam, and Eli "Weevil" Navarro in the TV series Veronica Mars.-Personal life:...
) is confronted and chased down by a group of bullies through the city of New Bronslin. Max is chased into the abandoned building, where he discovers the boombox and accidentally unleashes the genie inside. The genie, who introduces himself as Kazaam (O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
), tells Max that he is now Max's genie and proves it to him by demonstrating his powers, which results in Kazaam disappearing off the face of the earth.
Max returns home to find that his mother is marrying a fireman. It is revealed that his mother lied to him about his real father's whereabouts, and that he is actually located in the city. Max set out to search for his father in the hopes of rekindling some sort of bond between them. He suddenly encounters Kazaam during his travels, who pesters Max into making a wish. Max eventually finds his father, only to learn that he is a musical talent agent who specializes in pirated music.
Max goes to his personal secret hideout and tells Kazaam about his father. They decide to have a bike race through Max's hideout, during which Kazaam shows off his powers. Kazaam finally convinces Max to make his first wish, which consists of junk food raining from the sky. While eating all of this, Max suddenly realizes that he owns Kazaam until he makes his last two wishes. Max and Kazaam go out to see Max's father again. After getting past an intimidating bodyguard,
Max is introduced by his father to the other employees of the agency and invited to a nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
. The owner of the nightclub, Malik (Manesh
Marshall Manesh
Marshall Manesh is an Iranian/American actor.Manesh was born in Mashhad, Iran. He has appeared in the television shows Will & Grace, Entourage, Scrubs, How I Met Your Mother in a recurring role as the Bangladeshi taxi/town car/limo driver Ranjit, Burn Notice, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,...
), shows interest in Kazaam upon the realization that he is a genie, and he hopes to control Kazaam through Max's father. The next day, Kazaam stays in Max's home and passes himself off as Max's tutor.
Max confesses to Kazaam that he and his father aren't really connecting, though Kazaam attempts to shirk the issue with some rapping. Max attempts to wish for his father and mother to fall back in love, but Kazaam cannot grant this wish because he is not a djinn, and therefore not free to grant ethereal wishes.
Later that day, Max witnesses his father being assaulted by Malik and his minions and goes to Kazaam for help. Kazaam just received a record deal as a professional rapper and is unable to help Max out. Max is kidnapped by Malik and takes possession of Kazaam's boombox. Kazaam often says: "Look at my crow".
After pushing Max down an elevator shaft
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
, Malik summons Kazaam in the hopes that he will do his bidding. While Kazaam is initially powerless against his master, he soon breaks free from his oppression and defeats Malik and his minions.
Kazaam transforms Malik into a basketball and then slam dunks him into a garbage disposal. However, he then finds Max's dead body, and wishes that he could have granted Max's wish to give his father a second chance at life. Then, in his sorrow, Kazaam finally becomes a djinn, and is therefore able to do this for Max. Max survives, his father reconnecting with him, and Kazaam is now free.
Cast
- Shaquille O'NealShaquille O'NealShaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
as Neal Friedman / Kazaam - Francis CapraFrancis CapraFrancis Capra is an American actor. Some of his best known roles are a young Calogero Anello in A Bronx Tale, Max Connor in Kazaam, and Eli "Weevil" Navarro in the TV series Veronica Mars.-Personal life:...
as Maxwell "Max" Connor - Ally WalkerAlly WalkerAllene Damian "Ally" Walker is an American actress, producer, director and screenwriter.She is best known for her roles as Doctor Samantha Waters on the NBC crime drama series Profiler , as Agent June Stahl on the FX drama series Sons of Anarchy and as Gloria Shepherd in the Lifetime drama...
as Alice Connor - James AchesonJames AchesonJames Acheson is a British costum designer.Born in Leicester, Acheson has a twin brother, Patrick. In the early 1950s, Acheson was a pupil at St. Marys Convent School, in Priory Street, Colchester, along with his brother...
as Nick Matteo - John CostelloeJohn Costelloe (actor)John A. Costelloe was an American actor best known for his role as Jim "Johnny Cakes" Witowski, the gay fireman lover of Vito Spatafore, in the HBO TV series The Sopranos....
as Travis - Marshall ManeshMarshall ManeshMarshall Manesh is an Iranian/American actor.Manesh was born in Mashhad, Iran. He has appeared in the television shows Will & Grace, Entourage, Scrubs, How I Met Your Mother in a recurring role as the Bangladeshi taxi/town car/limo driver Ranjit, Burn Notice, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,...
as Malik - Efren RamirezEfren Ramirez-Early life:Ramirez was born in Los Angeles, California of Spanish and Salvadoran descent. He has three brothers, one of whom is his identical twin. Ramirez bought his parents a house with his payment from Napoleon Dynamite .-Career:...
as Carlos - Da BratDa BratShawntae Harris , better known as Da Brat, is an American rapper and actress. Her debut album, Funkdafied, sold one million copies, making her the first female rapper to have a platinum-selling album.-Early life:...
as Herself
Reception
The film was universally panned by critics and currently holds a 4% "Rotten" on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
and a 24 out of 100 on Metacritic. It is commonly considered one of the Worst films ever made. It is also currently ranked 95 on the IMDb's Bottom 100 list.
Shaquille O'Neal's performance in the film was considered poor and to date has been referenced in a number of movies, mainly either criticizing his acting or gloating about it. The film itself was a box office failure.