Kazaam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kazaam |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Paul Michael Glaser |
| Screenplay by |
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| Story by | Paul Michael Glaser |
| Starring |
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| Music by | Christopher Tyng |
| Cinematography | Charles Minsky |
| Editing by |
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| Distributed by |
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| Release date(s) | July 17, 1996 |
| Running time | 94 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $20 million |
| Money made | $18.9 million |
Kazaam is a 1996 American musical fantasy comedy film directed by Paul Michael Glaser, written by Christian Ford and Roger Soffer based on a story by Glaser, and starring Shaquille O'Neal as the title character, a 5,000-year-old genie who appears from a magic boombox to grant a 12-year-old boy three wishes.
The film was released on July 17, 1996, grossing $19 million on its $20 million budget.
Contents
Plot
A wrecking ball destroys an abandoned building, the impact knocking over a magic lamp inside and causing it to land on a boombox. The genie inside decides to make residence inside the boombox from there on.
Meanwhile, a 12-year-old boy named Max (Francis Capra) goes to school. He greets his friend, Jake (portrayed by Jake Glaser, director Paul Michael Glaser's son), with a goofy face and is chastised by his teacher. Max is confronted by a gang of bullies, who hold him on the bathroom floor and spray paint his outline. The bullies chase Max through Brooklyn. 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 (Shaquille O'Neal), a 5,000-year-old genie, 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 named Travis (John Costelloe). 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 their relationship. 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 unauthorized 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 (Marshall 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. After school, when Max's father demand his son to hand over the Record Tape that he stole last night, he does. Then he leaves realizing that he won't get a second chance with him. Later that night, Max is kidnapped by Malik and takes possession of Kazaam's boombox, causing Max's father to understand the error he made, though he is also held hostage as well. Malik, having taken control of Kazaam's boombox, is now in control of Kazaam himself. Max is pushed down an elevator shaft by Malik. He 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 lifeless 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. With him officially a djinn, he pulls Max out of harm's way and carried out of the burning building by Travis. Max's father then shows up and tells him that he hopes to rekindle the bonding with his son, before he takes off with authorities. Kazaam is then last seen walking off being grilled by his girlfriend because he doesn't have a job, while at the same time, ecstatic over his newfound freedom.
Cast
- Shaquille O'Neal as Kazaam
- Francis Capra as Maxwell "Max" Connor
- Ally Walker as Alice Connor
- James Acheson as Nick Matteo
- John Costelloe as Travis O'Neil
- Marshall Manesh as Malik
- Fawn Reed as Asia Moon
- Mother Love as Mrs. Duke
- Wade Robson as Elito
- Jake Glaser as Jake
- Efren Ramirez as Carlos
- Steven Barr as Sam
- Deidra Roper as Spinderella
- Da Brat as Herself
- Deborah Rennard as Malik's Date
Soundtrack
Film title confusion
Many people falsely remember the film being titled "Shazaam" and starring comedian and actor Sinbad as a genie, possibly an example of the Mandela effect, as no such film ever existed.
In April 2017, Sinbad collaborated with internet comedic group CollegeHumor in a 2.5-minute short parody as homage to those who falsely remember the film that he allegedly starred in.
See also
In Spanish: Kazaam para niños
