Celestial Pictures digs into the vaults for My Darling Genie, yet another Shaw Brothers flick which probably isn't worthy of all the current Shaw Brothers hype. Derek Yee stars as Cheng, a studly construction worker who happens upon a magical umbrella. When the umbrella is opened and sprinkled with water, a 200 year-old genie appears, proffering magical wishes and the promise of untold hijinks of the nonsensical variety.
     Thankfully, the genie looks like Cherie Chung, which means you get eye candy AND your wishes granted. Since Cheng is an unimaginative, nay completely uninteresting guy, he has the Genie do his work for him while he sips on cold drinks. He also mistreats the Genie and generally causes friction with his girlfriend and her dad (Stanley Fung). However, the Genie changes masters thanks to the overwhelming greed of man, who all want the Genie for their own selfish ends. Finally, a large melee occurs between dastardly loan sharks (who want the Genie to get rich) and the nice lower-class construction types (who also want the Genie to get rich). Meanwhile, Cheng just wants the Genie back because the script stipulates it.
     Whatever imagination occurred in the writing of My Darling Genie was likely left on the cutting room floor. The jokes and silliness on display here are hardly inspired nor worthy of an anamorphic DVD from IVL. Derek Yee is as interesting as a rock, and the whole film is simply throwaway crap. However, the film is amusing enough fluff for fans of Cherie Chung, who parades through the film in a variety of cute outfits and hairdos, all managing to accentuate her uber-adorable cuteness. Also, James Yi makes an amusing bad guy dope, and the whole affair proves to be an inoffensive time killer. If My Darling Genie comes on cable AND you happen to like Cherie Chung, then maybe it's worth a look. However, without those two requirements, a nap would probably be time better spent. (Kozo 2004)

image courtesy of Celestial Pictures