This one is in trouble during the opening credits! Shawn is "flying" on a magic carpet (actually, he's sitting on something while a fog machine blows in his face) singing an inane, unfunny, embarrassing and annoying song called "Eenie Meenie Genie". He then screeches (unconvincingly) to a halt and is read the riot act by Edmonson, King of the Genies. His mission is to reunite a pair of Baghdad royals whose union will ensure the future of the city. However, the city is currently being run by tyrannical Van Dreelen and he is set up to marry the female half of the couple (Baker.) Shawn gets a flying horse (unconvincing again, naturally) and sets out to complete his mission in spite of his own buffoonery. The film is lame. That's the best way to describe it. The comedy is dumb and tired, the action scenes are mostly comprised of stock footage from another, better movie and the story is trite and routine, even for its time. The "effects" are shoddy and the characters are mostly uninteresting. Shawn (looking like a slightly shorter "Jethro Bodine" of "The Beverly Hillbillies") mugs and hams (and sings again!) to no avail. A great deal of the scenes are static, especially those taking place in rooms of the palace. The film does get a shot in the arm from the very attractive Baker and her luscious love-to-be Coe. She is decked out in far more glamorous attire and hairstyles than she was usually given in this stage of her career. He is divine. Though it's hysterical to see him lumber around like a car mechanic in his old world finery, he is so charming and boyishly handsome, it doesn't matter. His flat, monotone voice also cannot dampen the joy in seeing him stripped to the waist (along with his stuntman) and wrestling a beefy slave. He gets to wear a cute little parade of snug pants in red, salmon and avocado and exchange some amusing banter with Baker. Otherwise, this is a deadly, skippable piece of camel dung.
Review of The Wizard of Baghdad
