Disney The Secret of the Magic Gourd

Disney The Secret of the Magic Gourd follows a young boy named Wang Bao (Qilong Zhu) as he discovers a magical gourd that can grant his every wish, with problems ensuing as it becomes increasingly clear that said magical gourd’s wish-granting abilities could use some work. It’s an appealing setup that’s employed to consistently (and shockingly) bottom-of-the-barrel effect by director Frankie Chung, as the filmmaker, working from Tianyi Zhang’s screenplay, has suffused the proceedings with a larger-than-life and relentlessly over-the-top feel that grows tiresome almost immediately. The movie’s amateurish atmosphere is perpetuated by Zhu’s nails-on-a-chalkboard turn as the annoying central character, and although the special effects here are actually rather impressive, Chung devotes much of Disney The Secret of the Magic Gourd‘s running time to one silly, kid-friendly set piece after another (eg the gourd brings an entire toy store to life, helps Wang cheat at a swim meet, etc, etc). It seems clear that small children will thrill to the gourd’s childlike personality and penchant for wacky antics, but viewers over a certain age are left with absolutely nothing to sustain their interest – which, in the end, cements Disney The Secret of the Magic Gourd‘s place as a thoroughly worthless family film that squanders a decent premise from start to finish.

* out of ****