Kazaam (/kəˈzæm/) 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 14-year-old boy three wishes.
The film was released on July 17, 1996, grossing $18.9 million on its $20 million budget, making it a box-office bomb, and was also panned by critics.
In the story, a wrecking ball demolishes an abandoned building, causing a magic lamp inside to fall onto a boombox. The genie inside, named Kazaam, decides to reside in the boombox. Meanwhile, a 14-year-old boy named Max Conner goes to school and faces various challenges. He deals with bullies who retaliate against him for a failed robbery attempt. Max seeks refuge in the abandoned building and accidentally releases Kazaam from the lamp. Kazaam becomes Max's genie and demonstrates his powers before disappearing.
Max notices his father during his journey home and discovers that his mother plans to marry a fireman named Travis O'Neil. Max resents Travis and confronts his mother about hiding the truth about his real father's whereabouts. Determined to find his father, Max encounters Kazaam again, who pesters him into making a wish. Max eventually reunites with his father, Nick Matteo, a musical talent agent involved in unauthorized music. Although Max initially doesn't care about his father's profession, he is happy to see him and is introduced to the employees of Nick's agency.
Max shares the news with Kazaam and they have a bike race in Max's hideout, where Kazaam showcases his powers. Kazaam persuades Max to make his first wish, causing junk food to rain from the sky. Max realizes that he has control over Kazaam until he uses his last two wishes. They visit Max's father again and attend a show where Kazaam's genie abilities impress Malik, the nightclub owner who desires to control Kazaam.
Kazaam stays at Max's home, pretending to be his tutor. Max confides in Kazaam about his strained relationship with his father, and Kazaam shares a rap about his own genie origins. Max tries to wish for his parents to rekindle their love, but Kazaam cannot grant this wish since he is not a djinn.