Beginning to Look A Lot Like...New Christmas Movies

I would typically do a single review per movie that strikes my fancy, however, after watching the first of four new Christmas movies this year, I realized that I can't honestly review a Christmas movie. Is it jolly? Is there love? Does it capture the spirit? I'm gonna like it, I'm that much of a sucker. Instead, I'll just give my thoughts on each of the films, all of which I'd recommend, other than the one lump of coal on the list. Funny enough, like a Christmas miracle (yeah, I cringed a little writing that), each of the three recommended movies all seem to increase in their mature content, lending themselves to different target audiences. Now, heed my word, they ALL deserve to be watched regardless of your age, but maybe this'll help you decide which to watch first.

For the Coal Pile - Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)

I can't explain why, but I could NOT get into this movie and stopped watching it 1/3 of the way through. A great inventor's assistant steals his greatest project and his inventions book, ultimately finding success through his thievery. Now many years later, the great inventor is far from the imaginative soul he once was and when his granddaughter lands on his doorstep, she intends to bring the magic back into his life.....doesn't that sound like a heartfelt Christmas movie?! I thought so too. Up to where I hit "Stop," there was too much prologue, the songs were unappealing, and the story just dragged on. The movie is 122 minutes!!! That's may just give it too much time to diddle-daddle because it seemed to forget the Christmas portion of the Christmas movie. I will likely give it another try, but for now, this had no spirit.

RATING = 🎄 /5

For the Family - The Christmas Chronicles 2 (Netflix)

In 2018, we were introduced to a new type of Santa Claus, played by Kurt Russell, a Santa that wasn't as holly and jolly as others we've seen (I love you Scott Calvin). The first Christmas Chronicles felt like it towed the line between a family movie and an adult movie at times, not because of the plot, but because of the more, let's say, unrefined Santa that Russell portrayed. This year, the sequel to that movie felt much more kid-focused, with Russell, for better or worse, acting closer to a traditional Santa as he enlists two kids and Mrs. Clause to help save the North Pole and Christmas. This was a movie about redemption and finding your family, as a boy named Belsnickle has a dark history with the Clauses and plans to use his inventions to steal the power of the North Pole and take it to his home in the South Pole. Pulled back into the fray is Kate Pierce, who again has to help Santa save the day, along with the help of her somewhat, kind of, almost, scaredy cat, step-brother, Teddy. It was fun, and as much as I didn't care for the CGI elves in the first movie, I enjoyed them a bit more in this one, and Mrs. Claus added a breath of fresh winter air that may have helped balance out the flaws of Russell's Santa.

RATING = 🎄🎄🎄 /5

For the Teens - Holidate (Netflix)

I won't necessarily label this as a "Christmas" movie, per se, as it shuffles through a number of annual holidays throughout its plot. The main climax occurs during the Christmas season and the primarily plot line does thread itself along with themes of love and self-discovery, but still, maybe more of a general holiday movie with more Christmas theme than others. If you have ever seen Plus One (2019) (I also recommend and it's on Hulu), then you've seen Holidate. Both films follow two people who make an arrangement to be with each other for certain annual events and slowly start falling for each other. Nothing new to see here, but if it's not broken... Both Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey play likeable characters and the shenanigans they get into on the various holidays are pretty enjoyable. It has a lot of that Christmas magic happenstance to pull some pieces of its plot together, but who cares? It's Christmas.

RATING = 🎄🎄🎄 /5

For the Adults - Happiest Season (Hulu)

Wow, I really liked this movie. Yes, it's far from perfect and there are some plot and writing decisions that felt rushed and underutilized. It ends up being a bit more packed of a film than I think you'd expect for a Christmas movie, but in the same vein as films like The Family Stone and Love Actually, there's enough emotional holiday weight to keep the movie plenty afloat. There are interesting casting choices, such as Alison Brie as the bitch older sister, but no one stood out as particularly bad. I have always liked Kristen Stewart and, akin to her performance in 2009's Adventureland, she tapped into that woe-is-me attitude in this film, which makes her the one character worth rooting for. Opposite of Kristen Stewart was Mackenzie Davis, who I didn't particularly care for in the film. This was my biggest issue with the film, particularly as a Christmas movie especially, that Mackenzie Davis and her family are written to be hated throughout most of the movie. I think Aubrey Plaza had better chemistry with Stewart than Davis did, even in her limited screen time, and would've preferred to see more of her. Family expectations, the highs and lows of love, acceptance, unity, the fight for perfection...this movie tackles so many important themes, perhaps, a few too many. But well-balanced comedy and drama pull this film out successfully and one I look forward to watching again (but next year, I still have a lot of Christmas movies to get through).

RATING = 🎄🎄🎄1/2