A Bad Moms Christmas: Mums Taking Back Christmas!

‘A Bad Moms Christmas’ is a Christmas comedy film and, a sequel to the 2016 film ‘Bad Moms’, there are two twists this time around firstly that it is set at Christmas and, secondly the mums of the leading trio show up for said holiday.

I thought the first ‘Bad Moms’ film was an interesting idea to make a film like The Hangover, or Old School, but about Mums; who break bad, there is a mine of comedic potential there waiting to be tapped. While I never thought the first film reached any lofty heights of excellence, it was watchable and, entertaining. Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and, Kathryn Hahn all gave good performances and were quite funny; all was well.

I would say pretty much the same thing for this sequel it is very watchable and, entertaining, basically more of the same, simply this time around set at Christmas. The angle the film takes for explaining why it is set at Christmas is interesting: basically, it says that Christmas is the busiest day of the year for mums and, that they are sick of the thankless chore that it has become. This film does use the mums at Christmas jokes for all they’re worth, but they never become unfunny.

However the same can’t be said for the mother-daughter jokes, as I said before each of the leading ladies mums show up for Christmas for Hahn’s Carla this takes the form of free spirit Isis, (Susan Sarandon), for Bell’s Kiki it’s the overly needy Sandy, (Cheryl Hines), and for Kunis’ Amy, it comes in the form of the perfectionist Ruth, (Christine Baranski). Each mother and, daughter pair are woefully mismatched and, that is the comedy; this would be funny if it was for maybe half an hour but, it’s not it’s the entire film. The joke of oh isn’t Sandy a Stalker or, isn’t Isis a carefree hippy type, get used up very early on and, become stale fast.

Sadly as a result of this good things like character development and, the sweet relationship between Carla and, a male stripper named Ty, (Justin Hartley), are under nurtured. This is a shame as it would have been these things that would not only have made this film better but, also to give more meaning to the franchise as a whole.

Overall it is very much more of the same, if you liked the first film you will most likely like this; the only new addition is the older mums. It is sad to see this film squander the potential it had just so it could have a few more of the same jokes it had already said before.

2.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Deck The Halls: A Character Study Into One Of The Most Unlikable Characters In Cinema

‘Deck the Halls’ is a Christmas Comedy film about two neighbors who come into conflict over one of them having the goal to have so many Christmas lights on his house that it will be visible from space. A series of pranks and, hijinks ensue that escalates over time until the point both men lose everything; they then form an uneasy friendship.

Those 5 lines are the entire plot of this film. I don’t know if I have seen too many Christmas films at this point, or if this one is just incredibly generic, but I genuinely can’t tell this film apart from a slew of other Christmas films and, just comedy films in general, that have this same exact plot; but actually do something memorable with it.

The only memorable thing about this film is that never before in all my life have I ever hated the main character, that you are supposed to root for, more. Steve Finch, (Matthew Broderick), who’s name I never knew at any point during the film and, didn’t care to learn, is the most annoying, obsessive kill joy I have ever seen; it seems as though no one can have fun unless it suits him and, he can be involved. He involves himself in other peoples business religiously and, is thoroughly unlikable.

His warring rival is Buddy Hall, (Danny Devito), it is him that wants his house visible from space: because that would give his life meaning I guess. Buddy is a charismatic car salesman who can sell anyone on anything and, always gets what he wants. I would assume both men are supposed to be dicks at the start of the film, as this would allow them to grow into better people by the end, but the level of dickery is not equal. Yes, Devito’s Hall might have his nastier moments but, compared to the black hole of fun that is Broderick’s Steve Finch he is basically Santa Claus.

That was a major issue I had with the film, in many scenes where you’re are supposed to root for Finch and, hope he wins against Hall you don’t, Hall is so much easier to root for. Devito actually manages to make the audience smile a few times in this dumpster fire, unlike Broderick who has all the charm of a brick. If roles were reversed and, Devito’s Hall was the main protagonist we were all rooting for then the roles would be much better suited.

Overall this is a godawful Christmas film and, one that doesn’t age well either. Definitely keep away from this over the Christmas period, even the Internets sweetheart Danny Devito can’t save this. If it was a choice between catching a showing of this or, catching the plague I would probably pick the plague.

1/5 (Only Because Of For Devito)

Reviewed by Luke

Fred Claus: A Tale Of Two Brothers

‘Fred Claus’ is a fantasy comedy-adventure film about the older Brother of Santa Claus Fred, (Vince Vaughn), naturally, as someone who grew up in the shadow of an older sibling could tell you this lead to Fred having a strained relationship with his brother as well as the season he represents. Then one day after a series of bad events for Fred, he is forced to go to the North Pole to see his brother; and in a twist, no one could see coming save Christmas.

Now I want to get this out of the way here; this film does feature Kevin Spacey, he is not featured prominently, but he does appear mainly to act as a villain of sorts. His involvement does tarnish the enjoyability of this film; it has to be said.

That said on to more happy topics, the performances of Fred and Nicholas AKA Santa Claus, (Paul Giamatti), are both very good. Giamatti’s Nicholas gives off the sense that he wants to make everyone in the world happy but, he doesn’t realise when this want actually makes other people unhappy, this social blindness in a sense, really helps to humanise Santa Claus, who is by most accounts an all-round perfect being.

What’s More, Fred comes across as an annoying dick but, he is supposed to be, and as the film goes on and, you get to see more and more inside this head; you realise that he is a deeply sad individual, he is someone who has realised very early on that they are never going to measure up and, because of this has stopped trying to. The more we see Fred grow as a person, the more we as an audience care about him.

Another feather in this film’s cap is how well it captures and, depicts the relationship between brothers. They fight, they even hate each other at times, but deep down no matter what they love each other and, are always going to be there for one another. This is reflected extremely well at the moment when the two brothers make up and, Fred takes up the mantle of Santa Claus for the night and, the brothers share a scene, the emotion is spot on.

My one big issue with ‘Fred Claus’ other than the one mentioned before is that it wastes it supporting cast, said cast has talented actors like Rachel Weisz, Elizabeth Banks and, Kathy Bates amongst its ranks but, it gives them precious little to do other than drive a few subplots; which to me feels like a waste.

Overall all this film has heart, it captures the familial feeling between brothers very well and, what is more, important than family on Christmas? The wasted cast let this film down a ways but, it is still worth a watch.

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

A Christmas Prince, The Royal Wedding: Is It A Nice Day For A White Wedding?

‘A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding’ is a Christmas romantic comedy film that serves a continuation of the Christmas Prince saga, carrying on directly from the first film. The plot this time around focuses on yes you guessed it a Royal Wedding, as well as an embezzlement scheme; because why not I guess.

For me, this is a weaker film than the first in many regards, mainly in terms of plot. The first film knew what it was, a romantic comedy, the main event of the narrative was Amber, (Rose Mciver) and Prince Richard, (Ben Lamb), getting together; yes there was the subplot of Richard being adopted and, him having a will they won’t they sort of relationship with the crown but, at the end of the day, these were never more than subplots, dressing to go along with the main romantic journey.

However, this time around the titular Royal Wedding seems to be an afterthought, the two main plots of this film are that Amber doesn’t feel like she belongs in the Royal Family, yes I know can it get any more cliched, and the other being that King Richards’ economy-boosting initiative is failing and, they have to find out why. My issue with this is that both of these plotlines take up the majority of the film and, one is boring and, the other annoying; they both feel like filler, almost as though they didn’t have the budget to shoot a Royal Wedding sequence.

The Amber doesn’t fit in storyline and, her feeling like she is losing control of her own wedding has been done to death and, is completely unoriginal. Not only this but, it turns Mrs Averill,(Sarah Douglas), from a passive background character to almost a loathsome sub antagonist, which would be a bold move if you actually cared about the character but, you don’t. Moreover, these films like to flip flop when it comes to her character because sometimes she is supposed to be likeable other times she is the bain of everyone’s life this tonal split personality is present in all the films but, especially here. The other plotline about the embezzlement can be summed up in two words, boring and predictable.

Finally yes the they know they’re trash tone of the previous film is still here and, everything still looks just as cheap, but the charm just isn’t here. This is no longer something easy to watch when you’re hungover something to turn your brain off to; it is simply boring and, drab.

Overall this is a step back in many different ways for the ‘A Christmas Prince’ franchise as it is a film to bogged down in all its different plot threads to ever be entertaining.

2.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Elf: The Best Way To Spread Christmas Cheer

‘Elf’ is a Christmas Comedy film that follows Buddy, (Will Ferrell), a human who was raised as an Elf at the North Pole, one day Buddy starts to question why he doesn’t look like everyone else and, find out that he is adopted; after learning this he quests to New York City to find his biological father and, a place to belong.

‘Elf’ is a lot of people’s favourite Christmas film and, the reason for this is because of how sweet it is to see this pure soul, Buddy, who isn’t bogged down by any of the pressures of modern life and, is just a jolly person who wants to make other people happy and, spread Christmas cheer. This film definitely came out when Ferrell was at his comedic peak, at this point in time all of his films were hits and, guaranteed to be good for at least a chuckle or two. Ferrell plays Buddy with all the innocence and, sweetness of a kid unwrapping their presents on Christmas morning; which is incredibly endearing to see, he definitely nails the tone of this film.

This film talks a lot about the meaning of the season and, the love of family. To this extent, it is heartbreaking when we see Buddy’s dad Walter Hobbs, (James Caan), reject him but, it is a cheer-worthy moment when Walter changes his mean and cold ways, and realises the power of family. Seeing Buddy, who is effectively a child, interact with his dad and his step mum is very sweet, it doesn’t come across in the same way Billy Madison does when it almost feels mean spirited.

My one issue with this film is that Buddy’s relationship with Jovie, (Zoey Deschanel), can feel a bit icky at times. Jovie works alongside Buddy in the department store and, they form a bond together. A lot of the scenes the two share are happy and, nice but, there are a few mainly the shower scene that feels a bit uncomfortable. What I mean by this is if we ignore the fact that Buddy has the mentality of a child and, view it for what it is a grown man hanging around the showers as a young woman sings it just feels off. Whatsmore the fact that we are supposed to think this scene is endearing and, wholesome makes it far worse. However, on the whole, their relationship is cute.

To conclude this a very good-natured film and, it will definitely make you smile if not laugh out loud, Ferrell and, Deschanel both to a good job; this should be on your Christmas viewing list.

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

Johnny English: Bean Meets Bond

‘Johnny English’ is a spy action comedy film, the plot revolves around a bumbling super-spy Johnny English, (Rowan Atkinson), as he tries to stop the nefarious plot of a french mastermind Pascal Sauvage, (John Malkovich), and retrieve the crown jewels.

The reason why ‘Johnny English’ works so well is because it is such an excellent spoof of the British national treasure, James Bond, this parody works in every respect. It makes a joke out of everything the gadgets, the girls and of course the spy himself all of which bring genuinely good laughs. This film is one of the funniest I’ve seen in a long time and, it has a lot of moments that don’t simply make you smile but, rather they make you laugh out loud.

A lot of this is due to Rowan Atkinson his comedic delivery is always on point and, he plays someone playing at being a suave charismatic spy well. There is also a vulnerability to English that Atkinson captures extremely well we know that he knows he’s a rubbish spy deep down, but that he is trying his best and, that is what makes him so loveable. He is the underdog hero that we all want to see succeed.

The actual events of the film are all entertaining to watch they expertly capture the wacky over the top plots that some of the later Bond films, before Craig, suffered from; this is shown as Suave’s evil plan is to turn all of Britain into a huge prison. There is also some decent tension built across the film as there are moments where it looks like it’s all over for English and, we can’t help but feel sad at these times.

The one element of the parody that ‘Johnny English’ doesn’t do so well is its spoof of the Bond girl trope. Natalie Imbruglia plays Lorna Campbell an Interpol agent; who gets roped into Johnny’s manic craziness. Until writing this review I genuinely didn’t know what the character was called. Rather than be given something to do, or maybe even reject English, which would be a great spoof of how Bond always gets the girl, Campbell instead follows the same characterisation of a lot of the past Bond girls given the paper-thin development of also being a spy while actually just being a romantic interest destined to end up on Johnny’s arm.

Despite this dated depiction, this film is still an incredibly entertaining spy spoof film and, a must-watch. Perfect for over the holidays viewing.

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Miracle on 34th Street: The Reason For The Season?

‘Miracle on 34th Street’ is a Christmas comedy drama about the time when Santa Claus himself started working in a department store all goes well until the Macy’s psychologist Granville Sawyer, (Porter Hall), takes old Kris Kringle to court, believing him to be delusional and, wanting to see him locked away.

A ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ is a Christmas classic it is in known throughout the world for being the embodiment of the Christmas spirit with it being almost synonymous with the season itself. It has been remade and reimagined but, nothing is as good as the 1947 original.

The reason why this film is so well regarded at least by me is its excellent performances. This is perfectly captured by Edmund Gwenn as Father Christmas himself, he is so lovable and warm and, his performance reflects this even down to the last detail. The moment when he converses with the little Dutch girl in her own language is touching. There is such a good nature to this film it is almost palpable.

The courtroom scene in the films third act is a fantastic sequence, as Kris has become so ingrained in our hearts by this point in the film the idea of him becoming institutionalised devastates us. Each development in the case has us more and, more on edge as we want to see him a freeman. Also, Hall does a great job as the villainous Sawyer, he is a villain you love to hate and, he epitomises everything wrong with the season.

The best thing with this film is its message it shows the reason for the season and, just how far a little bit of Christmas magic can go.
This is shown through the transformation of the leading lady Doris Walker, (Maureen O’ Hara), who goes from a Christmas cynic to fully believing Kris is who we says he is, even going so far as to tell her daughter to believe in him.

Another key component of this film is its romance the love story between Doris and, Fred, (John Payne), is sweet and well done. Their journey from strangers to friends to a couple is perfect and, you really see how much they care for each other which is endearing. The romance as well as the film as a whole can’t help but make you smile.

Overall ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ is a rare kind of film the kind of film that perfectly captures a season or a holiday in this case. This film is the definition of the reason for the season and, is by far a must watch this holiday season. Does this film show that we need to return to an old sort of Christmas before it became so commercialised? You watch and, decide for yourself.

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

Ghostbusters: Who You Gonna Call?

Ghostbusters is a fantasy comedy film by Ivan Reitman, starring Bill Murry, Dan Aykroyd and, Harold Ramis as a group of scientists who not only believe in ghosts but, want to catch them. They form the Ghostbusters.

The 1984 Ghostbusters film will always be very important to me; it was a film that I had on a lot when I was a kid and, it and its sequel were among the films that got me into the medium in the first place. There is such a loveable B movie charm to this film that makes it hard not to become enamoured with it. It is very like its contemporary Gremlins in that regard.

The original Ghostbusters has to be regarded as an icon of cinema as a whole as well as for the horror genre and, what would become the nostalgic 80’s genre. A lot of this praise comes as a result of the fact that this is a film that is firing on all cylinders, the acting, the effects, the tight script; all of it leads to a hell of a film.

The leading trio are all fantastic and, all have a very specific role to play, Bill Murray, of course, steals the show a bit from Aykroyd and, Ramis but, this is to be expected as Murray is front and centre the whole film. Murray is on top form here being effortlessly charming and, witty, his rivalry with Walter Peck, (William Atherton) is wonderful as Peck is a villain you love to hate and, the film always has Murray’s Venkman get the last laugh, usually with an excellent quip, which is hilarious to watch. Sigourney Weaver is also superb in this film as Dana Barrett doing a lot with very little and, making for a very memorable character; her whole performance after becoming possessed by Zuul is exactly what you would want out of a cheesy 80’s horror-comedy.

The ghosts themselves posses a duality being both fun and, loveable, here’s looking at you Slimmer, but also menacing. The Library Ghost and Zuul and, his heralds are all quite scary and, do give off a very palpable sense of dread when they are around. This tonal tightrope walk between silly and, scary is something this film does very well and, is something you don’t see much anymore as most films either go one way or, the other; even with modern horror comedies a lot of the time.

Overall this is a timeless classic good for all times of the year and, a must-watch. The sequel ‘Ghostbuster 2’ is also very good but, I never thought this film needed to become a franchise and, I think the apathy towards recent sequels proves that; I’m hoping Afterlife proves me wrong.

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

A Christmas Prince: Who Needs Kate and Will?

‘A Christmas Prince’ is a Christmas set rom-com the plot revolves around journalist Amber, (Rose Mciver), as she is sent to the fictional country of Aldovia to cover the coronation of the new King, Prince Richard. While there she starts posing as the princesses nanny, all in the hopes of finding some juicy gossip, but in a rather predictable turn, she starts to develop strong feelings for the King to be.

The romance is wholesome and, sweet yet exactly what you would expect; they grow more fond of each other, then it is revealed that Amber isn’t who she says she is and, finally there is a big romantic gesture at the end, all very formulaic and, as you would expect. These Christmas Prince films almost feel more like a made for TV sort of films and, that is more than half the charm. The plot is laughably predictable, the set and, costume design all look very cheap and, the drama almost feels straight out of a reality show, but rather than have these things be a bad thing ‘A Christmas Prince’ is very aware of what it is; it knows it is a trashy made for TV film that most people will watch when they are hungover and, it seems proud of it.

The monarchy of Aldovia seems more than a little inspired by the British monarchy over the years it surprises me to say this but, of Netflix’s two properties that feature a monarchy, the other being the Crown I like this one more. The monarchy of Aldovia can have a laugh at their own expense, treating the whole idea in a very tongue in cheek way.

Rose Mciver does the best she can with a very limited script; her Amber is very down to earth and, likeable and, she makes some great points about monarchies in the modern age. The rest of the performances are all serviceable, nothing to write home about, but they aren’t the worst performances either.

‘A Christmas Prince’ also expertly sets up the wider Netflix shared universe, the most unknown of the shared universes, which features the likes of ‘The Princess Switch’ and, to a lesser degree ‘The Knight Before Christmas’ as well as the flood of ‘Christmas Prince’ sequels. These films all tie together in a very nice subtle way, even going so far as to point out and become meta, that they are in fact films in ‘The Princess Switch’.

Overall these films are trashy Christmas set rom-coms and, they know that they’re good junk food to watch over the holidays and so I would say by all means check them out.

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Nativity 2: A True Testament To David Tennant’s Acting Abilities

‘Nativity 2: Danger In The Manger’ is a British comedy Christmas film and, is the second film in the Nativity series. The plot this time around focuses on the children of St Bernadette’s as they enter the ‘A Song For Christmas’ competition, for the chance to have their song be a Christmas number 1. This time around the class is lead by anxious teacher Donald Peterson, (David Tennant), taking over from Mr Maddens, (Martin Freeman), and his character arc revolves around becoming comfortable being a father and, beating his twin brother at ‘A Song For Christmas’.

Nativity 2 is better than the first film, make no mistake these are still very average films, they’re both good films to turn your brain off and, zone out to, or to have on in the background while you are tiding; for a bit of holiday cheer. The thing that makes ‘Danger In The Manger’ better than the first film is that it throws all logic out of the window, very early on. The first film had fantastical suspend your disbelief moments, but by and large, it tried to maintain a sense of realism, that under the right albeit extreme circumstances that these things could happen in real life.

However, this approach was a crutch and, one that was holding the film back, by completely letting go and, giving in to the insanity and, the inherent obscured nature of the premise this film can give us both barrels; throwing everything at us and, not worrying about if it makes sense or, being coherent.

This new approach also helps to make Mr Poppy, (Marc Wootton), more bearable. Now for anyone who has read my review of the previous film, you will know that Mr Poppy was one of the major downsides for me, he makes the film loses any sense of adult appeal and, made it feel as though it was solely aimed at kids. This time around Wootton is better, not because he has given any better of a performance because believe me he doesn’t but, because the film knows how to use him better; or at least in a less grating way.
He is given less of the limelight which greatly helps and, his back and forth with Tennant is far, far better than it ever was with Freeman.

David Tennant for me makes this film he easily gives the best performance and, puts everyone else to shame. He manages to play both the loveable well-intentioned teacher as well as the evil sibling/ strict teacher effortlessly. He truly is a credit to this film.

To conclude ‘Nativity 2: Danger In The Manger’ is better for letting go of any notion of sense or, logic and Tennant as always elevates the film far beyond anything the script or, other performances can do. There are also some more cute songs, but you knew there would be going in.

3/5

Reviewed by Luke