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

Inside Out: A Peak Into The Mind Of A Child

‘Inside Out’ is an animated comedy-drama film, focusing on a young girl Riley, (Kaitlyn Dias), who moves away from all she knows and, ends up in a scary new land. The story is mostly told through the point of view of Riley’s emotions, who are all characters in their own right. The drama of the film comes when Joy, (Amy Poehler), and Sadness, (Phyllis Smith), lose Riley’s core memories, the memories that make her who she is, and, so have to go on a quest to get them back; going through everything from Imagination Land to Long Term Memory.

My issue with ‘Inside Out’ and, a lot of these sort of animated films is that they feel manipulative, by that I mean it feels as though they are designed to make you cry and, have a response; not to tell a story or, be entertaining, instead to pull on your heartstrings. Some moments do this well, tastefully, and had me tearing up a bit but, other moments felt so forced and, disingenuous that it left a bad taste in my mouth and, soured me on the film.

My other issue with the film is that Joy as a character is incredibly annoying. I understand that her character arc is supposed to be she thinks her way is the right and, the only way, which she then learns by the end of the film isn’t always correct, but in going through this arc she is just insufferable. Joy constantly forces her way on every single one of the other characters even when it is painfully clear to see she is wrong she goes on and, on and a lot of the time is actually quite unpleasant to the other characters. This isn’t the first film to feature an unlikable protagonist, but it is the first where I have actively wanted to turn it off because of it.

The one thing I will give ‘Inside Out’ credit for is that it captures what it is like having to face a change in your life really well. The filmmakers consulted with psychologists while making this film to try and, get Riley’s response just right and, you know what it works it works really well. All of the stages and, shifts in Riley’s emotions are very relatable and, easy to recognise from my own life.

Overall I think ‘Inside Out’ is deeply, deeply overrated, especially if you consider it won an Oscar, the plot often feels like it is trying too hard to make you feel something and, Joy as a character is unbearable from the moment she comes on screen. For anyone doing a Pixar films ranked list this belongs at the middling to the bottom end of it.

2.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Shrek Forever After: My Kind Of Fairytale

‘Shrek Forever After’ is an animated comedy film serving as both a concluding chapter in the Shrek franchise as well as a sequel to ‘Shrek 3’. The plot revolves around everyone’s favourite angry green ogre Shrek, (Mike Myers), who after the events of ‘Shrek 3’ has become a family man however, there is a part of him that yearns to be the feared ogre he once was again. Rumpelstiltskin, (Walt Dohrn), the villain this time around, tricks Shrek into signing a contract that would allow him to return to his glory days but, at a terrible cost.

The Shrek franchise is legendary not just for its films but, for its effect on the animated movie industry, the first Shrek film ripped up the rule book on fairy tale stories and, wrote something entirely new that took pop culture by storm. ‘Shrek’ and ‘Shrek 2’ were masterpieces in their own right they captured the idea of wanting to be someone else, but over time learning to love yourself as you are so so well this is what made a lot of people like them. Then ‘Shrek 3’ came out and, though I liked it personally a lot of people didn’t, a lot of people though the franchise should have ended after 2, so it could have gone out on a highnote; not being milked for all it was worth.

To those people, I say, “you want to check out ‘Shrek 4”, not only isn’t it a cynical corporate sellout, it arguably has the most soul of any of the films in the series. The plot of this film highlights how we all grow and, change as people as we get older, no doubt a nod to the audience that has grown up watching these films. As well as this ‘Forever After’ see the most character development for Shrek himself since the second film, Shrek realise the value of family and, what his life is without it; the choice to have true loves kiss not work the first time around is genius as it put Shrek in a real sense of danger, as well as uncharted territory narratively.

Also, this film finally gives Fiona, (Cameron Diaz), something to do, the other films had flirted with this idea in the past but, had mostly sidelined her character. It is nice to see her leading the resistance against Rumpelstiltskin as it finally gives her a purpose as a character beyond being a wife and mother and, occasional sidekick to Shrek.

‘Shrek Forever After’ lets the series go out on a high note, it has heart and, a much-needed message. A lot of people tuned out after ‘Shrek 3’ and, didn’t give this a chance but, that is a real tragedy, as this is a great instalment in the series and, one of the best-animated films of all time. I can’t wait for Shrek 5.

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

Klaus: Claus As You Have Never Seen Him Before

‘Klaus’ is an animated Christmas comedy film the plot follows a postman, the worst at the academy, called Jesper, (Jason Schwartzman, who is tasked with setting up a post office in Smeernsburg, a northern settlement that is torn between two rival families. While there Jesper befriends a reclusive old toymaker Klaus, (J.K Simmons), and the two of them join forces to try and, bring happiness to the children of the town.

The thing that this film does the best is its reinvention of the Santa Claus, or Father Christmas mythology. All of the traditional aspects are there the sleigh, the reindeer, the going to every house in one night, but they are all done in a new way. ‘Klaus’ explains away all the fantastical elements of Santa Claus, in fun and inventive ways. What the film does with the Mrs Claus character is not only touching and, sweet but, also helps to give Klaus as a character better motivation and serves to drive the plot forward.

Another thing I like about ‘Klaus’ is the friendship between Jesper and Margu, (Neda Margrethe Labba), a local Sami girl, the friendship between the two is deeply endearing and, it is nice to see The Sami community get more representation in film.

The animation style of ‘Klaus’ is beautiful as well, each scene seems like a painting, with vivid use of colour to a masterful degree. It is easily the best looking animated film I have seen all year, even surpassing the animation master class of last year’s ‘Into The Spiderverse’. The town of Smeernsburg is stunningly realised it has a distinctive look showcasing the slight beauty than can be found in a nightmarish hellscape. The character models are also really well done, Klaus himself has the gentle giant look down to a tee, and the members of the rival families are all very uniquely drawn each having a distinctive look.

The voice cast are all giving it their all, Schwartzman perfectly expresses Jesper’s character arc: as he goes from spoiled stuck up rich kid to a responsible caring young man, who genuinely cares about the kids he and Klaus are helping. J.K Simmons gives a reserved and, measured approach to Klaus himself, showcasing a man who is dealing with grief and, finding a way to carry one. Klaus may only say a few words throughout the runtime of the film, but he gives off so much emotion, and a lot of that is through the animation, that he doesn’t need to, easily becoming the highlight of the film.

Overall ‘Klaus’ is a thoughtful reinvention of the Santa Claus mythology, it has a good heart and, wears it on its sleeve. It is a testament to the power of animation and, a new Christmas classic. A must watch.

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Polar Express: Catching The Midnight Express

‘The Polar Express’ is an animated adventure film, the plot follows a young boy named Hero Boy, (Daryl Sabara) who takes a trip onboard the Polar Express, a special train that takes children to see Santa Clause at the North Pole.

Rewatching ‘The Polar Express’ had the opposite effect on me that rewatching The Nightmare Before Christmas did, by that I mean when I originally watched ‘The Polar Express’ when I was a kid I thought it was horrifying, more on that later, but when I watched it again recently I found it to be quite the enjoyable romp.

The reason I thought it was terrifying as a kid is that the facial animation is off, I don’t know if that was by design or if the technology wasn’t there, but the faces of all the characters in the film have moments where they look like something found in the worst part of the uncanny valley. Upon rewatching it in 2019, I found it wasn’t as bad as I remembered it being however, it still remains an issue with the film.

One of the things that I like the most about this film is that despite being a happy children’s film, it has dark moments; a lot of these moments aren’t obvious, but when you think about them for a second you realise just what the film is implying. The story of ‘The Polar Express’ is it’s the biggest asset as it works on multiple levels it works as a Christmas film, with the usual message of all you need to do is believe and, the spirit of Christmas. It also works really well as an adventure film, the world and, the characters are all very well-formed, they’re both dense and detailed. The mythology of the train itself is fascinating as well and, all the sequences that feature it prominently are excellent.

The main reason why these sequences are excellent is a stellar performance by Tom Hanks. This is very much Tom Hank’s film, he plays Hero Boy’s dad, the Conductor of the Polar Express, The Hobo that gives Hero Boy advice, Santa Clause, The Scrouge Puppet and, the Narrator; as well as doing motion capture for Hero Boy. As a result of this long list of performances, this film was going to live or die based on Hank’s ability to make all of these characters feel not only real but, different from one another; he does this rather magnificently. At no point in the film do you think oh that’s Tom Hanks and, that’s Tom Hanks again you see these different characters and, you know they’re distinct and, different despite all looking facially like Hanks.

To conclude ‘The Polar Express’ is a wonderful Christmas film that has a great sense of imagination, this is boosted nicely by Hanks’ multilayered performance and, a wonderful message as well. A Christmas must watch.

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Nightmare Before Christmas: Nightmare Indeed!

‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ is a stop-motion animated musical dark fantasy film, the plot follows The Pumpkin King himself Jack Skellington as he grows tired of his role as King and yearns for something different; then after a trip to Christmas town decides that he wants to spread joy rather than chills and, scares.

‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ is a film I remember being enamoured with when I was a kid, however, revisiting it ten years later I found it was not in any way how I remembered it; very much in a bad way. Yes in this review I will be saying why I don’t like ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’, which to some is Christmas heresy.

Before I get to that though I want to talk about the stop-motion animation, which is of course wonderfully unique and, very nice to see; as there really aren’t many films like this anymore. The character models, however, are off-putting, I understand that is the point to some extent, but other than Jack, (Chris Sarandon) and, Sally, (Catherine O’ Hara) I found a lot of the other characters very hard to look at for long periods.

Despite not being directed by Tim Burton this is very much one of his films, the style and, the characters are all very much the same if you have ever seen something like Beetlejuice or, for an animated example the Corpse Bride then you know what you’re getting. After watching this film and, thinking back to Burton’s other works I have come away with the conclusion that as a filmmaker he is very hit or miss you either love his style or, you hate it.

The other thing I strongly dislike about this film is the constant singing, yes I know it’s a musical, it seems like every 5 seconds they are bursting into song. I like the odd musical here and there, they are not my genre for sure, but where I think something like Frozen, which is also a musical, gets right is that it uses its songs sparingly which makes them memorable. Whereas ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ seems to operate by a policy of how many songs can I fit into the runtime of this film.

The songs themselves are all fine, with a few standouts amongst them, but I found many of the songs went on for too long and, negatively affected the pacing of the film, sometimes making me want to turn the film off as a result as I was quickly losing interest.

Ultimately this film did not live up to how I remembered it from my childhood, I found the characters off-putting, the constant singing annoying and, though there was some Burton charm to be found it was well hidden. I like the Corpse Bride more.

1.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Jingle All The Way: Those Are My Cookies, Bad Relations Between Neighbors

‘Jingle All The Way’ is a family comedy Christmas film, focusing on the battle to get a Turbo Man action figure for each of their child’s Christmas present, between two rival fathers; Howard, (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and, Myron, (Sinbad).

Jingle all the way surprised me in a lot of ways, mainly that Schwarzenegger lends himself well to comedy, before this point he was mainly seen as a serious macho action hero, so seeing him play against type and, play a bumbling but, well-intentioned suburban dad was interesting. He also does really well in this role being charming and, relatable; it is a strange duality as he plays the lovable misguided father well, but also the campy super dad/ superhero which makes for a larger than life performances.

Another surprising thing about this film is its plot, which often veers into strange and, wacky territory. In some ways, this film is almost like a live-action cartoon, a good example of this point would be there is a scene in the film where Sinbad’s character blows himself up with a postal bomb, you didn’t see that coming did you, but rather than have this be a serious bit of drama in the film it is played for laughs and, rather than be mangled from the blast Myron and, the other characters around him look like they have just been covered in soot. Though I suppose I am overthinking the plot of a children’s film.

‘Jingle All The Way’ also has an odd plotline where Howard’s neighbour Ted, (Phil Hartman), is trying to replace him and, steal his wife, this is a plotline the film keeps coming back to and, Ted is the real antagonist of the film. This is strange when you consider it is supposed to be about the rivalry between Howard and Myron and, the climax of the film is the fight between those two and, Ted is nowhere in sight. It almost feels like Sinbad’s Myron is bad into a secondary villain, as the plotline with Ted is constantly stressed over and, over again.

The climax of the film is basically a superhero showdown between Turbo Man, which is Howard dressed up and, Dementor, Turbo Man’s arch-enemy that Myron is dressed as; this is to me where I think the plot goes off the rails and, things happen without any real reason. Also, the CGI and visual effects during this sequence are horribly dated, but that adds to the campy fun.

Overall ‘Jingle All The Way’ could have been a very generic Christmas film, but by adding all these larger than life and, sometimes downright strange elements to the mix you have something truly memorable. Overall this film isn’t going to knock your socks off, but it is dumb campy fun.

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Nativity: Time For The Annual Christmas Play

‘Nativity’ is a British Christmas Comedy film the plot follows Paul Maddens, (Martin Freeman), a failed actor who has now become a teacher; the story details his struggle as he tries to upstage his drama school rival Gordon Shakespeare, (Jason Watkins), who is also now a teacher at a private school, the two men go to great lengths to see who can produce the best nativity play.

The cast reads like a who’s who of B and, C list British celebrities of the time, with many famous faces making an appearance. However, despite a lot of celebrity cameos, the cast is mostly wasted and, underused; Freeman is the only one who’s performance borders on okay. The worst offender is Mr Poppy, (Marc Wootton), he is dumb and, annoying a lot of the time having a lot of energy but not much charm or, charisma; his inclusion is meant to appeal to kids as his humour is on their level. Poppy becomes a much bigger part of the series, yes there is a series of ‘Nativity’ films, however Wootton’s performance is much better in these later instalments.

Freeman is the best performer here as he captures the down on his luck but, well-intentioned lead to great effect. When he realises how much the kids care about him and, want him to be happy there is a genuinely great emotional moment; which I challenge you to say didn’t bring a tear to your eye. You can tell that Mr Maddens does genuinely care about the children and, it is all thanks to Freeman’s performance.

The children of St Bernadette’s are all suitably cute and, endearing and they play off Freeman’s character well; the relationship between them and him really help with Paul’s character development helping to show him in a more sympathetic light.

In terms of Christmas films, this is nice and inoffensive if you’re not very discerning then this is a great switch your brain off and enjoy kind of film. The message is very wholesome and, festive and, it is very nice to see Paul get back together with his ex-girlfriend who left to go to Hollywood; it does appeal to my romantic heart.

Overall this is great holiday junk food: generating that feel-good quality that a lot of these sort of films have. The sequences set during the actual nativity performance are well done, the songs are catchy and, the whole thing itself will be very relatable to anyone who has ever been in a Christmas play before. Overall this is fine but, it is far far from a Christmas classic like Home Alone or, Gremlins.

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

Ps. More Christmas film reviews are incoming.

Home Alone: And So Christmas Begins

Home Alone is a comedy film and world-renown Christmas classic. The plot follows a young boy Kevin McCallister, (Macaulay Culkin), who is left Home Alone by his parents when they go away on a Christmas holiday; while being on his own Kevin is terrorised by a pair of burglars called the Wet Bandits. The film deals with themes of family and societal judgments.

For me, Home Alone one and two have become somewhat of a Christmas institution; every year I will gather around the television and, watch them. This is because the films are so heartwarming and sweet they are feel-good films in the truest sense; holiday junk food.

Culkin gives one of the best performances, for a child actor, ever, not only is he likeable and charismatic, but he is also funny. These first two Home Alone films wouldn’t be half as good as they are without Culkin in the lead; he brings so much youthful energy and, heart to these films and his role can not be understated.

Furthermore, the behind the scenes duo of two of the best 1980s directors, Chris Columbus and John Hughes, the director and producer respectively; really add to the film being what it is, memorable and quotable long after it was released, as well as add to the timeless nature of this film.

The villains of the piece the Wet Bandits are also a treat, Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern do a fantastic job, being able to be both menacing at times while also being funny and comical. In this regard, the final showdown between Kevin and the Bandits is a thing of beauty, yes this is where I am going to talk about the traps.
Once the Bandits break into Kevin’s house, they soon find out that he is far from a frightened little kid and, in a rather Jigsaw like way, has in fact designed a series of traps for them. The traps become a hallmark of the Home Alone series, with each entry using them as the centrepiece of the film. The traps are all incredibly entertaining to watch, and this is helped in no small part by Pesci and Stern’s great comedic timing and delivery.

My one issue with the first two films is that they include subplots whereby Kevin makes friends with someone he at first judges but, then by the third act realises that they are in fact alright. Both films do this and, to me, it comes across as a little repetitive and a little bit forced; I understand what the films were trying to do, but I personally could have done without it.

Overall A Christmas classic that holds up and is a must-see this time of year!

5/5

Reviewed by Luke