We took a break from blogging for a few hectic weeks around Christmas and New Year’s, but are back to share how we spent some of our holiday season. Regular readers may remember that December is my month to dominate the watchlist with romantic comedies and other holiday schlock, helping me recover from Michelle’s horror filled October. This year didn’t have many stellar new releases but we searched diligently and found a few standouts. We also cleared a couple things off our Netflix backlog that had been hanging around for multiple years.

Before I get into my mini reviews I want to mention that I’ll look at a couple films based on how well they do or don’t follow the standard romantic comedy format (which I believe generally leads to a pleasant watching or reading experience). The main tropes I’ll be looking at are the “meet-cute” where our unexpected duo meet each other in a silly but adorable way, the third act break up where the couple (usually due to a misunderstanding) have a massive falling out near the end of the story just as we thought they were going to sail off on the love boat, and finally the recovery from that break up which proves to them and us that they are truly meant to be together. Screenwriters, it is hard to go wrong if you have two characters who spend most of the story bickering about their perceived differences/denying their love for each other as long as you put some thought into making those three plot beats interesting and fun to watch.

On to the films!

Our Little Secret

Summary: I’m not a huge fan of Lindsay Lohan but she didn’t ruin our first watch of the season. Two people who were in a relationship many years ago are now both going to their new partners’ homes for the holidays – and are about to find out they are dating siblings. They completely illogically decide to keep this fact a secret and screwball shenanigans ensue.

Verdict: I really didn’t like either of the main characters so it was hard to root for their success. There were some laughs but I can’t help but think the film could have been really special with a couple of script tweaks, specifically related to why the original break up happened.

A Kindhearted Christmas

Summary: a Hallmark style romance about a woman who is giving gifts anonymously around her town and the local television reporter who decides to pursue the story of Christmas kindness.

Verdict: This completely formulaic story succeeded in keeping us in the holiday spirit in the same way fruitcake does – it’s not our favorite treat but we definitely know what time of year it is when we see it on the table. The last minute break up is overblown and honestly could have just been left out altogether. There is also a bizarre scene mid movie in a film all about giving and holiday kindness where the reporter rents out a whole restaurant to take his new girlfriend on a date – there is no reason for this grand gesture and it felt at odds with the story, my guess is that the producers didn’t want to pay for extras.

Hot Frosty

Summary: A sexy snowman comes to life and learns about being human while also trying to melt the heart of the widow who inadvertently magicked him into the world.

Verdict: What an absolutely frustrating let down. Hot Frosty should have been excellent! Before I list my complaints I want to give a shout out to Craig Robinson who brought many laughs by hamming it up as the too serious local sheriff.

My thoughts, with some spoilers: Hot Frosty starts out with lots of heat as our sexy snowman comes to life and runs naked through the small town. Unfortunately other than an ill advised scene involving lecherous grandmothers, everything after the opening is completely icy. There is negative chemistry between the two main characters. The snowman logic is all over the place with the main component being a very sweaty main character who acts like a doofus most of the time. Speaking of acting foolish, most characters just accept the fact that Mr. Sexy is a snowman comes to life and immediately trust him implicitly to the point that he is working with junior high school children unsupervised three days after appearing in town.

Simple fixes: There are clear hints that this is a take on the classic Frosty the Snowman story. Frosty is born with innate wisdom, specifically about Christmas and the North Pole but this snowman has none of that, his only magic is that he can learn very quickly by watching television. Instead of working to put on a junior high dance the town should have had an adult winter dance which would have allowed SOME sparks to fly and avoided all the nonsense about Mr. Stranger being suddenly employed at a school.

We DIDN’T watch I Hate Christmas this year but considered it.

Explanation: This series is an Italian retelling of the Norwegian show Home For Christmas which we both thoroughly enjoyed. The plot of the two shows is essentially identical for the whole first season before they go completely different directions starting in their second seasons. We decided to give it another year or two hoping that we both forget the main plot points before diving into this other version. If you are looking for something fun I definitely recommend Home For Christmas.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Summary: When the long time matriarch of a town’s beloved Christmas Pageant breaks her legs a young mom steps in to run the show. Unfortunately for her the six siblings who bully and terrorize the other children manage to secure all the leading roles and set things on a course for disaster.

Verdict: This movie captured some of the spirit of the classic A Christmas Story and felt like it could have happened in the next town over. In addition to being a well told and amusing story I have to give props to the writers as they deftly interwove religion into the movie in a way that I think will leave most viewers complaint free. This movie was our clear winner this season.

Carry-On

Summary: A TSA agent is coerced into a terrorist plot on Christmas Eve.

Verdict: Netflix was clearly hoping for a Die Hard holiday action fest with this silly romp. I can definitely suspend my disbelief and enjoy dumb chases and fisticuffs – but this movie’s stupidity pushed well beyond my limit. Jason Bateman plays a villain which was interesting to watch, but if you want to see him in a dark role Ozark would be a better time investment.

A Storm For Christmas (Episodes 3-6)

Summary: A group of people are trapped by a storm in the Oslo airport as Christmas quickly approaches. Remember how I recommended the Norwegian show Home For Christmas above? This show takes almost every cast member from that show, recasts them into completely different roles, and serves up a very different viewing experience. The eccentric cast of characters starts out generally crabby as their lives bump against each other while stuck together. Will the spirit of Christmas help sort things out?

Verdict: The characters all feel like they are trying too hard to grab our attention with their quirky and overly dramatic behavior. The storylines are often predictable (but not always). We paused after watching the first two episodes last year as the curiosity of seeing a cast we had really loved in the other show wore off. Finishing it out this year felt a bit too much like a necessary chore.

Jack Whitehall: Christmas With My Father

Summary: Comedian Jack Whitehall goofs on his serious British father in this one hour stage show. There are a few special guests, some pre-recorded video bits, and a couple home videos thrown in to move things along.

Verdict: Jack annoys me and I think his “my dad isn’t woke and doesn’t know what that even means” schtick is lame. The highlight for me was definitely some of the old home videos of the family. I won’t be seeking out more of Whitehall’s comedy specials.

Robin Robin

Summary: A Robin raised by a family of mice thieves is having trouble being a good burglar no matter how mousey she tries to be.

Verdict: This short animated film was adorable, worth the watch and wholeheartedly recommended.

Last Holiday

Summary: A woman learns she only has a few weeks to live causing her to cash out and go on the holiday she has only ever dreamed about.

Verdict: This 2006 Queen Latifah movie was a real treat. Gérard Depardieu and L.L. Cool J both deliver in small roles but Latifah is definitely the star of the show. If, like us, you missed this movie when it came out and want a feel good show that guarantees a few laughs I highly recommend giving it a chance.

Dr Seuss’ The Grinch

Summary: An animated retelling of the classic Grinch story from 2018.

Verdict: Obviously you can’t fault the source material and this movie sticks to it without fail. Adorable animation, excellent voice acting, and a timeless story combine here to make a great family film.

Holiday Rush

Summary: An NYC DJ and widower is laid off just before Christmas and hustles to make Christmas special for his four extremely spoiled children.

Verdict: After a brief tease showing the main character DJing before being laid off there is a stark lack of music in this movie. I can’t decide if the child casting was excellent or horrible, they do such an amazing job of being irritating during most of the movie. Maybe the problem is that the children stand out because the adults are generally forgettable. The plot falls apart a bit in the middle as the villains try to stop the hero from opening a new radio station, everything feels goofy and unrealistic, but is presented as logical. This is a romantic comedy and I think it would have been improved by going back to the basic components of the genre (which are missing) and making the DJ part of the movie more than just window dressing. As it is, the best I can say is that it is tepid and inoffensive.

The Merry Gentlemen

Summary: A big city ballerina loses her dancing job and tries to save her parents’ small town music club by putting together a risqué all male dance revue.

Verdict: I have a hard time getting past the casting of Chad Michael Murray, even if he didn’t have this ridiculous haircut. It is convenient that our heroine can find adequate male dancers just strewn around her and that the town has an insatiable THIRST for topless men. The team goes above and beyond by not only putting together the show in just a few days but then changes up the act every night! Putting all the silliness aside I have to say that this movie follows the romantic comedy formula in a perfectly predictable, cookie cutter way.

One oddity about the script is this idea that her parents have rented the venue for 20+ years and just can’t keep up with expenses anymore. The parents seem like they were financially successful for a long time, the viewer wonders why they didn’t stop to think “we should invest in a building of our own” instead of having to constantly worry that their business will be pulled out from under them when Starbucks wants the space.

Single All the Way

Summary: Peter convinces his roommate and best friend Nick to come to his family’s holiday gathering and pretend like the two of them are dating to avoid being harassed for being single during the festivities.

Verdict: Charming and fun, this movie hit almost all the right notes. At worst you could say things are too saccharine and predictable – but then you probably aren’t a true fan of romantic comedies. Excellent casting includes Jennifer Coolidge absolutely hamming it up.

A Royal Date For Christmas

Summary: a Hallmark style romance about a woman who is giving gifts anonymously around her town owns a local clothing boutique and the local television reporter a European Duke whose luggage was lost while traveling to the United States.

Verdict: Pretty much the same as A Kind Hearted Christmas.

Bonus: Winnie Cooper.

Bridgerton Fireplace

Summary: Netflix has a bunch of HD fireplaces that you can put on to make a room feel cozy. This one even includes background chatter that you might hear in the Bridgerton Manor.

Verdict: Why are these only one hour? Why don’t they autoplay another fireplace after the first one ends? I honestly just left this on for the cats to enjoy and was jolted back into the room when Elf started blasting from the television since Netflix decided I was probably in the mood for a Christmas comedy after my relaxing hour of fake fire.

Over Christmas

Summary: A German three part miniseries about an out of luck musician who returns home from the big city only to discover that things aren’t so magical at home either.

Verdict: First – I LOVED the length of this. Some of these specials try to force 10 episodes out of a movie‘s worth of content. This story was zany and the characters interesting, everything pointed to a big win. Unfortunately the pacing was bizarre in a way which left this viewer frustrated. The fall happened with 20 minutes left in the third episode and it was one of the hardest falls I’ve ever seen in a romantic comedy. The break up should have been permanent and negatively affected almost every other character in the show. The recovery from the fall of our hero is underwhelming, I won’t spoil anything that actually happens but it’s equivalent to him killing his friend’s dog, then seeing the friend later in the day and saying “sorry dude, I was having a bad day when I killed your dog” and the friend responding “It’s no big deal man, let me help you make up with your girlfriend”. It didn’t work and really ruined the show for me.

A Nonsense Christmas With Sabrina Carpenter

Summary: Sabrina Carpenter hosts a traditional holiday special with a slew of special guests and musical performances.

Verdict: Who is Sabrina Carpenter? Who were all those special guests? When did I get so old? Why is the audience filled with tweens but the content is definitely R rated? Isn’t that a hobbit, and isn’t he also too old for this? Am I turning into a Grinch?

Ticket to Paradise

Summary: A long divorced couple flies to Bali and agrees to set aside their differences as they work to prevent their daughter from marrying a Balinese seaweed farmer.

Verdict: We ended our yearly Christmas viewing month with a not very Christmasy show. George Clooney and Julia Roberts looked like they were having a good time with this fun romantic romp. This movie followed the rom-com formula while delivering unexpected surprises and plenty of laughs. A fitting finale for a generally successful month of holiday viewings.