Truly Dreadful Film

The Worst Film Ever

A bit overrated, but still an amazing film

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

Tim Allen stars in three movies in which he must learn to be Santa Claus, and yet this John Grisham adaptation is the most ridiculous Christmas movie he's ever been in. The only thing that could've made this oppressively cynical outing work is some authenticity, of which it has exactly zero. Incompetently made, shockingly laughless, and devoid of self-awareness, it's completely lacking the goodwill, joy and peace of the season.

The story-line had potential. A couple decide to disavow Christmas, opting instead for a dream cruise. I didn't read the John Grisham book,but can only imagine how much fun and intriguing it would be to portray a story of denial and a break with this iconic tradition. Instead, Hollywood plunged into their seemingly endless trove of clichés,corniness, and "crappola" to serve up something so ridiculous it boggles the mind that people are actually (well) paid to produce this insult to the art of film making. Luther Krank (Tim Allen) decides on a whim to buy a cruise and skip Christmas. His wife Nora (Jamie Lee Curtis) hee haws for about 30 seconds (her inner conflict is irrelevant) before agreeing to go along with his plan. What ensues is a neighborhood and communal outrage (involving the police department no less) that is so juvenile and ludicrous that one has to wonder at what mentality this film is aiming at. Even if (and it is a big if) the story had managed some association with reality and character development, the acting (on all sides) is so void of any semblance of portraying a real person that there is really no reason to get involved with the hackneyed spectacle or even waste time on a more substantial review. I gave it a 3. (2 points are free, just because I like Christmas.)

In my review I discuss the general plot, but I try not to give away any specific events or spoilers. However, I marked the review as "containing" spoilers just in case my discussion of the plot details is too much for those wanting to watch "completely fresh."I had the feeling while watching this movie is that Luther Krank (Tim Allen) is supposed to be a version of Scrooge. In Dicken's classic novel, Scrooge is both the villain and protagonist. He is mean and you dislike him, but he learns a lesson and ultimately changes. However, unlike with Scrooge, I sympathized very strongly with Luther Krank. After years of celebrating Christmas with his daughter, all he wants to do is take a vacation with his wife now that she has grown up and moved away. But his neighbours and peers, who are some sort of weird cult-like Christmas version of the Stepford Wives, harass and bully him to no end. Therefore watching this movie I didn't want Luther Krank to change. I didn't want him to give in and bend to the wishes of his horrifically creepy and annoying neighbours (who should have been charged for trespassing and harassment). I completely recognized his right to be "selfish" and live his life for his own sake rather than the sake of his community who have no business interfering with his desires. I do not think it is a spoiler to say that, predictably, Luther Krank learns a lesson and changes his ways at the end of the movie. However it is the wrong lesson. In Christmas with the Kranks the bad-guys win. I think the movie might have been originally intended as a horror movie instead of a family Christmas movie, a theory supported by both the evil neighbourhood and the fact that Jamie Lee Curtis was cast as co- star. Perhaps if you watch it as such, it won't be so awful.

As it's an adaptation of a bestseller author, i suppose the book is well written and maybe more delivered that this movie. It's not that this movie is awful because it has some great original ideas but the comedy is just too heavy and badly played ! As the cast is all-star and with Colombus involvement, i suppose that the culprit should be the director ! Anyway, the story is interesting as it takes a bloody bit from holy X-mas and saints neighbors ! In fact, this Holiday is just a big commercial day and community means the erasing of individual liberty ! In addition, the production with cozy houses, great wardrobes and shining illuminations make the movie one of the most beautiful for this holiday !