Very well executed

Good start, but then it gets ruined

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

"Krampus" is an American 95-minute movie from 2015 and if you have heard the name Krampus before and remember the reference, then maybe you will know that here we have a combination of Christmas and horror, in which the scary component, however, is far more dominant than the harmonic component. The director is Michael Dougherty and he is also one of the many writers working on this one. The most known cast members here are certainly Oscar nominee Toni Collette and Adam Scott from Parks and Recreation. I cannot deny that I am not a fan of the latter at all, also in this film, but it needs to be said in his excuse that honestly the material he and most of the other cast members were given here is never that amazing at all. There are also several child performers in here, who are probably not known to many and for me personally, that also includes the kid in the center of the story. The character of Krampus was included in many other horror films already, but this has to be among his most famous inclusion, probably even the number one. We see him in all kinds of shapes and costumes here and my favorite was probably the harlequin skin if you may want to call it like that. But besides that, I also felt sadly that most of the movie was really forgettable. The general idea about the summoning and the background story of the creature not only never had me on the edge of the seat, but never impressed me at all. It's pretty tough to find huge pros in here. I think the runtime was not (way) too long. The ending when it actually seems they kill the boy was bold and unexpected, but sadly they made up for that kind of quality quickly afterward by including a stupid "oh it was all just a dream" story line. I also did not find this one worth seeing from the Christmas film perspective. The only ones I'd really recommend it to are probably those who really really are into supernatural creature horror films although they probably have seen it anyway already. The ending indicates that there may be plans for a sequel (or prequel), but we will see about that. I am not sure if quality, critical reception and especially box office were successful enough for them to really go for it. All in all, my personal verdict here is rather on the negative side too. Gotta give this one a thumbs-down and it is clearly superior to some recent fairly decent horror films I've seen in previous months. My suggestion is you watch something else as this one clearly tries to include effects (even animation in flashback sequences) to make up for story-telling deficits. It's not worth your time.

No, it's not 7 as in compared to other movie greats, but I do think it safely earns an entertainment value of a 7 compared to other Christmas themed movies. While there are definitely obvious plot flaws, the flick has enough drama/plot twists to keep it interesting in order to say - "gosh, what the heck happens now?" This is a dash of National Lampoon's Christmas with a bigger serving of Gremlins. And if you remember Gremlins or care to watch it again, you can spot plenty of plot flaws in that flick too, but it went on to be a Christmas classic. I can point out plenty of opportunities where Krampus could have been directed better, but, hey I enjoyed it, it kept my attention to the end, and I can not say that for about 75% of movies I have seen in recent years. I am guaranteed to zone out from watching poorly acted or badly directed movies. For the most part, the acting was excellent - except for the dad, who was not well cast. I know I'll be watching this on occasion at Christmastime especially if ever there's a good snowstorm brewing!

Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, have always been my favorite holidays. In addition to great food, and family time, it is also a time when filmophiles can guiltlessly gorge on a panoply of holiday films. Truthfully, not all holiday cinema is great, but Michael Dougherty's Krampus hits on all cylinders, beginning with the sentimental, passing on to humorously engaging, and carefully rising up to terrific horror. Dougherty's previous Halloween movie, Trick 'r Treat, had quickly become one of my favorite films, not only thematically, but because there was so much attention to detail. Krampus shares the same painstaking, beautifully filmed scenes so reminiscent of the late and wonderful writer/director John Hughes (Home Alone, Uncle Buck, Planes, Trains and Automobiles). And it is this very detailed focus that skillfully draws you into the film, locking you into the story and its various characters. Dougherty's vision of Krampus blends some of the darker Austrian and German supernatural fables with our more contemporary idea of a delightful Coca Cola Santa Claus. But Krampus isn't here to reward good children, indeed, he's arrived to punish the naughty ones. As in Trick 'r Treat, Dougherty has assembled a stellar cast, and an accomplished team to bring Krampus to life. And it is so much more than a "slasher" flick. Krampus glows in its own horrific nature, an embodiment of all that is good and bad when families get together to celebrate the holidays.To reveal anymore of this wonderful film would spoil the fun you'll have watching it for the first time. Rent the DVD or BR and enjoy the beautiful photography, the perfect cast, the great soundtrack, and above all, know that this is surely just the beginning of Michael Dougherty's amazing career as a filmmaker. Michael, if you're reading this, PLEASE don't make us wait too long for Trick 'r Treat 2, OK?

It's awesome! It has an Evil Dead 1 vibe to it; horror taking itself too seriously. So yeah, it's utterly ridiculous of course. I love it! "Must be an elk... or a goat..." Uhu :P Yep, bad horror as bad horror is supposed to be. But now with a German grandma for extra story points. And a Home Alone like annoying family because of course you need one in a Christmas film.