Too much of everything

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Blistering performances.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

This movie: WOW...Well to begin, I guess I should say that it wasn't actually half bad. It was just very different. In it we have Drake promising a little foster girl to give her and her family their best Christmas ever while he was momentarily distracted.Later, Drake throws a Christmas party that gets crashed by some guys who end up causing some commotion, even knocking a whole snack table over. Josh, after understandably calling the cops, ends up getting arrested by those same cops because they thought that he was the one causing trouble. Due to them not having any more money left because of Drake giving it to a fake lawyer for Josh, Drake tries to break josh out of prison because he can't help Mary Alice without him. After also getting caught and arrested, Drake calls Helen to defend them in their trial. The Judge concludes that, unless Drake and Josh want to go to jail for a very long time (in Josh's case for a crime he didn't commit), they must give Mary Alice and her foster family their best Christmas ever.So, after a whole bunch of chaos that wasn't honestly all THAT funny, Drake and Josh do end up giving the foster family their best Christmas ever.All in all, I thought the movie wasn't bad. But, it was not that great either. It seemed like an outdated, generic plot and didn't have that same Drake & Josh TV show spark that I loved. But there were those special moments like with Crazy Steve and a few chuckle-causing jokes that kind of made up a little bit for its shortcomings.If you were a fan of Drake & Josh, you may want to check this out to see what's going on with all of the old beloved characters. For everybody else, I'd probably steer clear or maybe catch it somewhere on a cable network.Verdict: It's Alright

Fifteen months after its departure from the Nickelodeon lineup, Drake and Josh returned to Television in 2008 for one final appearance. Merry Christmas, Drake and Josh is the last we'll probably ever see from the two instantly recognizable Nickelodeon stars, and this proves that maybe one final film wasn't wholly necessary.Drake and Josh ended in a very shaky way. There was a special called The Really Big Shrimp that was aired earlier than it should've been. It was intended to be the big finale of the show, but two episodes that had events that happened prior to the events in the special were aired shortly after. The final episode of the series was aired on September 16, 2007 closing the saga of one of Nickelodeon's last amusing show.I think Nickelodeon felt obligated to produce one final special for Drake and Josh because of the awkward way it ended. The result is a very different, very odd new show featuring the same cast but different everything else.Drake (Bell) and Josh (Peck) are still living together and still getting into trouble. After throwing an unwanted Christmas party on the roof of the theater Josh works at called The Premiere, Helen (Brown) forces them to work as a mall Santa and Santa's bag of gifts. Drake, who is in a Santa costume, gets the wish from a cute and innocent little girl named Mary Alice (Madison) that she wants "the best Christmas ever." Little does Drake know that he will have to give this girl "the best Christmas ever." Because everyone knows you can't break a Christmas promise. Not once, not ever.Due to a horrible mix up of indescribable circumstances, Josh is thrown in jail, Drake tries to bail him out, they both get caught, and then the judge (played by a person some might not expect) says that they need to deliver the same girl "the best Christmas ever" or they will have to go to jail.Mary Alice lives with a foster family compiled of the strangest kids imaginable. Well, I just saw The Sitter not too long ago, so I'll say these kids seem pretty greeting card-ish compared to the three in that film. They are twins Lily and Violet (played by the Goldstein sisters) who get into frequent fights, Zigfee (Gore) the most annoying of the bunch who can't speak a word of English, Trey (Wilson) who is goofy and off the wall with his creativity, and Luke (Graye) their guardian when the foster parent isn't around.This is without a doubt the oddest Drake and Josh spectacle I've seen, but for strange, almost unidentifiable reasons. I'm not sure everyone will be able to pick up exactly what they don't like, but if you're a die hard fan of the show you'll feel something isn't on par with the show. The laugh track is gone, the show has traded its sitcom style for a more cinematic, polished look, and the characters are all there but different. Josh hardly even resembles the chubby goof he once was and Drake seems uninspired with his character.Many believe the show was cancelled so Miranda Cosgrove, the boys' prankster sister Megan, could pursue her acting career in Nickelodeon's show iCarly. No official reason was given, but I suspect the boys are just getting too old. But this was one show I recall where the later episodes seemed more fun. The first season it seemed like Drake and Josh's characters wandered around in search of chemistry. They had some of it on The Amanda Show, but it wasn't shown so explicitly. Here, they are the center of attention, so the first season was more about the characters' adjustment to each other.Merry Christmas, Drake and Josh is cute, soft, and original, but lacks the true charm of the entire series. The characters have all changed in personalities and appearances, and the actors sometimes look like they are contemplating better things to do with their time. It's time to let this sleeping show lie. I admire the fact that there is the revival and am tickled everyone came back, but with better writing and maybe a little looser grip on the directing this could've been a more relaxed and enjoyable special.Starring: Drake Bell, Josh Peck, Miranda Cosgrove, Nancy Sullivan, Johnathan Goldstein, Jerry Trainor, Yvette Nicole Brown, Bailee Madison, David Pressman, Kimbo Slice, Daven Wilson, David Gore, and Camille and Cosette Goldstein. Directed by: Michael Grossman.

I'll be honest, I was pretty surprised and excited when I saw they were making a "Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh". We never really experienced a series finale, so they sort of ended the show in an odd way.To get the point, I'm not impressed. It just, it wasn't Drake & Josh! The directing and script just didn't have the same feel as the series. I wouldn't blame the mostly bad acting as much as I would blame the script. The story was just terrible to say the least.There was no Drake & Josh comedy that we were used to, unless you are 7 years old. I have friends that are 18+ and they got a kick out of the series, but it seemed they were aiming this to very little kids, yet at the same time throwing in bits and pieces that would make no sense to children.I don't want to give away any spoilers by fully explaining some of the characters, but I will say a majority of the actors were horrible actors. I know a lot of people will say, "But they were just kids", well so was Miranda and she was a fantastic actress.I don't know, maybe I'm a hater and I expect nothing but thumbs down, but I'm a long time Drake & Josh fan. I watched it from the start and never stopped, but "Merry Christmas, Drake and Josh" completely disappointed me.

i actually was surprised that i liked it that much. this was a very good movie, of course i am a big fan of drake bell, josh peck, Miranda Coscrove, and jerry trainer. the film was funny and just plain goofy. the film was by far one of the best Christmas movies that have come out in the last 5 years. it was fun to see the cast back together again. the film had its own spin on Christmas and the traditional Christmas songs, jingle bells and 12 days of Christmas. it was enjoyable family film. if you are a fan of drake and josh, you will love this film, same goes for if you are a fan of Christmas films. the film was totally kid appropriate. i think the film is definitely worth adding to your Christmas collection.