A Brilliant Conflict

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

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.

This movie is pretty good. Most TV movies don't impress me much, especially if they're holiday themed movies, most of the holiday xmas movies just seem so stupid and completely cheesy. I tend to avoid them as if they were the black plague. So I was really surprised by this movie. I rented it from Blockbuster but you can buy it from Amazon.com.I think what makes this movie work is that they have a good cast. Jenny McCarthy is taking better roles. I remember Ivan from that old show "Jack and Jill." He is so gorgeous. Anyway, I loved seeing him together with Jenny. Yes the story is familiar, but it was just done so well, that its worth watching. I'd buy it on DVD.

I no longer think of Playboy when I hear the name Jenny McCarthy. I now think of Autism, and good acting. She does a superb job in this charming and funny Christmas story.Santa (George Wendt) is having heart trouble and so mom (Lynne Griffin) calls Mary Class (she changed her name) home. Mary (McCarthy) is a successful workaholic that has always had a rough time with dad (WHO HASN'T?). She wants efficiency, while he stick to tradition.She also left a beau (Ivan Sergei) when she left home and has new boyfriend in the big city. You can imagine the problems there when the two meet.So you have family struggle on a grand scale, relationship problems and lots of comedy in a great Christmas movie.Also stars Kandyse McClure, who will be familiar to "Battlestar Galactica" fans, who creates a little heat of her own.

Mary (Jenny McCarthy) is a high powered businesswoman who runs her own marketing and business advice company. However, her roots are at the North Pole...yes, she's Santa's daughter. When Santa has some health problems, Mrs. Claus calls Mary in to help get everything ready for the Big Day that is fast approaching. Mary obliges. But, can Mary's successful business techniques really work for the spirited but mentally infantile elves? We'll see. In the meantime, Mary has found her long lost love, Luke (Ivan Sergei), to be still employed as the area's mailman. And, he's still a doll, both in looks and demeanor. Is a repeat romance far away? This is a great movie, both for children and their parents. The elves are quite comical and should garner laughs from the little ones. Kids should also enjoy the enchanting village where Santa and his elves do their work. For grownups, McCarthy, Wendt, and company slyly draw forth mirth with their antics, as well. As for Sergei, this viewer would watch him recite a cereal box cover, a la Gigli, but, fortunately, this is not necessary. He brings charm, sweetness, and presence to his delightful character, Luke. What girl COULD resist? Kudos to the production company that brought this film to light. As a holiday gift to a family audience, it just does not get much better or more welcome than this.

This is a highly predictable movie, but exceedingly sweet, as Jenny McCarthy, a demographics-driven marketing expert goes back to take over the family business -- the Santa Claus operations for daddy, of course -- and discovers the true meaning of Christmas. The jokes are a little weak as elves stop work every seventeen minutes for cookie breaks and Ms. McCarthy is a little strident.George Wendt is surprisingly good at producing a layered performance as Santa Claus. Everyone else falls into patterns that you would expect in a post-millennium movie in which Christmas is freed from all religious significance, but it has its moments and its charms.