Month: December 2019

Die Hard – 21st December

I watched this film recently on the big screen at my local cinema, The Ultimate Picture Palace in Oxford. I hadn’t seen the film before and seeing it at the cinema for the first time was a really exciting experience. I have heard a lot about it and the subsequent sequels from other popular culture such as FRIENDS and Brooklyn 99. I thought that the film was really good and definitely lived up to the hype it has gathered in the last 30 years. I went in thinking that the film was about an LA cop taking down some bad guys and saving some hostages but the actual film is so much better.

The basic premise is that John McClane, a cop in the NYPD goes to Los Angeles to visit his wife. She moved there with their young children for her career and McClane wanted to stay in New York to finish catching criminals. After 6 months apart, McClane goes to her office Christmas party to surprise her. He discovers that she goes by her maiden name and he makes friends with his limo driver, Argyle. After a tense reunion in the bathroom where McClane has taken off his shirt and shoes, his wife Holly rejoins the party.

Then all hell breaks loose as German terrorists storm the building and take everyone hostage. McClane was not spotted and managed to escape the 30th floor. The phone lines have been cut and exits are covered so all he can do is try to rescue the hostages. He is barefoot, in a vest (tank top) and has only his gun to fend them off. The Nakatomi Plaza is the setting for the film and as the building is not yet finished, there are plenty of materials to use and spaces to hide out in.

It takes a long time for McClane to actually get the authorities’ attention but once he does, the police and FBI descend and try to work out how to rescue everyone. The film is filled with daredevil stunts, explosions, family connections and Alan Rickman as a German terrorist.

I really enjoyed the film including all the little twists such as Holly placing a photo of her and John face down so that later the terrorists don’t realise the connection and the fact that she is known by her maiden name. In fact they do not figure out McClane’s identity until the reporter for the local news put their kids on TV to say goodbye to their parents. I wouldn’t say it was particularly Christmassy but as it is set around Christmas, it has turned into a classic for the festive season.

This film was definitely a patriotic, root for the American Hero type of film with people of a different nationality as the enemy but despite this there was a lot of diversity for the 1980s. There were good and bad white people, good and bad Asian people and and good and bad black people. A real balance that I did not expect from this film.

I thought the acting was excellent. I did not recognise Alan Rickman at all as I mostly know him from his later work in Harry Potter and Love Actually. I was surprised to see Bruce Willis with hair as I also know him from later work such as Red, The Whole Nine Yards and Moonrise Kingdom. I thought he was a great action hero and I am now interested to see how he does in the other Die Hard films.

Overall I give this film 4.5/5. I would watch it again but definitely not one for young people as it is rated 18 due to the violence.

Holiday Rush – 20th December

This new Netflix Original was enjoyable if a bit unbelievable. The basic premise of the film was that a rich radio DJ loses his job and has to downsize his lifestyle. His four children must give up their life of privilege and move into their aunt’s house. A rags to riches story mixed in with moving on from the loss of a parent. Another branch to the story is that Rush’s producer, Roxy starts getting closer to Rush, the DJ and she helps him to set up his own radio station.

What I found unbelievable was how spoiled Rush’s children acted in the first two thirds of the film. The daughter, Mya was putting in a pool in the garden and bossing around the workmen so rudely. They all wanted ridiculous Christmas presents and when they had to sell their house so their father could buy a new radio station instead of making the best of it, they all complained. I know some kids can be like this but I don’t think anyone would treat their father that way, especially since their mother died when they were all young and they were raised in a small or normal sized house.

Apart from this, I thought the film was entertaining, especially after the kids realised how selfish they were being whilst watching old home videos of their mother. A pet peeve I have with recent films is that old footage or photos always look too new. It couldn’t hurt to put a few filters on it surely. I liked the characters of Rush and Roxy played by Romany Malco and Sonequa Martin-Green. I also liked that the black characters were in positions of authority and wealthy for once while the white characters were the workers. A real twist on the last 100 years of cinema.

Overall I would give this film 3/5. Might watch again in a few years, if only to point out the flaws of the children. Something that children would probably enjoy but maybe a little too simple for adults. A cute Christmas story though with a twist.

Daddy’s Home 2 – 19th December

A big ensemble cast lead this Christmas sequel to the popular comedy Daddy’s Home. I actually watched this film in summer as I have been waiting for a couple of years for it to come on Netflix. It was Christmassy but the cast was entertaining enough that I didn’t think anything of it. I never thought I would be someone who watches a Christmas film in August but it happened.

If you’ve seen the first film, you will be aware that the film is about a blended family. Will Ferrell is the stepfather to his wife’s children. When their father comes back on the scene, Dusty (played by Mark Wahlberg) tries to outdo his rival and attempts to get his ex-wife to leave Brad (Ferrell) and win back his children. The film ends with the two dads getting along and Dusty finding a new girlfriend and stepdaughter.

In Daddy’s Home 2, the dads of both Brad and Dusty come to stay as the whole family go away to a cabin for the holidays. Brad’s father, Don (John Lithgow) and Dusty’s father, Kurt (Mel Gibson) are very similar to their sons. Don is a softy and someone in touch with their feelings whereas Kurt is a loner and very alpha male type. They passed on their issues to their sons.

With Brad and Sara’s (Linda Cardellini) new baby and the dad’s and now grandfather’s all competing for best parent, the film is full of slapstick and dad jokes. With an A-list cast of great comedic actors mixed in with family Christmas fun, I really enjoyed this film and will be watching it again this holiday season.

It was interesting to see Mel Gibson and John Lithgow do comedy as they normally take on more dramatic roles but I think they pulled it off. John Cena also stars as the father of Dusty’s stepdaughter. As someone quite new to acting compared to the others, Cena held his own and he manages comedy well enough. I thought that the finale was quite heart-warming. Overall, I give this film 4/5.

Get Santa – 18th December

A different take on the usual American Dream Christmas film. I thought it was a fresh look on a very overdone genre. The British Christmas film often starts out in a more lowly place than US versions. The film is about Steve who gets out of jail on 23rd December. He takes his son out on Christmas Eve and after Father Christmas crash lands on Earth, Steve and Tom end up on an adventure to save Christmas. Their crazy journey takes them to Dasher the reindeer and eventually to the North Pole. Meanwhile, Santa has been arrested for trespassing while trying to rescue his reindeer and is in the very prison that Steve was released from.

There are lots of consequences for Steve and Tom. A part of Steve’s parole, he must see his officer every day but to help his son, he jeopardises his freedom. With police car chases, secret doors, communicating reindeer and crazy convicts, this film is certainly entertaining while keeping its feet somewhat in reality. Full of the best of British actors including Jodie Whittaker, Jim Broadbent, Rafe Spall, Ewen Bremner, Warwick Davis, Joanna Scanlan and Stephen Graham. Kit Connor who plays Tom was also great in his first main role.

A great Christmas caper if you’re looking for something a little less fluffy and a bit more adventurous. 4/5.

Crown for Christmas – 17th December

The third of the Hallmark Christmas Trio. This film however does not star Lacey Chabert but Danica McKellar the other Hallmark Christmas star. She has starred in more Hallmark films than Chabert but as she is older so has different roles. This film reminds me of Maid in Manhattan because the main character is a maid but the film then evolves into A Christmas Prince where an American stranger becomes the governess to a European princess.

Firstly, I thought that the King looked a bit young to have a 10 year old daughter and his prospective wife hardly looks 30 but apart from this the film was quite enjoyable. If you love the Netflix Original Christmas films or Hallmark ones then this definitely would hit the spot.

The basic premise is that Alison who is struggling to pay bills works as a maid at a hotel. She finds a watch just as she gets fired and hands it back to its rightful owner, King Maximilian. As a thank you, she is hired to go to Europe and be his daughter’s governess. The King must re-marry soon and his people are arranging a marriage with another royal but he wants to marry for love. Alison becomes like a mother to the princess and becomes closer to the King.

A particular highlight was the snowball fight with the princess and all the staff. I enjoyed this film but thought it very predictable and not as good as the other Hallmark Christmas films I previously reviewed. Another thing is that everyone sounded British when they were meant to be from a European country. American films often do this such as The Princess Diaries or A Prince & Me. It is as if they think all Europeans sound the same. Overall 3/5.

A Christmas Melody- 16th December

Lacey Chabert has dominated the Hallmark Christmas film market and this film is no different. I have coupled the Hallmark films together with the third one coming out tomorrow. I think these films have had a bit of a bad press as cheesy and predictable but I think they make great Christmas films and I haven’t been exposed to them as they aren’t shown on UK television. I think its great that Amazon Prime are showing these films as I think they are modern classics.

In this film, Lacey Chabert is Kristin Parson, a fashion designer living in Los Angeles. Then she gets an opportunity to move back to her home town, Silver Falls in the Mid-West with her daughter Emily. Her aunt’s house becomes available so after her fashion boutique goes under she makes the move. She reconnects with an old school pal who is Emily’s music teacher.

The focus of the story is the talent show that the elementary school are putting on. Mariah Carey also stars as a mother of one of the popular girls and the head of the PTA. Other actors in the film I didn’t recognise but I thought they all did a great job.

I would say that this was a family film, as all Hallmark films are and it is not set around the big day so one to watch in the lead up to Christmas. I give this film 3.5/5.

A Wish for Christmas – 15th December

This Hallmark Original Film is one I found on Netflix. I was expecting it to be cheesy and overly romantic as Hallmark films are stereotyped to be. I thought that apart from the fairytale premise of a wish being granted by Santa Claus, the rest of the film was quite enjoyable. In the film, Sara wants to be more confident in her workplace as her superior always steals her ideas and passes them off as his own. After getting a Secret Santa gift at her work Christmas party, Sara has the power to have one wish come true for 72 hours. She wishes to be more confident at speaking her mind. This leads to her having a go at her manager for stealing her idea and ending up on a work trip with the CEO.

They go to Seattle a couple of days before Christmas to land an account. The CEO has already left for his holiday so they follow him to a town in the hills which just so happens to be her CEO’s hometown. She meets his family and learns about his aversions to visiting his family. With only 2 days to help him, secure the account and get back to her mother and sister for Christmas Day, Sara needs all the courage her wish can grant her.

I enjoyed the film, a very cosy Christmas film that showed positive images of women in the workplace that evolved into a romantic Christmas adventure. Some parts became quite predictable towards the end but I thought the setting and the acting was good enough for the genre. The ending was a good one as can be expected and this film is perfect for all ages. More of a soppy rom com than anything else so be careful who you watch it with.

Overall 3/5. Lacey Chabert is always a great actress and I’ve been a fan since her Party of Five days. Most of the other actors are regulars in Hallmark Christmas films. I probably wouldn’t watch this again as there are other more re-watchable films in the Countdown.

El Camino Christmas – 14th December

I had to replace Christmas with the Kranks with this film as it was taken off of Netflix. El Camino Christmas has been on my watch list ever since I got Netflix so I thought it was about time I got around to watching it.

For the first half, I thought the film was slow going. I found the initial premise of a Christmas Eve hostage situation intriguing but it’s play off wasn’t executed very well. Too much time was spent on the set up of each individual character instead of focusing on the main premise of the plot. I did enjoy the acting and overall pay off of the story but as I have been waiting to watch this film for 2 years, my expectations were high.

The basic plot is that a different people from different walks of life: a guy looking for his father; a drunk veteran; a young mother and her five-year-old son; a violent cop and the owner of the convenience store all end up in a hostage situation. The cops of El Camino quickly get a hold of the situation and turn it into a shoot out for no reason. There is definitely some real life echoes of police brutality and the policy that some officers adapt of shoot first, ask questions later.

It was not very Christmassy and much more violent than I thought. Something to watch if you like cop films or are a fan of any of the actors: Tim Allen, Dax Shepard, Vincent D’Onofrio and Jessica Alba. Overall 3/5.

Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger! – 13th December

One of my personal favourite Christmas films. This year, I watched it in early November but will most likely be watching it again this holiday season. In my opinion, this is the best of the Nativity films. David Tennant as Donald Peterson, a supply teacher who stumbles across St Bernadette’s when Mrs Bevan is at the end of her tether. Her nephew, Mr Poppy has driven away the last few supply teachers and she needs someone to discipline them. Fortunately for Mr Peterson, the children are preoccupied with entering the Song for Christmas competition. After Mrs Bevan says no, they kidnap Mr Peterson and go on a wild road trip to the castle in Wales. After Mr Shakespeare, teacher at rival school, Oakmoor turns the sign around on his journey to the competition, St Bernadette’s get very lost.

Featuring magic donkeys; a boat that swims; snow globe sabotage; baby auditions; daring abseiling and white water rafting. This film is non-stop fun and laughter. Most the kids from the first film are back and now that they are a bit older, have more talent and better comedic timing. David Tennant also plays his twin brother Rodrick and if you didn’t know Tennant, you would think he had a twin in real life.

A great British film with fun for all the family that isn’t set during the big day. 5/5.

The Holiday – 12th December

This British/American Classic is not a Christmas film to be missed. I consider it in my top 5 of all time Christmas films and I make sure to re-watch every year. Nancy Meyers is great writer/director who has done some other great films including The Parent Trap (1998), It’s Complicated, The Intern and Something’s Gotta Give. Her ability to navigate between the two story lines in the US and UK is to be commended. I personally always think of this film as British because the Americans call a holiday, a vacation but it is a hybrid.

The film follows the lives of Iris and Amanda. At the beginning of the film, Iris finds out her ex-boyfriend that she is still in love with is engaged and he neglected to tell her first despite leading her on and getting her to edit his book for free. We see at a low point in her cottage in Surrey until she gets a message from Amanda. She lives in Los Angeles and is very successful as a film trailer editor. The beginning of her story starts with her finding out her boyfriend whom she lives with has cheated on her. She kicks him out but cannot cry about the event. She decided to get away for the holidays and finds Iris’ house on a house swap website. They decide to switch houses in the two weeks leading up to Christmas.

In Surrey, Amanda meets Graham, Iris’ brother and the two start a whirlwind relationship. She tries to move on from Ethan, her ex and becomes vulnerable for the first time since she was a teenager. In L.A., Iris meets Arthur, a retired screenwriter who worked with some of Hollywood’s greats. She also befriends Miles, a film score composer who works with Ethan. The two bond with Arthur and his friends while Miles awaits his girlfriend, Maggie’s return.

I really enjoy this film, I think it is well-written and well acted and the scenery is wintery in England and gives you some winter sun in America. I wouldn’t say it was overly Christmassy but it is definitely a festive film. This is a film for older viewers, ages 12 and up so not one to watch with the kids but it does tug on your heart strings and is full of surprises that any good script should have. Overall 5/5.