Tag: Netflix

Klaus – 29th December

This Netflix animation was not at all what I expected. From the tagline, I expected a cute Disney-esque film featuring a postman. What I got was a sad yet violent tale about how Christmas was created. A pompous heir to the Royal Postal Academy is sent to the remote island of Smeerensburg to set up a post office. The townspeople have been at war with each other for years and the children don’t go to school. Jesper has to stamp 6000 letters in a year to back to his life of luxury. He figures out that a kindly woodsman will make a gift for a child if they write him a letter. He befriends Klaus and uses the kids to get his letter count up. He learns of why Klaus has so many toys in his barn, a sad moment and learns to become a better person.

The animation style was really unique and a fresh take on the cutesy Christmas film. I didn’t expect it to go in the direction it did, but was pleasantly surprised. Suitable for all ages and a lovely Christmas tale that isn’t all about the big day. A starry voice cast: Joan Cusack, Rashida Jones, J.K. Simmons and Jason Schwartzman. 4/5.

The Knight Before Christmas – 28th December

I was excited for this film because the medieval knight is Sir Cole of Norwich in England which happens to be my hometown. Despite the very inaccurate portrayal of Norwich, I enjoyed this film and thought it was less soppy than other films on the Countdown. Vanessa Hudgens has returned for another Netflix Christmas film after her role in the Princess Switch.

The basic premise is that Sir Cole has to fulfill a quest as a knight in 13th Century Norwich. After encountering a sorceress, she transports him to present-day Ohio where he meets Brooke. She’s a science teacher, this doesn’t play into the story very much apart from one student who she bumps into multiple times. Cole and Brooke become closer as Brooke helps Cole to become accustomed to the modern world. He is desperate to complete his quest and return home for his brother’s knighting ceremony.

Cole becomes close with Brooke and her family – her sister and niece. Her parents both passed away a while before the film. There is one scene where they binge Netflix and scenes from Holiday in the Wild (a 2019 film I reviewed earlier) and The Holiday Calendar are briefly shown on the TV. There’s also a reference to the Christmas Prince, a film I have also reviewed this year, with one of the tree decorations.

I thought this film was very cute and had the right mix of family fun, goofiness and fantasy. Josh Whitehouse who played Sir Cole did a good job of pretending to be from a different time. I always wonder how actors pretend that they don’t know what basic things are like cars or television as it seems impossible to not be aware of these things at least subliminally.

Overall I give this film 3.5/5. Romantic and a little cheesy, just the right thing if you’re clinging on to the magic of Christmas while waiting for New Years Eve.

The Christmas Chronicles – 22nd December

This Netflix Original has similar traits as another film on my list: Get Santa as Father Christmas spends some time in jail but it is a very different film. Well, as different as a Christmas film about Santa can get.

In this one, Kate is trying to catch Santa on videotape after watching back some old home footage and seeing a glimpse of something. Her older brother, Teddy reluctantly helps. On Christmas Eve with their mum working and their father having passed away the year before, the kids are left up to their own devices to try and see Santa. After Kate manages to follow him out to his sleigh and hide aboard, a crazy adventure begins after Santa crashes the sleigh.

In this film, Santa is played by Kurt Russell, giving more of a cool dad rock and roll vibe than the usual sweet old man. After the sleigh crashes, Santa uses a cool street racing car to get around. Kate makes her way to the North Pole to get help from the elves. Kate and Teddy help Santa deliver the rest of the presents as he lost his magical hat in the crash.

I really enjoyed this film and will be watching it again this year. Just enough of a Christmas caper with non-believers and elves and actual grown-up fun. One way that Santa tries to prove his identity is by recounting what gifts people asked for at Christmas in their childhood.

Overall, 5/5. I have not got any faults with this film and it is great for children and adults.

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.

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.

A Christmas Prince – 11th December

This Netflix Original film is one that I remember being promoted heavily on the site/app back in 2017 and this festive season I got around to watching it. It was fairly predictable but if you’re looking for a gooey Christmas love story, fit for all ages then this will be right up your street.

The basic premise of the story is that a reporter from New York trying to further her career is sent to do a story on the heir to the throne of Aldovia, a fictional European country. He has to ascend the throne by Christmas Day, (of course) otherwise his cousin will take over. Amber the journalist goes to the castle on a press visit but manages to trick everyone and poses as the Princess Emily’s tutor. Amber’s editor tells her to stay and dig the dirt on Prince Richard but as she sees his genuine side, Amber doesn’t want to expose the family secrets.

Apart from very obvious logic flaws and the manufactured story line, A Christmas Prince was an enjoyable film and if you’re into it, fun to pick apart the plot holes and spot the sponsors. I did see lots of parallels to the Julia Stiles film, The Prince & Me where the prince goes undercover at university and meets a normal girl. It could have had influences but the plots were not massively similar. I don’t think I would watch again unless with young children. The film has sparked two sequels: Royal Wedding and Royal Baby arriving this Christmas so maybe there is some worthwhile content. Overall 3/5.

Let It Snow – 10th December

As a big fan of the book that this film is very loosely based on, I was not a big fan of the film. I think that if you choose to base a film on a bestselling novel, it should at least have the same characters and basic plot lines. In the book, three stories based in Gracetown all intertwine written by three separate authors, Maureen Johnson, John Green and Lauren Myracle. There’s Jubilee or Julie who meets Stuart and realises that her boyfriend who doesn’t care that her parents were jailed is not as perfect as she thinks.

There’s also Tobin, the Duke or Angie and JP. They have a late night Christmas Eve adventure to the Waffle House to bring Twister to fourteen cheerleaders. Their friend, Don Keun works at the Waffle House and when the cheerleaders enter from the train that also brought Jubilee to Gracetown, rings Tobin. The quest disturbs their midnight marathon of James Bond films. Complete with Carla, a lovable car; a race against the Reston twins and a pursuit of hash browns.

The final story is about Addie and her heartbreak over Jeb, her boyfriend. He was also on Jubilee’s train and they were meant to meet Christmas Eve to talk out her big drunken mistake but he didn’t show. Instead she chops off her hair and dyed it pink. She works at Starbucks and to show her friends that she isn’t as selfish as she appears to be agrees to pick up the teacup pig that her and Dorrie bought their pig-obsessed friend, Tegan. Forgetting to get the pig before it is picked up by someone else, Addie enlists the help of the last person she wants to see. In the final story, the other characters all make appearances.

The reason I have waxed lyrical about the book is that the film is so different in comparison. Jubilee is called Julie and meets pop star Stuart on the train instead of the Waffle House. He has no-one to spend Christmas with so spends the day with Julie and meets her family. In the book, Jubilee is cared for by Stuart’s mum and little sister. Her selfish boyfriend doesn’t exist and her parents who were jailed for a riot over a Flobie Village are transformed into her sick mother and grandfather. The Flobie Village, a collectable ceramic Elf display town is mentioned but never seen.

Tobin and the Duke are friends with Keon who wants to host a Christmas party at home but it is moved to Waffle Town where he works with Billy and Dorrie. Tobin and the Duke make friends with JP who is now white and a college guy. They shelter in a church and Tobin gets roped into a multi-denominational Nativity. He also loves Duke the whole times whereas in the book, only realises it at the end. There is no daring journey with Twister as the fourteen cheerleaders have been replaced by six dancers. Carla the car ends up in a shallow ditch but does not lose a wheel.

Addie has trouble with Jeb as he doesn’t want her to crowd him and prefers fictional Madison instead. She still buys the pig but there is no Starbucks around and she is also helped by Tin Foil Woman (not man who also never originally meets Addie). Dorrie also has a love story with Kerry the dancer. This extra gay relationship was a nice addition to the story which originally has no homosexual relationships but this is the only change I welcome. They even changed Gracetown to Laurel, Illinois.

My opinions of the film are quite biased but if you like cute Netflix teen rom coms then the film is still enjoyable. It has some great up and coming actors:

Isabela Merced (Dora the Explorer, Instant Family) – Julie

Liv Hewson (Santa Clarita Diet) – Dorrie

Shameik Moore (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) – Stuart

Kiernan Shipka (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) – Angie (the Duke)

Odeya Rush (Lady Bird, Dumplin’) – Addie

Jacob Batalon (Spider-Man: Homecoming, Every Day) – Keon

Miles Robbins (Blockers, The Day Shall Come) – Billy

Joan Cusack also makes a cameo as Tin Foil Woman and the Narrator. I think the film was great for exposing new talent in a Netflix film that will be seen by millions. Some of the actors only have a few credits to their name. I feel very passionate about the book so felt let down by the film. Overall I give it 2.5/5.

Christmas Inheritance – 7th December

This Netflix Original did a flip on the usual spoilt rich boy meets a girl next door and becomes more humble. In Christmas Inheritance, it is the girl, Ellen who is sent on a mission by her father, a CEO millionaire, to hand deliver a letter to his ex-business partner in their mid-west hometown. She is only given $100 and has to travel by bus and not private plane as she is used to. At Snow Falls, she meets Jake who immediately doesn’t like her as he thinks she is spoilt and entitled. As the weather means she must stay at her inn and earn her keep, she gradually starts to learn the true meaning of Christmas and that a little kindness and generosity goes a long way.

There are some well known stars in this film: Eliza Taylor, Jake Lacy and Andie MacDowell but most actors are not people I know from other films or television. I thought the acting was good, there’s only so much you can do with this sort of plot and predictable Christmas mush but it was heartwarming and had a positive message. It was also the first time I had seen Eliza Taylor playing anyone other than Clarke Griffin in the 100 so it was interesting seeing her take on a different sort of role. It is surprising to think of Eliza as Australian as her American accent sounds native.

Overall I think this film is a gooey Christmas romance as many of the Netflix originals are but worth a watch if you’re a fan of riches to rags story or the actors. 3/5.

Holiday in the Wild – 6th December

Another Netflix Original for today’s film and this time it’s a trip to Zambia. A new film for this year, Holiday in the Wild has a lot of heart and important messages about wild animal conservation. The film is about a woman whose husband leaves her just before they are meant to go on a safari. She ends up going alone and on the way to the luxury hotel, her pilot makes a stop to save a baby elephant. Kate decides instead of living in luxury for two weeks that she will help out at the elephant sanctuary. Back in New York, Kate used to be a vet but gave it up to raise her son while her husband worked.

This all happens in September and when Kate is due to leave, she decides to stay. She also starts bonding with Derek who has lived at the sanctuary since he was sixteen. They bond over their single lives (Derek’s wife died 15 years previously) and start breaking down the barriers they have each held around their hearts. When Christmas rolls around, Kate can’t face going back to her empty apartment for the holidays so stays in Africa. Her son, who is now in college comes to visit her for Christmas Day. I won’t reveal too much more of the story but the plot is predictable enough.

What separated this film from other Christmas love stories is that not all the film is set at Christmas time and the love story is not the main focus. It centres around Kate rediscovering her passion for animals and learning to love elephants. At the end of the film, just before the credits, there is a really important message about elephant conservation and links to some charities.

I enjoyed this film and even though it was cheesy in some parts, it had real heart and the acting felt very natural. A fun fact is that Kate’s son is played by Rob Lowe’s son in real life. I would watch this again but probably next Christmas. It is also suitable for younger audiences. Overall 4/5.