The 25 Days of Christmas - 2022 Edition

[Asr]

More than likely I won't be watching a movie every day this month, and probably just 5-10 I'd imagine, but I might as well start my list:

1. Violent Night [2022] 8/10

This was such an entertaining trip and pretty much exactly what the trailer promised. Although the execution of certain aspects of it was flawed, it had originality and heart, which went a long way for it. David Harbour was a fantastic Santa, and although the movie was basically the Die Hard formula, it did that really well.

I highly recommend seeing it in theaters with the BIGGEST CROWD POSSIBLE. The audience I saw this with ATE IT UP.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

My brother got first pick this year. He decided he wanted a Turbo Man.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Day 1

1. Jingle All the Way

Mini Candy Cane Review: Before people could comfortably get the hot new gaming console from the comfort of their living room, parents lived and died on the front lines of the brick and mortar. Jingle All the Way captures that time period, perfectly. And yeah I know, the perfect gif to start off the month.

4 certificates for a Turbo Man out of 5

2. Frozen

Mini Candy Cane Review: After a decade of blah, one underappreciated Winnie the Pooh classic aside, Disney finally returned to form. Their take on Wicked, down to hiring Elphaba, Frozen subverts the usual Disney expectations in the most wonderful ways, to produce a beautiful film inside and out.

5 carrots for Sven out of 5

3. Frozen 2

Mini Candy Cane Review: It was always going to be hard to top the original, and yet they did it by not trying to recreate it's success. Perhaps the most beautiful film Disney Animation has ever produced, this one ventures into the unknown to bring back Disney's definitive totally not LGBTQIA+ *wink* to startling results.

5 forest spirits out of 5

4. Home Alone

Mini Candy Cane Review: The kid, the director, the Goodfella, the score. It's hard to get more definitive then this one. A true classic that hasn't aged a day over it's three decades of existence.

5 filthy animals out of 5

 

[Mani-Man]

So, Welcome Everyone to 25 days of Christmas.
Im not sure if its a yearly tradition for me, i noticed that there isnt as much variety in the Theme as with Halloween and Horror.

A lot is dominated by either the recreation of the good old stories, grinch, christmas carol etc...or its dominated by the Hallmark like movies that follow pretty much the same basic plot.
If i would be able to make this yearly, i dont know...but at least for this year i think i can do it with a bit variety.

For Night 1 i choose

"Jingle Jangle Journey"

Its a really lovely movie that already captures my interest due to its set design alone.
For Christmas i love more fantastical worlds, more color and Exaggeration etc...it just fits so well.
But overall i really like the movie for its plot, the characters and the way it flows.
It is one of the Netflix movies i find myself watching more than once, those movies i wished we would get a physical release.
It hits the right notes for me in terms of what i want from a Christmas movie.

 

[GothamCity]

Yeah i think Jingle All the Way is the funniest cristmas film ive seen, even im not a real cristmas movie fan.

 

[Batgirl0202]

I've never seen Jingle All the Way...

Perhaps this year I'll plug that gap. It's obviously a blind spot in my pop culture knowledge...

 

[Mani-Man]

For Night Two i actually choose spontaneously because the Movie came out just hours before on Netflix so i decided to give it a try.

Scrooge - A Christmas Carol

I think the name already tells you enough.
Its the good Old Charles Dickens Classic, retold the 3425636346 time.
This time as a 3d Animated Musical.

Its visually a nice looking movie, not Disney quality or so, not Pixar...but good enough to have a charm.
The Voice cast is fine, the effects are neat.

It drags a bit at times, but that wasnt a huge deal.

The big problem was that the Musical numbers are forgettable and rather boring imo.
No Song stuck in my head, no melody i kept humming...it was bland on that.
Which maybe is the worst considering it is a Musical.

I mean i had fun, but thats about it.
Its not a movie i feel i need to watch ever again.
If i want A Christmas Carol, there are far more and better adaptions out there.


1.Jingle Jangle Journey
2.Scrooge - A Christmas Carol

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Day 2

4. Violent Night (NEW)

Mini Candy Cane Review: For the first 30 minutes of this, I had no idea how this was going to go. But once it finds it's groove, is a good time. Harbour and the kid are great, and if they were the only ones involved in the hijinks with the home invaders, this would probably be a lot better. But still, they make it work.

3.5 Home Alone inspired traps out of 5

 

[Mani-Man]

Night 3 and it was the mean one that came to visit

The Grinch(2018)

Weird that the movie was seemingly a huge success, i always thought we dont hear many people talk about it because it was a box office failure and all.
But seems that this wasnt really the case.

I still prefer the 2000s one with Jim Carrey, that had just more style and substance to me.
Its a neat movie no doubt, but the Grinch here felt really tame.
It kind of takes away the impact and all when you have a Grinch that is only slightly Moody.
Especially since i really liked his reason for disliking Christmas in this...had a more emotional impact that the movie didnt really use to its potential.

But in the end its a heartfelt movie, i guess thats all that counts during this season, so its fine.

1.Jingle Jangle Journey
2.Scrooge - A Christmas Carol
3.The Grinch(2018)

 

[Gothamsknight]

Violent Night was so damn good!

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Night 3 and it was the mean one that came to visit

The Grinch(2018)

Weird that the movie was seemingly a huge success, i always thought we dont hear many people talk about it because it was a box office failure and all.
But seems that this wasnt really the case.

I still prefer the 2000s one with Jim Carrey, that had just more style and substance to me.
Its a neat movie no doubt, but the Grinch here felt really tame.
It kind of takes away the impact and all when you have a Grinch that is only slightly Moody.
Especially since i really liked his reason for disliking Christmas in this...had a more emotional impact that the movie didnt really use to its potential.

But in the end its a heartfelt movie, i guess thats all that counts during this season, so its fine.

1.Jingle Jangle Journey
2.Scrooge - A Christmas Carol
3.The Grinch(2018)

The Grinch 2018 is so interesting. The perception of it, is all over the place. Like you I find it enjoyable enough, but you'd think it went over as bad as possible.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Day 3

5. Silent Night (NEW)

Mini Candy Cane Review: I was always going to enjoy this with it being a Keira flick. But this turned out to be a lot better then I was expecting. It's plenty funny watching these adults revert to teenagers, but it's how real and raw it feels at times that really got me. The fear of a parent who knows they can't protect their child. Gutting.

4 suicide capsules out of 5

 

[Gothamsknight]

Gonna start my Harry Potter marathon soon in 4k. I was gonna do LOTR extended but I just did those back in September, so Harry Potter it is. Always felt like these movies fit the season.

 

[Mani-Man]

The Grinch 2018 is so interesting. The perception of it, is all over the place. Like you I find it enjoyable enough, but you'd think it went over as bad as possible.

I was surprised when i read it made as much Money as it did.
Critical while not being super good, 59% or what...i was sure it was far worse.
I constantly kept thinking how it could have been such a complete failure to people, until i checked the box office success and all.
Seems to be a very divisive movie.

Anyway, night 4 of the Marathon with a good old late 90s classic

Jingle all the way

The movie surprisingly isnt really high rated.
Like RT score is 19% and user score only 39%

But its a charming movie people, what is going on?
Anyway, maybe it is one of those movies that just really work because its tradition and stuff.
People are into it because of the Christmas Spirit and all that and not because its really good.
I can see that being the case.
So maybe im just biased, but i really enjoy the movie whenever i watch it.
You get good old Arnie playing an American dad trying to get his son his Favorite toy...like that is already a fun idea.

Every year i have fun with the movie, it is...yeah charming.

1.Jingle Jangle Journey
2.Scrooge - A Christmas Carol
3.The Grinch(2018)
4.Jingle all the Way

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Day 4

6. Let It Snow

Mini Candy Cane Review: I love this flick. A teen romance from Netflix that could easily have been as vacuous as 95% of Netflix teen projects, but instead veered into a wonderful bit of festive fair. Young love, told with tender fun, that doesn't feel the need to gross you out every 5 seconds.

4.5 affle waffles out of 5

 

[Mani-Man]

Night 5 and one of my modern favorites in terms of Christmas movies

Klaus(Netflix)

The Movie already captured my interest back then when the first trailer was shown.
And since the release it is one of the most rewatched movies on Netflix to me.
The art style is so unique, so lovely and interesting.
The Cast is doing a incredible good job with the characters, the writing is great.
I just love the movie so much.

1.Jingle Jangle Journey
2.Scrooge - A Christmas Carol
3.The Grinch(2018)
4.Jingle all the Way
5.Klaus

 

[Gothamsknight]

It's time for Batman Returns

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Day 5

7. Home Sweet Home Alone

Mini Candy Cane Review: It's hard to explain how stupid this flick built on pissing on the working class without a hint of irony or understanding, is. It's biggest saving grace is the actors, but honestly, once you see them fall down the first time, you've seen the movie's best trick.

1 lost lotto ticket out of 5

8. Happiest Season

Mini Candy Cane Review: A film built to explain to your homophobic older relatives that being gay is okay. Not natural of course, just okay. And yet, while it feels like it's doing it's best to appeal to the wrong people, the actors talent and overriding gayness wins out, to make this the best Hallmark flick ever.

4 terrible white elephant gifts out of 5

 

[Mani-Man]

Night 6 and it finally hit my Genre

A Christmas Horror Story

The Movie infuriates the hell out of me.
The Cover shows a super cool idea and the movie has that idea in it...but only as part.

Its an Anthology movie that has a few stories in it.
All fine and good, except the fact that they switch between all these stories instead of letting one finish.
They have the story on the cover, at a certain point they cut away to start the next story
And that keeps going, whenever you get into the story, it cuts away to one of the other stories.
Which is the biggest problem because the stories themself would be neat...if they would be finished in one go.

Having said that, back to the Cover...Why has nobody ever did a Zombie Horror movie on the Northpole?
Like a Zombie movie where Santa has to fight off Zombie Elves? We get a Winnie The Pooh Horror Movie, a Grinch...why not a Santa?

Anyway, the movie is fine if you can get past the constant switch of stories.

1.Jingle Jangle Journey
2.Scrooge - A Christmas Carol
3.The Grinch(2018)
4.Jingle all the Way
5.Klaus
6.A Christmas Horror Story

 

[Batgirl0202]

Chateau Christmas (2020) - Hallmark
Ben Is Back (2018) - Takes place on Christmas Eve so I'm including it
Noelle (2019) - Disney Plus Original
Home Alone 3 (1997)
Falling for Christmas (2022) - Netflix Original
Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022) - Disney Plus Original
A Christmas Proposal (2021) - CBS Original
Home Sweet Home Alone (2021) - Disney Plus Original

Hoo Boy.

There is so much wrong with this film I wouldn't even know where to start.

I can't remember the last time I saw a movie pitched at families that was as misguided and ill-conceived as this one...

The film's inadequacies are already well documented so I won't bother rehashing them here. However, if this isn't a contender for one of the worst Christmas movies ever, I don't know what is...

 

[Kane52630]

Day 5

7. Home Sweet Home Alone

Mini Candy Cane Review: It's hard to explain how stupid this flick built on pissing on the working class without a hint of irony or understanding, is. It's biggest saving grace is the actors, but honestly, once you see them fall down the first time, you've seen the movie's best trick.

1 lost lotto ticket out of 5

The only reason why I made a gifset for that movie was just for that moment. lol

 

[Ninjablade]

Waiting until Tuesday to start my Christmas marathon, but just popping in to say I enjoyed Violent Night. There was maybe a 10-15 minute period in the middle that slowed to a halt, but outside of that it was a very good time at the theater. Had a lot of heart, and even with the violence, didn't forget to be a cute/fun Christmas film.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Waiting until Tuesday to start my Christmas marathon, but just popping in to say I enjoyed Violent Night. There was maybe a 10-15 minute period in the middle that slowed to a halt, but outside of that it was a very good time at the theater. Had a lot of heart, and even with the violence, didn't forget to be a cute/fun Christmas film.

That's what won me over. The kid and Hopper just got me in the spirit.

 

[Mani-Man]

Night 7 and i seem to go with a lot of CGI movies this year it seems.

Arthur Christmas

Have see the movie last year for the first time and loved it then.
The Artstyle is so nice, the characters all look really lovely, especially the Elves.
The writing is neat and gets you into the Spirit.
And the Comedy is at the right place, especially thanks to Grandpa Santa who is just hilariously crazy.
All in all just a very lovely Christmas movie mainly for kids...but not just for them, i had fun too.

1.Jingle Jangle Journey
2.Scrooge - A Christmas Carol
3.The Grinch(2018)
4.Jingle all the Way
5.Klaus
6.A Christmas Horror Story
7.Arthur Christmas

 

[Gothamsknight]

Lethal weapon! Man, I still consider this just as much of a Christmas movie as Die hard. I really hope it gets a 4k UHD release at some point because I'll upgrade to the boxset immediately haha.