Haul Out The Holly (2022) -
None of the writers, directors and actors of these films can do comedy well enough to get away with this travesty of a film.
It was a sort of interpretation or variation of the equally terrible 'Christmas With the Kranks' (2004) or the so awful that I switched it off - 'Battle Of The Bulbs' (2010).
A story of a cul-de-sac of houses obsessed with decorating for the season and all competing against each other, as well as the other streets in town, but because it's a Hallmark film there had to be a romance too.
It contained all of the usual characters to be found in these extreme and over the top films. The ones that are so in your face that they could only be in comedy, but aren't really all that funny.
That of course meant Stephen Tobolowsky in the role of Ned, but surprisingly he wasn't the worst bit about this film, at least he didn't stand out as bad, because that's the type of character he had always played, in 'Groundhog Day' (1993) or 'Glee' (2009-15) for instance. He would have fit perfectly as Arnie's neighbour in 'Jingle All The Way' (1996), it was that kind of thing.
What I didn't expect however, was for Wes Brown, who had been one of my favourite leading men and tended to melt my bitter and twisted heart a little in previous films, to deliver a "Leading Man" so poorly conceived and with such an unattractive personality in the form of Jared. He seemed totally uninterested in Emily and more keen to be a jerk instead.
As such, much praise should be given to Lacey Chabert, whom in the role of Emily, had to put up with all of these terrible excuses for comedians, playing love interests, neighbours and awful parents.
Ultimately the whole construct of things
tainted the relationship and made the romance almost non existent and a surprise when it actually came about.
It was full of lovely Christmas bits though, even some elements that haven't occurred that regularly, but I saw no real romance and very little to laugh at, in this "Romantic""Comedy".
I was glad that the kids used in the flashbacks weren't in it for long, because they were sooo cheesey.
The parents were terrible actors too and their characters ridiculously stupid, thank God that they were hardly in it.
In fact everyone was far too much, exaggerated and pantomimic. I obviously prefer the straight acted films, but this was a bad idea, even as a comedy.
A couple of other leading men (Eric Mabius & Kristoffer Polaha) turned up and I had to wonder if they'd been kidnapped from a set in the next street, because they almost seemed a bit lost and out of place, as if they refused to be a laughing stock and they still delivered better than the rest.
Also are all American's houses so big?
And couldn't they have at least pretended to have real snowmen? Polystyrene balls of various sizes are a bit too obvious.
I would probably have turned it off if I hadn't just sacked off another film minutes before. I felt guilty that I might have been in a mood or something and that it would be unfair to the films, but they really were that bad, I can't believe I got to the end of this one.
As somebody who's not one for the ladies, it was odd, but I would probably say that it was Lacey Chabert who got me through it.
3/10.
