Three Wiser Men and a Boy

This is a comedy and at times a little awkward...but in part I think that is what makes it a cute family friendly Hallmark holiday film. This story reunites the cast from 2022's Three Wise Men and a Baby...the three brothers Luke (Andrew W. Walker), Taylor (Tyler Hynes), and Stephan (Paul Campbell), their mother Barbara (Margaret Colin) and Luke's son Thomas. The cast is wonderful and clearly has fun working together which is a large part of the charm in this comedy about brotherly rivalry, family, and being their for one another.

The mom introduces the boys to her new boyfriend...the seemingly perfect pastor Roy (Christopher Shyer), which is one cause the three brothers can unite on...getting rid of Roy. And Luke asks for some help with his son Thomas as he is temporarily single parenting while his wife is out of town. This includes help bringing snacks to Thomas' play practice that ends in a school disaster and the three brothers having to be in charge of rescuing the school's Christmas show which is a play on the Grinch Who Stole Christmas called The Grump.

Lots of holiday sets and clean fun, this film surprised and delighted me in the best way. If you are looking for a lighthearted family friendly hallmark holiday film...this might just be it.

6.6 stars.

I feel like this is a confused film. It's as if it's trying to continue from where the last one left off, while trying to convince us that five years have elapsed. However, I don't feel familiar with the brothers or the story at all. It feels foreign.

When I saw the first one, I felt similar, as if it was too silly with no plot. But I rewatched and it was better. I'm not sure if I have to watch this one again for it to improve, but I'm not feeling up to the challenge at this point. I have a gut feeling it is not going to get any better.

The plot is weak. And the way they orchestrate this children's Christmas play is strange. Would grown men actually be so inept? I'm watching three adult men bumble like adolescents. I thought they grew up by now. They actually regressed.

The story doesn't flow and contains some exquisitely slow moments. It's hard to blow a movie with so many great actors.

Five-ish years have passed since we last had the Brenner brother's making us laugh in Three Wisemen and a Baby. Now, the baby is a kindergarten boy starring in his school's play, which serves as the linchpin of this sequel that bests its predecessor, but not by leaps and bounds.

I'm a sucker for Paul Campbell movies, because I expect each to be as good as the 2021 film he wrote, An Unexpected Christmas, which is one of my favorites. Christmas by Starlight in 2020 was solid as well. Campbell wrote this one too, again with Kimberley Sustad.

Tyler Hynes is our bad boy gamer, Taylor. Andrew W. Walker is our dad, Luke. Campbell plays Stephan, our neurotic author/therapist.

I'm comfortable giving this movie a passing grade, but mostly for the writing and acting, not plot or emotional drive. It's not funny enough to be a comedy, but not serious enough to be dramatic. I like seeing this family together, even if it all seems a little unnecessary.

We don't have a single love story, but rather a family tale with multiple threads. Mom has a new man. Taylor is smitten with his female clone, Caroline. Paul struggles to commit to his long-time girlfriend. Luke, continues to learn about being a parent.

One lasting storyline that I would just love to see in other movies is the royalty free, no trademark play, The Grump. Don't call it the Grinch, because they didn't pay for those rights. It's the Grump, in Grumptown, complete with songs and rhymes. Pretty clever.

Measuring Christmas Magic: Paint by numbers magic, but it's certainly a Christmas movie.

Cast Kudos: Kimberley Sustad, in an on the nose cameo, discussing how difficult it is to do two shows one year after the last. Hmm, what exactly are we hinting at Kimberley?

Alternative Movie titles: The Brenner boys are back; Grumptown the Musical.

I've been a grump lately with very little options to watch this Christmas. I ended up rewatching Klaus coz I feel like there's not much family Christmas story this year since most movies are trying so hard to be edgy and different that they mostly lost the plot on what it takes to be a Christmas story.

This movie is such a heartwarming holiday watched. It is simple, yet it showcases what it means to be a human and flawed. It also showcases the importance of family and how to be accepting of change in our lives given that change is the only thing that's constant whether that change happened very slowly or suddenly. We have to learn how to adapt and accept things as they be.

Okay, that's too dramatic. But yeah, it's a great movie to watch if you are looking for something that will make you smile this Christmas.

Nicely written again by Paul Campbell and Kimberley Sustad, along with Russell Hainline, the brothers are back along with most of the cast from the first "Three Men" movie. Everyone is excellent here - even the outcast kids who are cute and funny without being overbearing.

The standouts are Paul Campbell and Fiona Vroom as the anxiety ridden couple, Stephan and Susie, and Margaret Colin as the brothers' mother, Barbara. Campbell has a particularly hilarious scene when he has to sit down to dinner with Barbara'a new boyfriend and his interactions with Susie are quite endearing as they both struggle with their emotions. Colin's Barbara is still direct and matter-of-fact yet sweet and good-hearted. Colin excels in this role and her characterization of Barbara may be the best mother ever in a Hallmark Christmas movie. Who wouldn't want a Mom like her ? The producers and director had the good sense to feature many of same locales and sets as in the first movie, which provides some nice continuity so you really feel like you are re-visiting this family. It may not be as perfect as the first movie, but It is definitely a worthy sequel - and it just makes you want to see more of this cast and their characters. A third one would be very welcome. They just have a way of really putting you in the Christmas spirit.