The Christmas Break

Kid-friendly Jack Bradford (Justin Long) is happily married to Caroline (India Mullen) in Chicago. He suggests trying for a kid, but she maneuvers out of it by using his LARPing. They go back to her Irish home town for Christmas. Her father owns the century-old family pub, but it is being challenged by Caroline's hunky ex Cormac O'Leary and his karaoke machine. The clan is battling him in Gaelic football.

This is a little different than the normal basic TV rom-com movie. This one has Justin Long. He's too good. Maybe he did this for the Irish vacation. The bigger problem is the baby issue. The movie is trying to push Caroline into having a baby when she doesn't want it. I don't know if it could be made funny. At least, this movie doesn't achieve it. As much as Justin Long tries with the kids, the premise keeps pulling the movie down. It also makes Caroline into a wet blanket with a wondering eye. This really needs to rewrite her character.

Unlike so many Christmas comedies, this one isn't about a couple that may or may not get together, and it's not squeaky clean. It's actually kind of edgy at times. When cleaned up for Fox, for example, Jack says, "Shoot!" Then realizing he is around children he says, "I mean shoot." Well, that is what he said. If you don't see it on Fox, maybe that means he said something else. And there is some sex talk, and a funny scene involving an effort to sneak out of a store without people finding out about a pregnancy test.

The couple may in fact not end up together. They are having a disagreement, so there is still a will they or won't they factor. Plus a crisis that needs to be solved by a miracle. And it's not as simple as it sounds.

Jack is quite appealing and sort of a loser. I've seen Justin Long in a number of roles, and wonders how someone like him ends up with a girl as pretty as Caroline. I remember when that pretty girl was Zooey Deschanel. But Long has a positive attitude and a determination that makes the movie work, even if he is around all these tough or good-looking Irish men. And he is quite funny when he has to deal with a diaper, and any other crisis. There is even danger, and he scares easily.

Tom Moran is not tough but good-looking and seems to want Caroline back. Can it happen?

And like so many women in these movies, India Mullen, whoever that is, gives us a driven career woman. But she is somewhat pleasant and accessible, not at all like what one would expect from someone on her way up in a major company. And quite pretty. Except for the accent, I thought she might be the wonderful actress who develops the ability to see the ghosts that haunt her ancient British mansion in a TV series we in the States got to see because of a strike. No, not her, but she's almost as good.

Aoife Hughes is a delight as a girl who wants to play soccer ... What do you MEAN it's football? Oh, and I didn't know there is a version of the game where players can use their hands. Getting back to the actress, she is dismissed because she is a girl, but her brother Arlo Buchanan, who is also good, isn't talented like the real men think he should be.

I don't see Patrick's name in the cast, but he is a holy terror, just old enough to make people's lives miserable, a regular Dennis the Menace.

The Christian meaning of Christmas is included, as two live nativity scenes are shown. The stars of the movie are participants the second time and it doesn't go well.

Ireland is a beautiful place. If that's where they were.

I wasn't happy with some of the music. There is good singing when it is cast members, meaning extras rather than anyone we would know. But the first recording of music in the movie ... we have a green truck that comes every Thursday. I feel the same about what was played at the end. There is some good Irish music played during a soccer game ... okay, football.

Family friendly? Permissive parents might be okay with it. But some scenes go on the naughty list. TV-14 might have been too much. The letter S wasn't needed, as they weren't actually doing anything. It was just a noisy bed.

Fun and light-hearted, but definitely what an American would think Ireland was like. After a while it became more amusing and less annoying to see Irish culture butchered again and again, but it was still so American it was slightly painful.

The humour was similarly American, which isn't a bad thing- it's just an acquired taste. Some parts were funny, others cringy. But overall it was a bit of fun.

The characters were not particularly likeable or believable, but this is not the sort of film for character development. However, they were not too irritating (most of the time) so it wasn't too bad.

The plot was wishy washy and predictable, as you would expect and it had an undertone of 'American saviour complex' to it, but it was light-hearted and fluffy.

Not a must see, but a way to kill time.

Not expecting much from contemporary Christmas rom coms, this was a refreshing take on the genre and was full of genuine laugh out loud moments. There are of course some cringey moments which are part and parcel of the nature of Christmas movies. And some unrealistic ones too (such as the age cormac claims to be). The new pub also felt a bit like slapstick. But overall, the film has a lighthearted feel and doesn't try to do too much at once, it's a nice change from other streaming services overly engineered movies over recent years. The Irish humour is captured well and overall it's a nice storyline with many relatable elements.

Is this the worst movie ever made? Well there's been a lot of bad Christmas films made and many of them are shown on afternoon TV, so I'd have to say it's not quite as bad as those but boy it is bad! It's another of those movies where an innocent American experiences the kind of Ireland that doesn't exist in reality and never did. Full of lame Oirish stereotypes and a ridiculous predictable plot it's just a total waste of time. In fact I felt embarrassed for the cast, it's that bad. The trashing of Fairytale of New York, probably the best Christmas song ever written, is just unforgivable. The storyline, if you could call it that, is totally predictable which I wouldn't mind if it had a shred of humour or reality but unfortunately it has neither. Give it a wide berth. Nothing to see here.