Review of Father Christmas Is Back

I am afraid this new edition to Netflix's Christmas movie collection is disappointing. Though there were (to be fair) some laugh-out-loud moments, overall, the script was, simply put, weak: the humor was often dry and missed the mark, character development was poor, and the climax was as predictable as it was nauseating. Set in a Yorkshire mansion, a dysfunctional family reunites for Christmas. Caroline Christmas-Hope (played by Nathalie Cox), a control freak, has organized the perfect Christmas, so she thinks. As family members arrive, we begin to see how dysfunctional this family really is. However, Caroline is still determined to have the perfect Christmas, until out of nowhere, 'Father Christmas is Back'. And this, of course, forces things to go haywire, setting off a series of mishaps, inconveniences, and misunderstandings. However, through it all, a long-buried secret that tore their family apart many years ago is finally uncovered, and eventually, Christmas is restored. The script does a good job, I must say, of capturing the feeling of spending Christmas with family members who don't get along, spend too much time bickering, and where well-intentioned plans are shredded. The dialogue and scenes around some of the mishaps are funny, though many fall flat as well, I am afraid. Though I could relate to the dysfunctional family theme, I found it difficult to connect with any of the characters. They did not draw me in. The script was a bit light on heart-to-heart moments. To be fair, I did shed a tear or two in the scene at the pub towards the end where Caroline confesses waiting/looking for her father on every Christmas. The acting was very strong. Indeed, it was the acting that kept me watching. The cast consists of a blend of seasoned actors as well as newcomers, all of which were entertaining to watch on screen. The movie too did have a pretty good Christmas vibe to it and some nice scenes of a Yorkshire town. There was the annual Christmas fair in Howden, and, of course, a Nativity play. Overall, it is a rather weak Christmas movie, I am afraid. That said, if you are looking for a movie with quirky (and often mean-spirited) characters, occasional laughs, and a bit of the holiday spirit, then 'Father Christmas is Back' may be just what you are looking for.