The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls

Hallmark set the cat amongst the conservative pigeons back in 2020 when 'The Christmas House' (based in part on star/writer Robert Buckley's childhood Christmas memories) featured an openly gay couple in the main ensemble cast. Insane that people focus and obsess about that - good on Hallmark for (finally) depicting the real world in their Christmas movies.

The Christmas House was fantastic. And the sequel, with a high bar to clear, is just a skosh below the level of the original. That's not to say it's a bad film. Definitely not. The great cast is back, and this time here are TWO Christmas Houses to be decorated, with the Mitchell family in fine form once again.

How good are Sharon Lawrence and Treat Williams as parents Phillys and Bill? Fantastic in every scene.

The relationship between brothers TV star Mike (Buckley) and bakery owner Brandon (Jonathan Bennett) is explored more deeply in the second instalment. And Ana Ayora is back as Mike's childhood sweetheart, Andi Cruz. That relationship has it's speed bumps.

It was always going to be hard to top The Christmas House. As I said above, it doesn't quite match the original, but it's still a really fun film.

Here's hoping for The Christmas House III one of these years.

I was excited to watch 'The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls', as I loved the one last year. From the 'Handsome Justice' clips and father jokes to the maniacal sibling rivalry, 'The Christmas House' was one of my favorite Christmas movies in 2020. And it was one of the funniest Hallmark Christmas movies I have ever seen. So, as you can imagine, 'Deck Those Halls' had a lot to live up to, and I am happy to report that it does not disappoint. It is a fun, clever, and cute film with several laughing-out-loud moments and even a couple of touching scenes to boot. The story follows the Mitchell brothers, Mike (played by Robert Buckley) and Brandon (played by Jonathan Bennett), as they compete against each other on a TV competition show for the King of Christmas. Who can create the best Christmas House this year? Hopefully, the two don't end up destroying everything that gets in their way. The script is great. The writers do a wonderful job again with the dialogue, especially between the brothers. The sibling fights are not only fun to watch but also feel real, a sign of some good writing. This time around the writers spend more scenes developing Mike and Brandon's (back)stories. That is, they add depth to these characters. As a result, we get to know them better, allowing the viewer to invest more in and engage more with their stories. The writers again do a wonderful job of developing the dialogue and interaction between the family members more broadly. Indeed, the family dynamics is what makes these two movies so successful, I think. The setup of the movie in this one is also fun to watch, as there is (competition show) interview footage of family members where they discuss the Christmas House, family traditions, and themselves. These are some of the funniest scenes in the movie. By the way, the magic guy makes an appearance in this one too. Speaking of magic, the cast, like in the first, is brilliant. The chemistry between the family is what makes all this work on-screen. Buckley and Bennett again have impressive performances with some great back-and-forth. I also appreciated the worries and vulnerability they brought to their characters, though in different ways. Though less screen time than the first, Treat Williams (as the Dad) and Sharon Lawrence (as the Mom) still have great performances. They were fun to watch, making me laugh or chuckle a few times (especially their interviews). The rest of the cast also does a great job this time around. Finally, there is plenty of Christmas cheer in this one, as you might expect when the story is partly about the Christmas decoration competition. All in all, 'The Christmas House 2' is a lot of fun from start to finish with some brilliant performances and great (on-screen) chemistry between the cast. It's one of Hallmark's best this season. Let's keep our fingers crossed for a third movie.

A fun to watch Christmas movie, it's light and doesn't follow the usual Hallmark formula. The usual formula is centered on a lone female looking for love, this is about three families and competition between two brothers. It's farcical, not full of hot cocoa, holiday sweets and gingerbread. I haven't seen gingerbread in grocery bakery sections for years, it's very dated.

This is better than the original movie, it has better writing and it moves at a fast clip so there aren't boringly slow conversations that bog down many Hallmark movies. And it's not full of nostalgia for the past like some of the Hallmark movies this year.

I hope Hallmark is planning on a 3rd Christmas House.

I did not even see the first one, but this is a great movie for this year!! I've now seen 5 that I truly like this year and this one is definitely on the list. Full of love, pretty cute characters and acting, I was totally invested in the happiness of the family. Fell in love with them and cannot wait to watch the first one. Please make another one if it's as full of love as this one!!

Is it even possible for a second movie to be better than the first one? Yup! Better acting , better script and the chemistry between all of the actors was amazing. I really really enjoyed it. I also have to say I had no idea there was a second one , I accidentally found it on the plane. So it was Avery nice surprise.

Anyway I'm a Christmas buff so don't take just my word for it watch it and see it. I love it because it not just about romance, which most Christmas movies are these days , but it's about a family and how they celebrate Christmas. Anyway enjoy it . This is way more wordy than I want it but I have to write 600 words to be able to submit . Ha ha merry Christmas.