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At first, this has all the appearance of a low-budget Christmas movie and to be fair that is exactly what it is - however, it is a cut above some of the really bad ones like The Town that Cancelled Christmas. Some of the acting is fairly mediocre, the story though is quite engaging with likable enough characters and some nice scenery to enjoy. There are even a couple of well-known musical numbers to sing along to. You can tell that everyone involved in making the film has at least tried to produce something decent and if you give it a chance, it's quite watchable. One the younger members of the family will probably quite enjoy along with mum on a wet Sunday afternoon.

The book 'Round Ireland with a Fridge' is a great read and its author, Tony Hawks, comes across as someone you'd happily stop to offer a lift to or spend a pleasant few hours exchanging amusing anecdotes down your local pub with. The film attempts to recreate the same light-hearted tone as the book; Hawks is engaging in the central role, coming across as a slightly world-weary individual who is searching for his raison d'etre in the most preposterous of situations. The film never quite matches the subtle humour of the book; nor does it do itself any favours with the portrayal of some of the characters who come across as somewhat clichéd in a 'Father Ted' kind of way (though Sean Hughes is good in a brief cameo appearance). Expect gently amusing rather than laugh out loud but with a fair degree of charm, a fine soundtrack and the likable Hawks as a genial travelling companion this is worth a watch, especially for fans of the book.

I just watched Rocky V again for the first time in a few years. I have always maintained it is a better film than many give it credit for and wasn't disappointed. Okay, there are a few flaws such as the way in which Rocky loses his fortune is unconvincing; a few scenes such as the press conference following Rocky's return from Moscow could have been tighter; the fight scene at the end is a little anti-climatic.

However, there are some great things about the film too: the opening & closing credits for one; the references to earlier films including the Mickey flashbacks; the whole 'back to the streets' scenario. 'Rocky Balboa' picks up on some of the threads from Rocky 5, notably the father-son relationship. I can see why people found Rocky 5 a disappointing ending to the series (as it appeared to be in 1990) but in the light of Rocky Balboa, it becomes a worthy addition to a great series!