Scrooged - 1988

“Irreverent” comedy based on the classic “A Christmas Carol.” Although all the basic elements of the story are there, this is definitely a different version of the classic tale. The acting is over the top by both Murray as well as some of the supporting cast but its not too surprising for this type of film. As only a so-so fan of Murray, he was just a little TOO cynical at the beginning and TOO gooey at the end to bring across the comic aspect of this film for me, so not a lot of laughs here. The changes to the “ghosts” were lots of fun, however, and definitely added some comic elements. Enjoyed the creativity in the updated story! Though not a personal favorite, this is a great movie if you like (a) irreverent comedies (b) you’re fond of Bill Murray and (c) you like “A Christmas Carol” in ALL its numerous forms so don’t be afraid to give it a try. (If you’re a Dickens purist, skip this one!) For me, possibly 2 1/2 stars.

12 Men of Christmas - 2009

Light-hearted romantic comedy. Leaving her high powered job and moving to Montana, E.J. (Chenowith) finds herself promoting a male calendar. This predictable story had few twists but moved along smoothly. (It has even loosely included a few plot elements from Austen's "Pride & Prejudice") Along the way E.J. falls for Mr. December (no surprise) but the romantic elements were pretty low key. Performances were Ok but nothing special and the chemistry between the characters struggled a little. Although billed as a Christmas film, there were few actual references to the holidays making it a definite change of pace from the usual “Santa” or “It’s a Wonderful Life” variations. It certainly would not be at the top of my favorite Christmas films, but as a soft touch when it comes to the holidays, I still found this enjoyable. ***

Christmas Do-Over - 2006

So-so Christmas comedy. A divorced man (Mohr) finds himself repeating Christmas Day, each time trying to change the outcome. With an almost identical plot to the successful “Groundhog Day” with Bill Murray, the premise for this story had potential. Unfortunately, this film didn’t have the charm to pull it off. Performances were Ok, but Jay Mohr was really over-the-top obnoxious which only succeeds in making you vote for the other guy! In fact, few of the characters were very likable which made it hard to care about the outcome. The filming was Ok, but the Christmas Day repeats start to get annoying. You feel as if the story is trying to pound its point across rather than letting the emotions evolve naturally. Definitely better choices available. **

Santa Baby 2: Christmas Maybe - 2009

So-so sequel. When Santa (Sorvino) decides to retire, he wants Mary (McCarthy) to take over the job. Unfortunately, there were some pretty big holes between this storyline and that of its predecessor. Even well into the movie there is little explanation for where the first story left off and this story begins. Mary must go home and again save the day, but you are surprised that she wasn’t already there in the first place! It was also disappointing to have new actors in more than one of the major roles. Santa was apparent immediately, but the boyfriend took some time before we realized that he was the same character, just a new actor. The main outline of this film’s “Christmas conflict” was fairly clever but it really struggled to come together. Nor was Mary’s character as enjoyable this time around. In the first film you felt she just hadn’t “found” herself but in this one you were annoyed she was acting so selfishly. We are pretty forgiving of holiday films so even with its problems we still moderately enjoyed this one. ***

Santa Baby - 2006

Likeable Christmas film. After her father, Santa (Wendt), suffers a mild heart attack, Mary (McCarthy) must leave her corporate job to help with Christmas. This light-hearted holiday film included the usual concerns that Christmas would be ruined, the failure of any attempts to change Santa's system and the love triangle where a choice must be made between the "bad" and the "good" boyfriend. Although completely predictable, the storyline was still fairly charming with some fun comic moments, especially watching the elves try to cope with Mary's addition of new technology. There was also some wonderful chemistry between the characters. Performances were good from both the main and the supporting cast. We were particularly fond of the portrayal of Santa (Wendt) and Mrs. Claus. Definitely an enjoyable addition to our Christmas viewing. Maybe 3 1/2 stars. ***

Jingle All the Way - 1996

Moderately enjoyable Christmas comedy. Workaholic Howard (A.S.) has forgotten to purchase the coveted Turbo Man for his son’s Christmas. Finding that everywhere is sold out, Howard ends up on a fervent hunt to find one. Admittedly, this is an unrealistic, goofy story. In its defense, though, it never actually pretends to be anything deeper. The situations are mostly ridiculous, the acting is often over-the-top and the conclusion is completely off the wall. But it all seems to be part of the intended outcome. The comic aspects of the film are a little forced with much of the humor coming from comic violence. And the underlying message that at all costs you must get your child whatever they are demanding is moderately uncomfortable, but the story is so improbable that it’s hard to take either of these issues very seriously. In spite of its problems, we usually watch this one every year.  ***

Ernest Saves Christmas - 1988

Light-hearted comedy from the memorable Ernest (Jim Varney). For those of us who remember the lovable Ernest, this was probably the best of his films. Ernest steps in to aid an aging Santa in his search for his replacement. Along the way we meet some of Varney’s most unforgettable characters. (His snake man really had me chuckling!) Even my teens, who are certainly too young to remember Ernest, found themselves laughing at some of his antics. The story itself is somewhat cheesy (as are many Christmas films), but the special effects are surprisingly pretty good. Although not at the top of my Christmas watch list, this film was great fun. ***

Christmas Caper - 2007

So-so romantic comedy Christmas film. After she narrowly escapes being arrested during a robbery, Cate (Doherty) hides out at her sisters while she is away on vacation. Gradually Cate finds herself changing as she cares for her sisters kids. The storyline for this film was certainly predictable, unbelievable and cheesy, with few changes to this often used outline. However, this is certainly the case with many of the Christmas shows being churned out these days. Still, if you are a holiday film enthusiast like me, you don’t seem to mind some mindless fluff with its sentimental, happy ending if a little Christmas spirit is thrown in. Performances were good, although I’m not a fan of Shannen Doherty. She was perfect in the role, however, and made a good transition from the cynical thief to a loving, caring human being. Definitely not at the top of my Christmas film list but Ok for at least one viewing. ***

Bye Bye Birdie - 1995

Mildly entertaining musical. Since the storyline has always seemed a little silly, this has never been one of my favorite musicals. Even so, it still had several strengths. This version definitely stays closer to the original play and includes the musical numbers that were cut in the ’63 film. There were several strong performances, including Jason Alexander, Vanessa Williams and Tyne Daly. Unfortunately, the weakest performances were that of Chynna Phillips and Marc Kudisch. As Conrad, Kudisch had a wonderful singing voice, but his dance moves were very stilted. As the teenage Kim, Phillips looked and acted completely out of place. She was simply too old for the role and it was glaringly obvious. Since these were two of the pivotal roles, it definitely weakened the entire film. Just Ok. **

Bye Bye Birdie - 1963

Mildly entertaining. Since this storyline has always seemed a little silly, it has never been one of my favorite musicals. Even so, it still had several strengths, with the superb performances of Dick Van Dyke and Ann Margaret probably being at the forefront. Unfortunately, there were several equally weak performances that detracted from the film. The music was enjoyable with some great humor, but several of the numbers from the play have been cut in this film version as well as several major storyline changes. Just Ok. ***

The Haunted Mansion - 2003

Lackluster attempt to capitalize on a Disney favorite. When real-estate agent Jim Evers (Murphy) visits an old mansion with his family, the ghostly owner (Parker) believes Sara Evers (Thomason) is his lost love. There was incredible potential with this film but the story itself was boring, predictable and slow moving, with very little suspense. We found ourselves rolling our eyes more than once. The attempts at humor fell completely flat and were actually grating. The miscasting of Eddie Murphy was probably their first mistake. His acting style was totally out of place for the story. Most of the performances were average, with possibly the exception of Nathaniel Parker of Inspector Lynley fame, and Terence Stamp as the butler. Surprisingly, the children were pretty irritating. One of Disney’s strengths has always been the children in their films, but both the characters themselves as well as the performances were unappealing. The films only redeeming qualities were some great special effects which would probably add 1/2 star. Not enough to save the film, however.  **

Steamboat Bill, Jr. - 1928

Remarkable silent comedy with the incomparable Buster Keaton. When a burly riverboat captain (Torrence) meets his son (Keaton) for the first time, both are somewhat disappointed. As one of Keaton's last great silent films, this is definitely one of his finest. The comedy is outstanding with some truly funny scenes. Watching Buster trying on hats, sneaking off the riverboat or attempting to get his father out of jail will really have you chuckling. Plus, nearly a third of the story involves a cyclone and is filled with the classic physical stunt work which was Keaton’s specialty. This is really some of the most spectacular and funny stunts Keaton ever executed on film. While the buildings are being destroyed around him, Keaton is tumbled and dragged from one scene to the next, including the famous scene of a 2-story house slamming to the ground and Keaton appearing unscathed through the window. His choreography was incredible. Silent films are not for everyone, but this incredible film is certainly not to be missed.  *****

Yours, Mine & Ours - 1968

Enjoyable movie based on the book written by Helen North (“Who Gets the Drumstick”) which tells of their real-life experiences after she met and married Frank Beardsley, joining their two families (18 children). Although not totally accurate, the movie does a great job of portraying many of the emotions and efforts of Helen and Frank to unite their families. The struggles they face are both humorous and touching. Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda have great on-screen chemistry and are very believable in their roles with a great supporting cast. The movie is full of humor and is especially enjoyable because it’s a more realistic portrayal of the situations a family of this size would encounter. Having read the book years ago, I fell in love with this movie and have enjoyed watching it many times. (If you are a fan of more believable humor rather than the slapstick variety, this is the version to watch rather than its recent remake.)  ****

Yours, Mine & Ours - 2005

OK movie remake of Helen (Russo) and Frank (Quaid) who marry, joining their families (18 children). We enjoyed this film but it needs to stand alone without comparisons to its predecessor. The 1968 version made an effort to keep closer to the true story on which it was based whereas this film kept only the barest outline. The characters and family situations bear little resemblance to the original. That said, this version of this large blended family is still fun if you enjoy the slapstick style of comedy. Both Russo and Quaid do a good job in their roles as do the kids, although both Helen’s character with its “free expression” and no discipline along with Frank’s “not a toe out line” attitude seemed a little over the top to me. The kids were polar opposites in personality as well which was also pretty unbelievable. Both problems, though, came more from the script than the acting. This story is not as believable as the original and has several holes. It is hard to accept that anyone who really loves their kids would marry without introducing the new “parent-to-be” to their children. Or that any parent wouldn’t be grounding their kids for life with some of the antics that go on during this film. Even so, if you set aside the believability factor, this is still an enjoyable family film.  ***

That Darn Cat - 1997

Pale remake of the Disney ’65 classic. When a watch appears  around the neck of her cat, Patti (Ricci) is convinced it belongs to a woman who has been kidnapped. Admittedly, the premise for this story was not very believable, and unlike its predecessor, this version never succeeded in making you feel otherwise. Although mostly a comedy, this one had little of the suspense of the earlier story, nor did you develop any sympathy for the victim as you did for the bank teller in the ’65 film. Performances were pretty flat. Ricci’s character was pretty unappealing and showed so little curiosity and/or interest in the “mystery” that it was hard to believe she would have contacted the FBI in the first place. The portrayal of the agent (Doug) assigned to the case went beyond incompetent to just plain ridiculous. (sigh) The parents were only so-so and even the CAT paled in comparison! The film also skipped any of the former intelligent physical humor of its predecessor and went straight to the slapstick style, resorting to plenty of gooey stuff, a crazy car chase and spectacular explosions. The only redeeming factor was Dean Jones, and although his inclusion was only minor, it was wonderful to see him again. Definitely wouldn’t watch again. **

That Darn Cat - 1965

Delightful Disney classic! After her cat shows up with a watch around its neck, Patti (Mills) is convinced it came from a recently kidnapped bank teller. When the FBI gets involved, one of their agents (Jones) sets up surveillance to follow the cat. This humorous story is well written with some witty dialog and comic situations. Great interactions between each of the main characters as well as the many supporting characters, from the nosy neighbors to the jealous boyfriend. Although mainly a comedy, there is also some good suspense. The kidnappers (Gorshin & Brand) are actually fairly chilling and you feel the fear of the bank teller. Performances were wonderful from everyone, including the cat! Especially loved the nosy neighbors, Lancaster and Demarest, who steal every scene they are in! It was also great fun, however brief, to see Ed Wynn as the jeweler. The filming was good and although the film included plenty of comic physical humor, this film managed to avoid the overdone silly slapstick of its ’97 remake. This is definitely a family favorite!  *****