Christmas on Mistletoe Farm

I watched this not expecting anything except maybe a cheesy hallmark type romcom. It's so ridiculous I laughed like crazy. I kept watching to see if it got worse. And it didn't disappoint! I think it was made for elementary kids, who like slapstick comedy. I kept expecting Macaulay Calkin to jump out anytime. Might be a fun movie for kids. Throw in a little sci-fi and you'd have the perfect film for mystery science theater. And don't forget there's many references to the village people thrown in. And a western theme only those from London who have never left the city could come up with.

The acting is horrid. But the animals are cute. And the story is disjointed. It's a story my 8 year could have easily written and directed.

Toss your adult expectations. This is not a typical Hallmark moment, but a funny, frenetic flick that is chock full of quirky characters, most of whom have ADHD. The colors are bright and cheery and give the film a real upbeat vibe. I loved all the adorable animals.

Like most holiday movies, the plot is simplistic but it has a lot of heart. It focuses on family and new beginnings after loss. It left me with real holiday spirit. Kids will not be bored and some adults, like me, will find it endearing. I think this could become a classic. Warning for the wokeaverse: there is a mixed race kiss at the end and two of the characters might be gay.

Then the family goes to the farm. I watched (and liked) it and even laughed out loud a couple of times. That is, until the children (who are charming) meet the farm hand, Beano. The character was so, so over the top (think a British Jim Carrey on coke or meth). His frenetic energy and ZERO pauses/breaks/downtime were overwhelming. It was like he was trying to channel Robin Williams, but the bits he did felt very, very rehearsed, with none of the improvisational charm Williams was so famous for. We only made it about 15 minutes after his introduction. I just couldn't take it any more. It had potential, which makes it sad. Even that character could have been tolerable if he hadn't been running at 1000% every moment he was on screen. Maybe David Frost or a different British comic could have done the role justice...

As I read the reviews, I agreed with every one of them. The good, the bad, and the ugly. This movie was just great. Such a range of feelings. I was stupefied and laughing and even a few moments of teary-eyed. It was awful and fabulous, terrible and glorious all at the same time. The kids were fantastic! Buster was my favorite. The adults all hilariously overacted. Beano was very endearing. The animals were perfection. It was very unique and I enjoyed every moment of it! It reminds me of a television version of an English Christmas panto!! You should watch this, just for kicks, and without much expectation.

Well, whadyaknow, a Christmas film with no boring bits.

This is a crazy film with crazy characters and crazy situations so you can't equate it to real life. It's not intended to. The 100 minutes just flew by.

Forget about any deep analysis. All you have to do is sit down and enter into the spirit of it. It's clearly aimed at younger children but if you're still young at heart, like me, it will be fun. Add in the feel-good factor and Bob's your Uncle.

Christmas films are not really my thing but I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Bonus. The music was excellent.

Shame the village is fictional otherwise I'd be moving there pronto!!