Written BY: John Costello
1. Four Christmases
Vince Vaughan and Reese Witherspoon are an unmarried couple whose tropical vacation is cancelled resulting in a forced holiday with their four respective families. With a strong supporting cast like Robert Duval and Jon Favreau – the writing of this movie fails every actor at every step. It’s a high-stress comedy without many endearing moments to help bring the film together emotionally. A film for the holidays without all that holiday cheer. Do something better for yourself over the holidays. Play board games, make gingerbread houses, watch paint dry… it would be a better use of your time than watching Four Christmases.
2. Bad Santa 2
Bad Santa is a raunchy holiday comedy which surprised viewers with its heart of gold performance by Billy Bob Thornton. Supported by performances of Tony Cox and Bernie Mac, Bad Santa couldn’t help but win you over… but Bad Santa 2? Steals the goodwill from your stockings and leaves you with lumps of coal. The movie starts off by undoing the happy ending of the first movie… the thing that made the characters endearing in the last movie was their growth, and Bad Santa 2 says “what growth?” It lacks all the vulnerability from the first movie. I won’t spoil Bad Santa 2, but it’s not a spoiler to say that the movie loves itself less than the first movie did. Kathy Bates plays Thornton’s mother in the film, but it doesn’t help the movie get better. The film takes place 13 years after the original, and the time off did not make for a better product. The first movie is worth a rewatch, and this second movie is worth a regift.
3. Home Alone 3
Scoring a whopping 35% on rotten tomatoes, Home Alone 3 has the same problem Bad Santa 2 has… we didn’t need it. This movie is not John Hughes best work. The issues with the film are as follows: no Joe Pesci, no Macaulay Culkin. The lack of the McAlister family in this is why it doesn’t live in the same hallowed grounds as its predecessors. The plot is a mess, and the 8-year-old protagonist must tangle with four internationally wanted terrorists with connections to North Korea. The day is saved by a parrot. Not much more needs to be said.
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