Prismark10 Danny Glover might be too old for this kind of sugar. A spiky feel good festive film but a little slow to get going and too many flat and clichéd characters.Walter (Glover) is the patriarch and recently widowed who has invited his family round for Christmas at his home, a house he plans to sell but as yet not told his kids.In attendance are his daughters Cheryl and Rachel who do not get along. His son Christian who plans to run for congress and his youngest son Evan who is hooked on painkillers after a sports injury.There are other family members and hanger on's such as Christian's campaign manager who wants to redevelop a centre for the destitute that upsets Walter.You have a family squabbling, an errant husband having a bit on the side with a store clerk but it is only sporadically amusing but is inoffensive and is amiable enough to watch at Christmas.

ellesangelo Not perfect but a good one of it's kind. Story about struggles in the family. It is personal - a mother is indeed the great foundation of the family. Once she's gone, it causes great shaking in the relationship. It is funny since the actors are naturally are. Note: I didn't cry but I laughed.

Guy Jeffries David E. Talbert is well versed in fusing comedy and drama with family and relationships; with a growing list of movies like First Sunday and Baggage Claim, proving to be a talented writer as well as being at the helm. This time round it's Christmas themed relating to many dysfunctional families at this festive, yet sometimes troublesome time of year. It's the first Christmas since the Matriarch of the Meyer's family passed away, and following tradition, the large family gather at the family home to celebrate and be festive. As expected, no family gathering, especially of this magnitude goes without drama, as the family try to be civil to another while respecting the family home and head of the family, Walter Meyer. All trying to survive the five day run up to Christmas Day. It's great to see Danny Glover who doesn't seem to have aged at all and maybe he isn't actually getting too old for this s$%t. Though I kept seeing the Murtaugh household, half expecting a car bursting into the lounge or even Riggs to turn up eating dog biscuits. Alas, not. Mo'Nique is incredible as the flamboyant, fast-quipping, verbal bashing Aunt May who does her best to keep the family in check but it's an impossibility with the clashes of egos and different personalities. One narcissistic ex-basketball player, a control freak, the young up and coming pro football player and one running for congress are just a few. It's well paced, and nicely shot with a lovely ambiance to it. It's comical, with some laugh out loud moments but it's far from being the funniest film of the year and it could be comparable to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation but actually loses its festive feeling rather quickly, even the ending, though touching in parts loses any feeling of Christmas all together. It's enjoyable, light hearted, entertaining and better than expected. Not quite worth the big screen ticket but great for an easy-going comedy. Running Time: 8 The Cast: 8 Performance: 8 Direction: 8 Story: 7 Script: 8 Creativity: 6 Soundtrack: 6 Job Description: 6 The Extra Bonus Point: 0 Would I buy the Blu-ray?: Most likely stream. 65% 7/10

markiabonner This movie was great! It made me miss my family dearly and had an amazing soundtrack, which was incorporated really well into the movie.The opening montage was amazing, and really set the tone for the movie.There were some stereotypes, but in reality, there are those quirky characters that only really show up in your life during the holidays. With this being said, there was a lot of great character development, and I feel that each character (even the ancillary ones) were sufficiently complex. They did a great job at not making anyone the concrete villain, which is a testament about life in general.The acting was on point, which is not surprising given the powerhouse cast. Everyone added a necessary element that really brought the story to life, but the movie still ended up feeling very family friendly.I myself appreciated the comedy, even the jokes that fell a little flat seemed right in place.One of the scenes I loved the most is when the entire family started dancing in the kitchen. This scene was 100% realistic to me. It was quite evident that a Black writer wrote the film.I teared up more than a couple of times, and I certainly wasn't the only one. You might think that this is just another Christmas/Holiday movie, but it is so much more. You have to see it to know what I mean; I went to see it twice thus far!