The 12 Days of Christmas Eve

So we've all become familiar with the standard Hallmark/Lifetime holiday movie season. Most of the movies follow very familiar formulas, and that can be great, but they do tend to run together after a while.

This one, though, stands out a bit. Part of that is Grammer's performance, he's a perfect moodern Scrooge analog. It's hard to imagine this working as well without him. Another thing that really works here is the somewhat darker take on Santa. Not too dark, don't worry, but I do think there's a bit of a mythic trickster quality to him here that I quite like.

There are a few things that still fall a bit flat. For example, some of the protaginist's arguments with his daughter seem rushed and out of nowhere, and their relationship particularly gets a tad repetitive. But overall this is one of the better tv holiday movies I've seen.

Now, when I sat down to watch the 2022 Christmas movie "The 12 Days of Christmas Eve", I must admit that I was expecting something good, since the movie had Kelsey Grammer on the cast list, and he is usually quite good in movies such as this. I have not heard about "The 12 Days of Christmas Eve" prior to sitting down to watch it.

Writer Eirene Donohue managed to put together not only a very wholesome storyline here, but also a script that proved very entertaining and enjoyable. And the writer really made this feel like a proper Christmas movie, so thumbs up on that accomplishment. Eirene Donohue really gave director Dustin Rikert something grand to work with here.

The acting performances in "The 12 Days of Christmas Eve" were good, and just as I had assumed then Kelsey Grammer really made this an enjoyable movie with his performance. He is a great actor and really shines in a movie such as this. But I will say that they had a good cast ensemble in general, and the actors and actresses put on good performances on the screen.

If you enjoy Christmas movies then you definitely have to watch "The 12 Days of Christmas Eve". This does without a doubt have the potential to become a Christmas classic. I genuinely enjoyed watching this movie and was quite entertained. It is a wholesome Christmas movie that doesn't fall into that usual sappy romantic formula, you know where a man and a woman fall in love against all odds, that many Christmas movies unfortunately have a tendency of doing. This is a movie that really brings to the screen the purpose of Christmas and the holiday spirits.

My rating of "The 12 Days of Christmas Eve" lands on a well-deserved seven out of ten stars.

Not sure what scrooges the people that have this 1 or 2 stars are but this is a beautifully executed holiday movie.

It's obviously not an original script but it's been written in a way that is highly relatable and connects with the audience.

I wouldn't call this a typical feel good movie but there are emotions throughout more like a holiday rollercoaster.

Acting is on point and I'd be happy to watch this again or possible every year.

Not sure what scrooges the people that have this 1 or 2 stars are but this is a beautifully executed holiday movie.

It's obviously not an original script but it's been written in a way that is highly relatable and connects with the audience.

I wouldn't call this a typical feel good movie but there are emotions throughout more like a holiday rollercoaster.

Acting is on point and I'd be happy to watch this again or possible every year.

The 12 Days Of Christmas Eve (2022) -

I really hadn't expected to get very far in to this one because the previous Kelsey Grammer seasonal films that I've seen have not hit the right notes with me at all. However I have to say that this one really surprised me. Although there were still some very silly bits that could have been tamed slightly to make it less cheap.

A tweak on Dickens 'A Christmas Carol' story and in the style of 'Groundhog Day' (1993) Kelsey in his role of Brian was given 12 days to fix the problems he had created in his life with his family, work and his outlook on life in general. As I watched I did feel that it's a shame that these redemptions always find people so late in life. I'm 44 and need someone to show me the true meaning of Christmas already! Don't wait until I'm so old and decrepit that I can't really make a big enough difference please? Or are the powers that be waiting for me to make my fortune first? (Good Luck).

What followed was a repeated, yet cleverly not a repetitive day of working out how to rebuild his relationship with his daughter Michelle, (Kelsey's real life daughter Spencer Grammer) and I have to say that actually he should have succeeded by about day 6 if it wasn't for the fact that Michelle didn't exactly make things easy for him. I'm sure he had a long history of cocking up and not being there for her, but she did throw it back in his face when he did try so what does that say about her? Like Father, like Daughter I supposed?

It had some humour and didn't go too far with the extremities and although not everyone was an amazing performer, perhaps they were directed to be a bit over the top, it was ultimately a charming message and full of heart so that the daft bits didn't matter so much.

And it was certainly better than his actual 'Christmas Carol' (2004) attempt. I'd watch this one again.

7.59/10.

IN A NUTSHELL: When Brian Conway, a successful businessman whose family relationships have suffered, gets in a car accident on Christmas Eve, Santa gives him twelve chances to redo the day and repair the relationships in his life, including with his daughter Michelle.

The film was directed by Dustin Rikert, and written by Eirene Donohue.

THINGS I LIKED: I adore Kelsey Grammer. He tends to play the same character in every movie, but it suits his personality. We even get to hear him sing a little bit. He sang the opening song in his popular TV show Frasier. I loved that show.

Spencer Grammar plays Kelsey Grammer's daughter in the movie, and she really IS his daughter in real life!

I love movies that loop, giving the protagonist time to redo his/her choices to become a better person. One of the characters actually talks about that kind of movie and explains that the time loop stops "when they stop being selfish and start helping other people." Kelsey Grammar played a Starship captain in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation where his character had been stuck in a time loop for over 90 years.

There are plenty of positive messages about life and the true meaning of Christmas.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: It's super cheesy and predictable.

There are quite a few bad green-screen moments.

The scenarios are ridiculous.

A surgeon who can't figure out how to get a babysitter?

Spencer Grammer's character is cranky, impossible to please, and demanding during most of the movie.

Some bad editing and transition moments.

Some bad acting moments.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Lots of alcohol Talk of death Adults will probably get more out of the lessons in the movie than their kids.

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