El Camino Christmas

Could have been better and only ironicly funny. Good premise for the story and good cast a bit wasted by plot and script.

Will it win an Oscar or an Emmy? Heck no. Was it fun to watch? Yeah it was.

Kudos to Netflix for making this. Tim Allen really shined and it was great to see Kurtwood Smith also. It was a good time-occupier, had a good ending. Cinematography? Script? Sound? whatever, it was fun and well cast.

Hope Netflix can keep producing things like this and "Godless". You gotta swing the bat to make a hit and "El Camino Christmas" was a solid single (while Godless was a stand up double, maybe a slide-in triple).

Whether you think El Camino Christmas is a good film or not may depend on your expectations. Objectively, it's a long way from being a classic (Christmas or otherwise), but if you're looking for an easy watch with a bit of fun sprinkled in, then this film will fit the bill.

Luke Grimes is decent in the lead role, and the rest of the cast also put in a good shift. The action moves along at a healthy pace, and clocking in at just under 90 minutes it doesn't outstay its welcome.

The storyline is a classic "how did we get here?" tale, with one unfortunate incident leading to another. Only in the last half hour does it venture from the just-about plausible to the faintly ridiculous.

El Camino Christmas isn't a film that will change your life, but there's a good chance you'll finish watching it with a smile on your face.

**WARNINGS**

First warning: If this were a rated film, it would be "R", not only for the multiple F-bombs, but the subject matter and plot.

Second warning: This ain't Hallmark. There are some funny moments, but overall, this is pretty dark. It's not a typical "Christmas" movie. In fact, there isn't a super strong connection to Christmas.

That said, I enjoyed it a lot. Tim Allen is definitely playing against type. I believe it's hard to play "stupid" convincingly, but Dax Shepard pulls it off. Michelle Mylett looks very familiar, but upon checking IMDb, it's doubtful I've seen her before. I predict we'll see a lot more of her. The rest of the star-studded cast turn in an excellent ensemble performance.

It's a bit predictable in parts, but still a very enjoyable movie. And in the end, you really are in the Christmas spirit.

Turned this on with my morning coffee not expecting much. It turned out to be a really fun ride. It wasn't exactly unpredictable, the story wasn't elaborate, and it was all over shortly after it begins. Even so, it was a brief and unexpected roller coaster of emotion. Not a bad way to spend a couple of hours.