A Dog for Christmas

I stumbled upon the 2015 Christmas movie titled "A Dog for Christmas" by random chance, though it was titled "Christmas Staycation" here for some reason. Regardless, I opted to sit down and watch the movie given the season and all, and with it being a movie that I hadn't already seen.

And while "A Dog for Christmas" is a Christmas movie, it sort of felt like a watered down attempt of making a movie similar to the "Nation Lampoons Christmas Vacation", except writers Joel Paul Reisig and Scott Voshel didn't manage half the amount of comedy and laughs that the "Nation Lampoons Christmas Vacation" managed. Nor did they manage to create the same amount of contents to the movie that makes it suitable for a yearly viewing in the holiday seasons.

Sure, "A Dog for Christmas" can be seen, but it is the type of movie you will watch only once. And the title of the movie was sort of stupid as the dog part only was in the last minute or so of the movie.

What worked well enough for this movie was the cast, which included Dean Cain - though in a minor role. And also Richard Karn - whom I haven't seen since "Home Improvements".

Ultimately then "A Dog for Christmas" is a Christmas movie that is bound to be forgotten rather quickly, as the storyline is subpar and feels like a poor man's version of "Nation Lampoons Christmas Vacation".

My rating of director Chris Nickin and Joel Paul Reisig's "A Dog for Christmas" lands on a generous three out of ten stars.

Hello all, I am the writer and producer. I wanted to reply to the comments here.

In general, I agree. If you sat down to watch this movie with your little kids, and you're expecting a cute Christmas movie - you're going to think that this is the worst movie ever made!

The movie was never intended for kids, grandmas, or the Hallmark crowd. The title "A Dog For Christmas" was forced on me by the original distributor. It's a terrible title, there's no dog in my movie! Same thing with the artwork. I was given no say in the matter. The movie has nothing to do with Santa. But the original distributor did not care, at all.

If you watch the movie for what it is, you might actually like it. So what is it? It is a lower budget version of Christmas Vacation, made for adults who have seen Christmas Vacation twenty times and would like to try something new. Does the movie have a plot? Barely. Does Christmas Vacation have a plot? Barely. Both are movies about having your entire extended family in for Christmas. Both are quite funny and relatable. One (ours) has a much lower budget.

Send the kids to bed. Have some drinks. Enjoy the movie.

One of those movies made without a script or plot or acting or a professional cameraman or lighting concerns. Shot with an i-phone, disjointed and apparently unedited. Absolutely a painful waste of time. The only ones who MIGHT enjoy this would be those who are dull and drunken.

I've rated one star to try and counteract the currently fake 8 star rating.

There seems to be a plot line missing from this movie. Also, no dog.

The lighting is shocking for a Christmas movie, it's harsh and cold whereas it should be warm and comforting,

Dean Cain must have been desperate to take on this turkey.

I couldn't even make it thru the first 5 mins. I kept fast forwarding, hoping it would get better, but it didn't. I can't believe Dean Cain and Richard Kane let themselves be in it. Skip it and find something worth your time. 7.9/10 - NO way!!