Three Wiser Men and a Boy

I've been a grump lately with very little options to watch this Christmas. I ended up rewatching Klaus coz I feel like there's not much family Christmas story this year since most movies are trying so hard to be edgy and different that they mostly lost the plot on what it takes to be a Christmas story.

This movie is such a heartwarming holiday watched. It is simple, yet it showcases what it means to be a human and flawed. It also showcases the importance of family and how to be accepting of change in our lives given that change is the only thing that's constant whether that change happened very slowly or suddenly. We have to learn how to adapt and accept things as they be.

Okay, that's too dramatic. But yeah, it's a great movie to watch if you are looking for something that will make you smile this Christmas.

Nicely written again by Paul Campbell and Kimberley Sustad, along with Russell Hainline, the brothers are back along with most of the cast from the first "Three Men" movie. Everyone is excellent here - even the outcast kids who are cute and funny without being overbearing.

The standouts are Paul Campbell and Fiona Vroom as the anxiety ridden couple, Stephan and Susie, and Margaret Colin as the brothers' mother, Barbara. Campbell has a particularly hilarious scene when he has to sit down to dinner with Barbara'a new boyfriend and his interactions with Susie are quite endearing as they both struggle with their emotions. Colin's Barbara is still direct and matter-of-fact yet sweet and good-hearted. Colin excels in this role and her characterization of Barbara may be the best mother ever in a Hallmark Christmas movie. Who wouldn't want a Mom like her ? The producers and director had the good sense to feature many of same locales and sets as in the first movie, which provides some nice continuity so you really feel like you are re-visiting this family. It may not be as perfect as the first movie, but It is definitely a worthy sequel - and it just makes you want to see more of this cast and their characters. A third one would be very welcome. They just have a way of really putting you in the Christmas spirit.

6.6 stars.

I feel like this is a confused film. It's as if it's trying to continue from where the last one left off, while trying to convince us that five years have elapsed. However, I don't feel familiar with the brothers or the story at all. It feels foreign.

When I saw the first one, I felt similar, as if it was too silly with no plot. But I rewatched and it was better. I'm not sure if I have to watch this one again for it to improve, but I'm not feeling up to the challenge at this point. I have a gut feeling it is not going to get any better.

The plot is weak. And the way they orchestrate this children's Christmas play is strange. Would grown men actually be so inept? I'm watching three adult men bumble like adolescents. I thought they grew up by now. They actually regressed.

The story doesn't flow and contains some exquisitely slow moments. It's hard to blow a movie with so many great actors.

Two years ago Hallmark put three of their regular Christmas romance actors together in one movie as an odd set of brothers, and the formula meshed. We found the movie to be inventive and surprising, and Tyler Hines stole the show with his understated performance but impeccable comic timing.

Two years later the story has moved five years in the future, and sadly, this story just tried to do too much. That made the presentation fractured, with not enough weight on any of the story elements to really give them the time and detail they deserved.

The objection to the mother's new paramour was trite. Tyler Hines' romance was fun, but we got too little of it. The Christmas show was amusing, but again, too little to really get to know the kids involved.

This needed to be two or three movies to do justice to everything they tried to bring across, but only delivered the "lite" versions.

It won't be a repeat watch for us.

This was such a cute movie, I enjoyed it throughout. I will admit I didn't care for the first one, this one however was adorable. These three actors, AW, PC and TH have great chemistry together, I like the fact they didn't make TH so over the top grouchy, grumpy and goth looking, he had real redeeming qualities!

I also loved the Mom and her relationship with her boys. Each brother has his own quirks, insecurities and lovable attributes which brought a nice level of authenticity to the film. I also enjoyed the mom wanting to find her way in the world, have a second chance at love but at the same time wanted to make sure her boys understood where she was coming from, that she loved them and their feelings mattered to her, excellent acting here! The little boy was also very adorable! Congratulations to Kimberley Sustad (one of my favorites), Paul Campbell and Russell Hainline as the writers, great job!