Tails of Christmas

We were looking for a happy, sappy Christmas movie as an escape from our maniacal daily lives. Tails of Christmas had so much promise. A great storyline, a production under the Great American Family banner, wonderful cinematography/stage-direction, well-done background music, good-looking actors, DOGS! What could possibly go wrong?

The acting. That's what went wrong. We've seen better acting in middle-school plays. We didn't make it past the 30-minute mark, it was so cringe-worthy. A shame, really, because we've seen some really well-done GAF Christmas movies this 2024 season. GAF made the mistake of deploying nearly an entire pretty-faced rookie cast on Tails of Christmas that otherwise would've been great with some seasoned actors.

Also, if you want to do a movie with "shelter" dogs, you've got to show the dogs in the shelter barking/going crazy, not sitting there like perfect angels. There are ways to direct around that type of realistic chaos.

I don't know if it is director, the script or the actors but I felt I was watching the first table read. The leads were very attractive and had some chemistry but were very stiff and showed very little emotion. A good director should have been able to get more from them. Instead, they just stood looking at each other and recited their lines. The supporting actors performed better, probably due to the fact that they are more experienced actors. The animals were the best part of the movie. They made the movie more watchable. I am sixty six characters too short so I will just ask why I see some reviews that are only two or three lines? Ok, now I'm done.

I loved the movie and the backdrop of a rescue organization. I also loved the chemistry of Ash Tsai and Eric Guilmette. Very wholesome story where the lead seems so sweet. I love all the sweaters.

The other actors were also believable but had limited lines. Most of the dialogue is with the romantic couple.

The well behaved retriever was really adorable and a very good actor. The other pets also performed well. The script could have included more pets and that would have been fun. Everyone loves a dog video and a dog in a movie doing funny things is definitely a way to make things go viral. Bad dogs can be fun.

Whilst doing physiotherapy Caleb meets Amber, who owns an animal shelter. A Year later, Caleb is all better, and happens to drive past Amber's shelter. Being unemployed, he offers to volunteer for her Christmas adoption drive.

With his love for dogs, Caleb manages to make her drive a huge success, and in the process he falls in love with Amber, and an adorable dog named Rex. This dog is so precious that he might just inspire you to adopt a dog yourself!

From a romance perspective, it is just as predictable as a Hallmark movie. I mean, from the moment Caleb and Amber met it is inevitable they would fall in love. But hey, this is a movie with a simple premise, and a real feel-good movie! 'Tails of Christmas' is perfect for a family movie night - especially around Christmas!

The acting wasn't the greatest. Ash Tsai, who portrays Amber, sounded like she was simply saying her lines. She might not be the best actress, but at least her voice is nice and clear and I could hear every word. Eric Guilmette was much better in the role of Caleb, but then again, he is a far more experienced actor. And he's darn cute, too!

I agree with a lot that Lily said. The actors seem like actors reading from a script, not like regular people interacting in real life. The overall tone is even more farfetched than most Christmas TV movies and while this movie wasn't promoted as a GAF Pure Flix movie it had all the hallmarks of one, meaning an over reliance on religion. Caleb, while troubled seems to have a fairly prosperous lifestyle for someone with just a nine year enlistment and no discernable job prospects. You would be better off sticking to the standard Hallmark fare even if the plots are usually predictable and hackneyed.