EXmas

I wanted to like this, cause it kept coming up on Freevee to watch but no one in this thing is even remotely likeable. I hated them all. They are just all yucky people.

What kind of family likes their son's ex who left him better than him? And why would they treat him so badly and her so good?

The attraction between the leads was not there. They were so awful to each other and just in general that it made no sense for them to want to get together.

I guess it was ok for what it was, but maybe I just prefer older movies that are actually good. But this one is not good, not even sort of good. It's just not.

I am a curmudgeon who doesn't watch many Christmas movies. I have no idea why I watched this, except Amazon kept pushing it in my face on my home screen on my Fire TV. Anyhoo, I'm so glad I did. It was fun, it was cute, it was tingly, it was emotional, it was irreverent, it was well done.

ABOUT MY REVIEWS:

I do not include a synopsis of the film/show -- you can get that anywhere and that does not constitute a meaningful review -- but rather my thoughts and feelings on the film that hopefully will be informative to you in deciding whether to invest 90-180 minutes of your life on it.

My scale: 1-5 decreasing degrees of "terrible", with 5 being "mediocre" 6- OK. Generally held my interest OR had reasonable cast and/or cinematography, might watch it again 7 - Good. My default rating for a movie I liked enough to watch again, but didn't rise to the upper echelons 8- Very good. Would watch again and recommend to others 9- Outstanding. Would watch over and over; top 10% of my ratings 10 - A classic. (Less than 2% receive this rating). For Lifetime Movies for Chicks (LMFC), drop the above scale by 3 notches. A 6 is excellent and 7 almost unattainable.

In the world of Christmas rom-coms, 'EXMas' attempts to deck the halls but ends up tangling the lights. The film's premise - Graham (played with a surprising lack of charisma) surprises his family for Christmas, only to find his ex-fiancée cozily ensconced with them - could have been a recipe for festive fun. Instead, it's more like overcooked turkey: dry and hard to swallow. The script lumbers from one contrived situation to another, leaning heavily on tired tropes and a telegraphed plot that could have been written by a festive fortune cookie.

The acting is as artificial as a plastic Christmas tree. Graham's family, intended to provide comic relief, instead deliver lines with the enthusiasm of someone reading a microwave manual. And the ex-fiancée? She's as warmly engaging as a snowman in a blizzard. The chemistry between the leads is non-existent, making their inevitable reconciliation as believable as Santa fitting down a modern chimney. The film's attempt at humor relies heavily on awkward dinner table jokes that make you cringe rather than chuckle, and the forced sentimentality is as subtle as a flashing neon reindeer.

Yes, the snowy scenes are picturesque, and the Christmas decorations are on point, but they can't mask the movie's fundamental flaws. 'EXMas' is like that gaudy, over-the-top Christmas sweater: it might catch your eye, but you wouldn't want to be seen with it for too long. In short, this film is the cinematic equivalent of finding coal in your stocking - a disappointment you didn't really want but somehow saw coming.

Some reviewers bashed the movie due to unbelievable circumstances, but that's exactly what makes it funny. I was hesitant to give it a go due to the low ratings but am so glad I did. The writing was alright and l the acting pretty good. Some of the ad lib was hilarious, I love watching moments when comedians light up and other actors lose it. This is not an award winning flick, but several moments cracked me up. I especially liked that there were actually some twists in typical romantic comedy scenes which made it more enjoyable. What really matters most to me is that I felt better after watching it.

I wonder if I watched the same movie as these people giving 1/10s here. Granted, it doesn't do anything shocking to move the genre forward, so I don't expect a massive critical response, but if you're just looking for a cute xmas movie with a few laughs, this fits the bill nicely.

The acting is good, the pacing is good, the jokes landed for me, I thought it covered the bases for a pleasant Sunday easy-watching experience.

If you like movies like The Proposal, I think you'll be happy watching this.

There were a few comments complaining about the treatment of Christianity but I would consider it mild humor in good fun and those people overly sensitive.