The Merry Gentlemen

"The Merry Gentlemen" (2024) is a feel-good Christmas movie that delivers exactly what you'd expect: festive cheer, a dash of romance, and a healthy dose of shirtless men dancing. While it may not be a cinematic masterpiece, it's a perfectly enjoyable watch for those seeking lighthearted holiday entertainment.

The film follows Ashley, a Broadway dancer who returns home for Christmas after a career setback. Determined to save her parents' struggling nightclub, she comes up with a rather unconventional plan: a male stripper show featuring local talent.

The premise is undeniably cheesy, but the film embraces its silliness with a wink and a smile. The dance sequences are surprisingly well-choreographed, offering a touch of "Magic Mike" magic to the holiday season. The film's humor is lighthearted and occasionally even laugh-out-loud funny.

The romance between Ashley and Luke, the charming carpenter who joins the dance troupe, is predictable but sweet. The chemistry between the leads is decent, and their relationship adds a heartwarming element to the festive storyline.

While the plot is predictable and the characters are somewhat one-dimensional, "The Merry Gentlemen" is a perfectly enjoyable holiday romp. It's a lighthearted and entertaining film that will leave you with a smile on your face and a touch of Christmas cheer.

6.7 stars.

Honestly, it's the actors that kept me around for this one. First of all, I like both of the lead actors, I think they have a screen presence that really bursts. The elderly parents are well known actors too. But this narrative is weak.

You have a bunch of guys who apparently don't know how to dance, and then they become quasi strippers, in a rundown mom and pop restaurant/bar/club.

I don't know what to make of the narrative because it's somewhat unorthodox.

The lead actress's character is a Broadway dancer for about 10 years or so, and then she gets canned. But she looks like she's 28, which speaks volumes of the fickleness of the theater crowd. And then you have male lead, Luke the handyman, who helps her parents keep their bar operating.

Lead female comes home from the city because she's no longer employed, and figures she can create a male dance routine to regenerate and bring customers back into this failing business.

The dance routines are average, with a couple of real dancers, and a couple of guys who don't really know how to dance, and it just comes together in a flimsy way that fails to entertain.

But I keep watching, because I really like the two lead actors, and I would probably be suckered into viewing anything they are in anyway. Kudos to the casting it's the only thing that kept this charade going.

Frankly, leave this to Hallmark, because they know Christmas movies. I know why Hallmark wouldn't touch it; it's because the dancing was stripper adjacent.

Look... I love cheesy Christmas movies just as much as the next girl, I really want to like this movie, I mean, come on, Lucas Scott dancing on the stage shirtless. Hello?!! It just missed the mark for me.

There wasn't enough character/ relationship development, and it felt very rushed. I gave it a 5 because of shirtless Chad Michael Murray , though. I would have liked to see her parents and a little more and how they play in to make her want to step in more, the dad didn't say very much the entire movie, the scene where Chad gave her the necklace was a bit cringe and kinda out of left field, felt random.

I'm not sure why people go into these Christmas rom-coms expecting some kind of amazing gripping drama. These are for fun, something light hearted and entertaining, and this was exactly that. Was it corny? Sure, but all these movies are. I actually enjoy corny. The main leads had good chemistry together. I love CMM in everything and Brit Robertson is great as well. I would reccomend this for anyone who enjoys these kind of movies. Also side note: it was so random to see Maxwell Caulfield show up in this (aka Michael from grease 2), but it was really great to see him, he looks great!

Is this movie going to blow you out of the water? No. Is it fun? Yes. Did the main leads have great chemistry together? Yes. Is there a happy ending? Yes. All in all worth a watch!

Watched this purely because Chad Michael Murray was in it but he provides the only believable performance out of everyone involved. I like Britt but this was a terrible performance by her, wooden, she looked like someone had dragged her to the set and forced her to do this movie. There was zero chemistry between the leads which was disappointing as I love a cheesy Christmas movie with a happy ending but I couldn't enjoy the happy ending because the chemistry was not there! This missed the mark alot! Basically abs, abs and more abs, are one of the few good parts of the movie! Think my hopes were too high for this one.