Il faut croire au père Noël

With rumors going around that Christmas is going to be cancelled because of COVID restrictions, the title of this movie feels so relevant to today. I strongly recommend other people to watch this movie whilst it's most relevant.

This movie was painfully creepy to watch. The plot was typical of a Christmas movie and had potential to be a good movie. But it was poorly written and executed.

Santa and his Elf came off as very creepy. Like the kind of creepy in which you wouldn't let your children within 1000 feet of them. This was one of the worse portrayals of Santa and an elf I've ever seen.

I didn't like Santa and I didn't like the elf. And i should like these characters, but i didn't.I tried to like them but couldn't even force myself to like them. I wanted Santa to fail( and go to jail for something cause i really felt like that's where him and his creepy elf belonged.) This movie is a waste of time unless you like watching bad movies.

Christmas films can go either way, which has been my experience watching overtime the festive output of primarily Lifetime, UPTV and Hallmark amongst those other companies. They can either be well-meaning, charming, warm-hearted and don't feel too heavy. Or they can be too over-sentimental, cheesy, contrived and bland. There have been many films of theirs that have fallen in both camps and in the camp where there is a bit of both. And 'Cancel Christmas' did have the sort of premise where the execution could have gone either way.

Have seen my fair share of above average and more Christmas films recently, but 'Cancel Christmas' is not one of them. If anything, it is the complete opposite, among Hallmark's weaker earlier Christmas films and among the worst recently seen festive films. This is not being said with pleasure, actually really wanted to get at least guilty pleasure vibes from watching 'Cancel Christmas' despite not being totally enamoured by the premise. But the film couldn't even come close to reaching that.

Not everything is terrible. Some of the scenery is nice.

Unfortunately, it is cheapened by production values that are very rushed looking and indicative of hasty production and shoestring budget. The music is of the kind that works decently on its own but is never harmonious within the film itself, it needed to be more subtle and some of the placement isn't appropriate. The direction has no energy and is too gimmicky.

The script goes way too far on the cheese and schmaltz and is constantly awkward sounding, certainly don't mind goofiness and it has worked well many times but calling the goofiness exaggerated is being far too kind. The pace is a mess of lifeless and too hectic depending on what's going on and is thin and predictable, the goofiness as said is overkill as is the unintentional creepiness. Heart and charm are pretty much absent.

Didn't care for any of the characters, for example instead of the jovial and benevolent Santa that has been forever engraved in my head this one has too much of a creepy sleazebag vibe. The acting is over the top in most roles and Judd Nelson sleepwalks through his role as Santa.

Summing up, very, very bad. 2/10.

Wonderful movie. The kind you what to watch more than once. There are a lot of Christmas movies this time of year and I beginning to think that they were all shot out of the back of a moving van for $2.50, it is nice to see one that looks like some time and effort was put into it. With so many families stretched and stressed the message that this movie sends is a nice one making it well suited for all members of the family. I had never thought of Judd Nelson as "Santa" but he did a good job, it works and I love the elf - which proves that elfs come in all sizes because this one isn't typical but is fun. Anyone wanting to see a light fun heart warming holiday movie should definitely take at look at this one. Well done.

I wish that Hallmark would spring for come credible writers and stop cranking out this drivel. Judd Nelson looked like he drank his way through the production. The maniacal laugh of that elf and his crazy-faced grimacing smile made him look like an escapee from a mental institution.

Totally formulaic characters and dialog. Heart of gold single-mother teacher with the requisite sick kid, adorable dog, rich father who bails his kid out of trouble with money, intimidated principle who lets rich daddy bully her. I could tell 10 minutes ahead everything that would happen. A major snooze.

And no wonder Farley hated his father - I'd stab him in his sleep for that horrible name.