A Dog for Christmas

I stumbled upon the 2015 Christmas movie titled "A Dog for Christmas" by random chance, though it was titled "Christmas Staycation" here for some reason. Regardless, I opted to sit down and watch the movie given the season and all, and with it being a movie that I hadn't already seen.

And while "A Dog for Christmas" is a Christmas movie, it sort of felt like a watered down attempt of making a movie similar to the "Nation Lampoons Christmas Vacation", except writers Joel Paul Reisig and Scott Voshel didn't manage half the amount of comedy and laughs that the "Nation Lampoons Christmas Vacation" managed. Nor did they manage to create the same amount of contents to the movie that makes it suitable for a yearly viewing in the holiday seasons.

Sure, "A Dog for Christmas" can be seen, but it is the type of movie you will watch only once. And the title of the movie was sort of stupid as the dog part only was in the last minute or so of the movie.

What worked well enough for this movie was the cast, which included Dean Cain - though in a minor role. And also Richard Karn - whom I haven't seen since "Home Improvements".

Ultimately then "A Dog for Christmas" is a Christmas movie that is bound to be forgotten rather quickly, as the storyline is subpar and feels like a poor man's version of "Nation Lampoons Christmas Vacation".

My rating of director Chris Nickin and Joel Paul Reisig's "A Dog for Christmas" lands on a generous three out of ten stars.

A Dog for Christmas is a movie that sets out to be a heartwarming holiday tale but stumbles at nearly every turn. Unfortunately, what could have been a charming and uplifting story is overshadowed by amateurish execution, poor writing, and lackluster performances.

The plot, which revolves around a young girl's wish for a dog during the holidays, is painfully predictable and lacks any emotional depth. Instead of tugging at heartstrings, it delivers shallow, cliché-ridden dialogue that feels more like filler than meaningful storytelling. The characters are one-dimensional, and their interactions are wooden and uninspired, leaving little room for viewers to care about their journey.

The production quality is also disappointing. The cinematography looks like it belongs in a low-budget TV commercial, with flat lighting and uninspired shots that fail to capture any holiday magic. The editing is choppy, and the pacing drags to the point where even a relatively short runtime feels endless.

Perhaps the most glaring issue is the acting. While it's clear that the cast is trying their best, their performances lack polish, ranging from overly exaggerated to completely disengaged. Even the dog, arguably the star of the film, feels underutilized, with only a handful of charming moments that fail to salvage the overall mediocrity.

A Dog for Christmas might appeal to viewers looking for background noise during the holidays, but even then, its lack of charm and professionalism makes it a tough recommendation. If you're searching for a feel-good holiday film, there are far better options out there.

If you like to watch all the different Christmas Movies you will like it. I happen to be big Christmas Movie lover. Yeah I wouldn't give it a 10 but it does deserve a solid 7. Loved the "whole family" theme at one house for the Holidays. I am actually from Michigan and we always spent the holidays together. It is worth a watch.

This movie totally ruins Santa and Christmas for children. It needs to come with a warning so that people with young kids who still believe in Santa do NOT watch it. It certainly should not be listed as a "family" movie. The story line is ridiculous and the acting is horrible. There is a scene where grandpa is reading "The Night Before Christmas" with all the kids snuggled in bed awaiting Santa to arrive, and then they go and show the dads carrying all the presents in from the car, and discussing the fact that they have to do all the work of getting the ""Santa" presents ready. Then they show grandpa up on the roof stomping around trying to make the kids think it's Santa. Then when horrified parents watching this movie with their children who have been fielding questions for 10 minutes about why is wasn't Santa putting those present under the tree think that not all is lost and the movie will explain about the magic of Santa their hopes are dashed. Grandpa and the dad just get into a fight because it was grandpa who bought the dog. No mention of Santa at all. The trailer for the movie should not have pictures of Santa all over it if they were going to show that Santa was not real. If the creators of this movie set out to destroy childhood they did a great job.

I've rated one star to try and counteract the currently fake 8 star rating.

There seems to be a plot line missing from this movie. Also, no dog.

The lighting is shocking for a Christmas movie, it's harsh and cold whereas it should be warm and comforting,

Dean Cain must have been desperate to take on this turkey.