Jingle All The Way

 

Name of Movie	Jingle All The Way
Year of Release	1996
Plot	Howard forgets to buy a Turbo Man doll (only the hottest toy for Christmas) leading to a haphazard adventure to find the elusive action figure.
Review	Wrap me up in front of the fire and let me go and pet Ted in the yard!  Love this movie, which is a firm favourite in our household.    Having seen some the online reviews for this movie today it seems this is not universally loved.  But we all have out own taste in everything and this for me is great and for others obviously isn’t    Having lived through Thunderbird island gate I can sympathise with the sentiment of this movie.  Routing for Arnold S.
For more info see imdb.com	https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116705/
Score	8.5/10

The Polar Express

 

Name of Movie	The Polar Express
Year of Release	2004
Plot	On Christmas Eve, a young boy embarks on a magical railway journey on The Polar Express,
Review	Well we can’t all like the same things, and here you may disagree with me. But I cannot stand The Polar Express.    Obviously computer animation has come a long way since 2004, this is not he reason I don’t like it.  The reasons to name just a few: -              As much as I LOVE Tom Hanks, having him voice multiple characters just irritates me for some reason. -              The children (in particular the boy with glasses) irritate me -              Its long and slow paced. Even though it’s 1 hour 40 minutes I feel like it’s more than 2 hours long, it drags and that just aint for me.    Sorry world, I know this movie has its lovers. I’ll just goi and prepare Christmas lunch, or go for a long walk while you watch this.
For more info see imdb.com	https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338348/?ref_=nm_flmg_job_1_accord_2_cdt_c_53
Score	1 out of 10

Elf

 

Name of Movie	Elf
Year of Release	2003
Plot	After sneaking off in Santa’s sack one Christmas Eve, human Buddy has been raised at the North Pole by elves. Not always quite fitting in (literally as well as figuratively).    Will Buddy feel more at home with his human family?
Review	Santa’s coming!!!    For Christmas fans old and young, Elf is a modern Christmas classic. Quirky and fun.    Add in some peril, romance and a grumpy biological father and what it there not to like?   If you want something that’s suitable for all the family, this is it. Just don’t get any ideas of what you will be having for breakfast in future,    A lovely movie.
For more info see imdb.com	https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0319343/
Score	9.9 out of 10

Die Hard

 

Name of Movie	Die Hard
Year of Release	1988
Top 250 ranking	114 (correct on 24th December 2025)
Plot	A New York City cop finds himself in the mist of a terrorist hostage situation, in Los Angeles with his estranged wife being one of the hostages. Will he save Christmas?
Review	So let’s start as we mean to go on. Yes, Die Hard IS a Christmas movie.    It’s set at Christmas, there’s Christmas music, Christmas decorations, lots of Merry Christmases. Add in to this one of the most recognisable movie sentences, and the slowest fall from height of a bad guy and then the less Christmassy themes of blood, explosions, terrorism. Yeah there’s a lot to balance it out there.    You won’t think it as your classic Christmas movie but I would definitely put this up there.    Good 1980s action movie, it can be a bit slow moving in spots, but all wrapped up in a the Christmas time theme!
Hopeless Romantic rating	Romance 2/10 General review of this Christmas classic- 8.5/10
For more info see imdb.com	https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095016/

The Mass Christmas Movie Reviews are coming

So in the spirit of Christmas I have been watching a number of Christmas movies, with none being written up. 

Settle in for some shorter and less detailed than usual thoughts and stats on the movies I've seen in the last week. 

Here goes................

Love Actually

Watched: 17^th December 2025

How watched: At the cinema!!!! (also have on DVD and available currently on Netflix and Amazon Prime)

Rating 7.5 out of 10- from 570,000 reviews
Correct at 21^st December 2025

Who's in it (should really be a list who is not in it!!):

·      Chiwetel Ejiofor as Peter

·      Colin Firth as Jamie

·      Gregor Fisher as Joe

·      Hugh Grant as David, the Prime Minister

·      Sienna Guillory as Jamie's girlfriend

·      Keira Knightley as Juliet

·      Andrew Lincoln as Mark

·      Laura Linney as Sarah

·      Martine McCutcheon as Natalie

·      Lúcia Moniz as Aurélia

·      Liam Neeson as Daniel

·      Bill Nighy as Billy Mack

·      Alan Rickman as Harry

·      Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Sam

·      Rodrigo Santoro as Karl

·      Emma Thompson as Karen

·      Kris Marshall as Colin

·      Abdul Salis as Tony

·      Heike Makatsch as Mia

·      Martin Freeman as John

·      Joanna Page as Judy

·      Olivia Olson as Joanna

·      Billy Bob Thornton as the American President

·      Rowan Atkinson as Rufus – jewellery salesman

·      Claudia Schiffer as Carol

·      Nina Sosanya as Annie

·      January Jones as Jeannie – American angel

·      Elisha Cuthbert as Carol-Anne – American goddess

·      Lulu Popplewell as Daisy

·      Marcus Brigstocke as Mikey

·      Julia Davis as Nancy

·      Ruby Turner as Jean

·      Adam Godley as Mr Trench

·      Élisabeth Margoni as Eleonore

·      Nancy Sorrell as Greta

·      Shannon Elizabeth as Harriet – the sexy one

·      Denise Richards as Carla – the real friendly one

Directed By: Richard Curtis

Year: 2003

Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes


Plot:

A love story in many parts. Following the love lives of multiple characters, interweaving with each other. Will everyone find love?

Interesting Fact About the Film:

 

The airport greeting footage at the beginning and end of this movie is real. Writer and director Richard Curtis had a team of cameramen film at Heathrow airport for a week, and whenever they saw something that would fit in they asked the people involved for permission to use the footage.
Source IMDb.com

Review

Well, what can I say. A staple of the Christmas season for sure. 

This year I had the opportunity to watch it at the cinema, and it did not disappoint. On the ‘big’ screen it was great (not sure why I didn’t see it in the cinema 22 years ago). Yes, you did read that right, this movie is now 22 years old. So, this year the DVD can stay on the shelf, but do not fear it will be back out next year. 

 

The intermingling stories are lovely and charming in their ways (apart from Alan Rickman’s work associate). Any storyline that ends up with the beautiful and talented Emma Thompson crying for a bad reason is not a good story line for me. Each story is linked somehow some of the others.

 

The odd stand in actors storyline is probably the one that doesn’t feel like it fits and was quite embarrassing for my 15-year-old niece. If you know you know. 

 

There are funny moments, cringe moments, sad moments, cute moments and funny moments, Like life really. 

 

Genuinely a lovely film. I will admit there are some comments that now wouldn’t be so well accepted, like the thought that Martine McCutcheon has ‘thighs the size of big tree trunks’, I’d give one of my thick thighs to be anywhere near as skinny as Martine. 

For more information about the film visit the imdb.com page:https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0314331/

 

Hopeless Romantic score- 9 out of 10. 

Christmas at Plumhill Manor

 Watched: 9^th December 2025

How watched: Amazon Prime

Rating: 6.1 out of 10, from 551 reviews
Correct on 10^th December 2025

Who's in it:

 

·      Maria Menounos

·      Kyle Pryor

·      Caroline Colomei 

·      Stewart Alexander

·      David Shaw Parker

·      Carol Royle

 

Directed By: Brian Herzlinger

Year: 2024

Duration: 1 hour 27 minutes

Plot:

 

Margot, a New York City based architect, unexpectedly inherits an English manor house. Off she goes to England, will she find love and happiness? 

Review:

 

I’ve spent a lot of time googling one of the actors to see if they are actually Scottish, because if they are I am truly sorry, but it was one of the most unbelievable Scottish accents I’ve heard! 

 

Also it’s all a bit too ‘green’ to be set at Christmas. 

 

To be honest it could have been set at any time of year, apart from there being Christmas tress and decorations, mention of a Christmas party which is never seen, making a Christmas pudding, some bell ringing and a laughable bit of fake snow seen at one stage this could be about any time of year.  That sentence actually makes it seem like it was all Christmassy. But it really wasn’t. Plonk this movie in any time of year and it fits. 

 

It's generally a sappy and predictable romantic movie. It’s harmless and you know where it’s going to end up. 

 

If you are a fan of the Hallmark movies this is one for you. If you specifically want a Christmas movie I would suggest looking elsewhere.

 
For more information about the films visit the imdb.com page: 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32501660/

 

Hopeless Romantic Score: For being a Christmas movie 3 out of 10, as a general romance movie 7 out of 10. 

The Christmas Chronicles and The Christmas Chronicles 2

 Watched: 8^th and 9^th December 2025

How watched: Netflix

Rating: Part 1- 7 out of 10, based on 91,000 reviews.

Part 2- 6 out of 10, based on 39,000 reviews
Correct on 9^th December 2025

Who's in it:

 

·      Kurt Russell

·      Darby Camp

·      Goldie Hawn

·      Judah Lewis

·      Kimberly Williams-Paisley

·      Julian Dennison (part 2)

·      Jahzir Bruno (part 2)

 

Directed By: Part 1- Clay Kaytis

Part 2- Chris Columbus 

Year: 2018 and 2020

Duration: 1 hour 44 mins and 1 hour 52 mins

Trigger warnings- parent loss. 

Plot:

 

Brother and sister Kate and Teddy have grown apart since the loss of their father. One Christmas Eve a plot to catch Santa Claus on camera leads them to an adventure of a lifetime. 

Review:

 

So why review these two movies together you might ask. They are definitely a part 1 and 2, with part two taking place a few years after part 1. 

 

They also feel very similar to one another. The main thing being that they seem, in places, a little slow paced. 

 

However..... Imagine if The Santa Claus movie and the Santa Clause movies had a baby for the modern audience and this is what this feels like. There's some good little jokes sprinkled throughout as well, along with some 'ahhh' moments. 

 

Harmless Christmas movies for all the family. 

 

Amazing special effects for the North Pole and the magic wizardry you see on screen. 

Good soundtrack and good characters with character development over the two movies.

 

Added into this Kurt Russell is a very believable and likeable Santa. 

 

Would I like to see a part 3? I think the answer is yes please 

 

Part 1 has the slight edge over part 2 for me, but I’m sure others would like part 2 better, it’s all personal taste.

For more information about the films visit the imdb.com page: 

Part 1- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2990140/

Part 2-  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11057644/?ref_=nm_flmg_job_1_accord_2_cdt_t_4

 

Hopeless Romantic Score: 7.5 out of 10 (an average for both movies).