I would like to start off by dedicating this review to all the Christmas movie enjoyers out there. As a fellow advocate for all joyful holiday films, I was definitely intrigued by the combination of the Jonas Brothers and all things merry. To be frank, I did not go into this movie with high expectations (and neither should you), but for a film that is supposed to embody the adventurous joy of any other Christmas film, I did not feel the Christmas spirit. Perhaps if this movie had good music or better dialogue it would be slightly enjoyable, but the real culprit was the exceedingly cliche plot lines, uninspired characters, and the overwhelming lack of Christmas authenticity.
The film’s first offense was the central plot, which follows Nick, Joe, and Kevin as they attempt to make it home from London in time for Christmas, despite being sabotaged by Santa Claus every step of the way. The “racing home for Christmas” storyline is so overdone in the world of holiday movies that there is not much for me to say. However, the Jonas Brothers attempt to add their own unique flair to the movie by performing a variety of original Christmas songs. None of the songs end up capturing the jolly energy that makes holiday music memorable and, unfortunately, the weak musical numbers were not enough to distract from the tired script.
Maybe this is just me, but not every holiday movie requires romance. This film is no exception, especially since the main theme being promoted throughout the film is the importance of being with your family on the holidays. Joe Jonas is the main focus of the romantic side plot when he reunites with an old friend, Lucy, while the brothers are traveling from London to Amsterdam. Throwing the entire focus of getting back to his children aside, Joe and Lucy embark on a journey of rekindling their connection and even share a watered-down Camp Rock “This Is Me”-esque duet. This plotline feels unnecessary as it not only distracts from the brothers’ attempt to get home to their families, but also feels forced and lacks real emotion. Of course, for a film such as this, the point of the romance was likely not to provoke an emotional response from the viewer, but instead, to add another layer of feel-good charm to the plot. In the end, this attempt falls short as it feels more like a thoughtless distraction from the real message than a cute addition.
Aside from the storyline, a big problem I had with this movie were the uninspired characters. From the very beginning of the film, the viewer is immediately bombarded with a variety of cameos. Actors such as Will Ferrell, Randall Park, Andrew Barth Feldman, Laverne Cox, and KJ Apa were brought into this film for random, insignificant roles that didn’t require a big name actor to pull off. While the purpose of the cameos was to draw more viewers to the film, the amount of cameos was absurd and felt less like an exciting surprise and more like an onslaught of famous faces. It’s nice to see a familiar face in a holiday film, but generally it is more exciting when there is just one or two that are brought in to play a well-written side role, rather than the crowd of notable actors that this film employs. In addition to the many cameos, the film also includes Jesse Tyler Ferguson, best known for his role as Mitchell on “Modern Family,” equipped with a cheap white wig and beard playing Santa Claus. He serves as the antagonist of the film, creating obstacles for the Jonas Brothers in their journey home. Although his character brought the most holiday spirit to the movie by contributing a bit of humor and some silly magic, I did not realize he was supposed to be Santa until halfway through the film.This is yet another example of the movie employing a famous face in a role that ultimately did not work well since Ferguson does not possess the charm, or frankly, age of Santa. By stuffing the movie with notable faces rather than endearing personalities, the casting ultimately felt shallow and failed to add any of the spirit that one would expect from a Christmas film.
For a movie with “Christmas” in the title, it was odd that the extent of the holiday spirit was found in the awkwardly placed Christmas trees in the background of many scenes and the obvious winter setting. If not for the title and few holiday details scattered throughout, this film could’ve taken place at any time and a viewer wouldn’t know. It felt like in every scene they were shoving a tree in my face in an attempt to say “Look! It’s Christmas!” but in the end none of the individual holiday pieces came together well enough to make it feel like a Christmas film. After watching, I would say it’s a fun movie to make fun of in the company of friends and family, but I wouldn’t recommend adding it to the Christmas movie rotation this holiday season.
