Ghosts Of Christmas Always (2022) -
I really wasn't sure what to expect at the beginning of this film because the TinTin-like "Ghost Of Christmas Past" was quite odd and not the best actor, which had me reaching for the off button, but I was really glad that I stuck with it in the end.
The story was a very different interpretation of 'A Christmas Carol' and done well for the most part.
The producers seemed to have made an effort this year to think outside the box with their efforts and I've really appreciated some of what they've done. This was definitely one of the more successful ones.
I loved the connection between Peter (Ian Harding) and Katherine (Kim Matula), because it was really sweet and flirty, as it should be. Quite often they are all tension and falling out, before they realise that they like each other, which has become very tired.
Peter was a nice guy, that obviously deserved good things, because of the thoughtful work that he did.
And she was the standard nice girl, in the form of an Angel or "Ghost Of Christmas Present".
Their relationship might have been considered a bit sickly and the concept a tad daft, but I thought that they got the balance just right, certainly compared to others of the same genre.
I liked the past blending with the present and the future, because it meant that overall it didn't seem so old fashioned or sentimental, but all one story intertwining cleverly and it wasn't coloured with a special filter to make it ethereal which kept things consistent all the way through.
There were some elements that I could pick on. I could have done without the singer for a start, the character was fine, but didn't have to sing or could have had any other job? The song and it's performance seemed to cheapen things.
And the voicemail Peter left was uncharacteristic and mean, which jarred against his general good nature.
Otherwise it was cheerful and while it wasn't filled with Christmas activity, it still had that seasonal warmth that 'A Christmas Carol' and it's variations have always brought, because of the heart at the centre of that story.
I will be sure to look out for this one again next year.
7.25/10.
I really wasn't sure what to expect at the beginning of this film because the TinTin-like "Ghost Of Christmas Past" was quite odd and not the best actor, which had me reaching for the off button, but I was really glad that I stuck with it in the end.
The story was a very different interpretation of 'A Christmas Carol' and done well for the most part.
The producers seemed to have made an effort this year to think outside the box with their efforts and I've really appreciated some of what they've done. This was definitely one of the more successful ones.
I loved the connection between Peter (Ian Harding) and Katherine (Kim Matula), because it was really sweet and flirty, as it should be. Quite often they are all tension and falling out, before they realise that they like each other, which has become very tired.
Peter was a nice guy, that obviously deserved good things, because of the thoughtful work that he did.
And she was the standard nice girl, in the form of an Angel or "Ghost Of Christmas Present".
Their relationship might have been considered a bit sickly and the concept a tad daft, but I thought that they got the balance just right, certainly compared to others of the same genre.
I liked the past blending with the present and the future, because it meant that overall it didn't seem so old fashioned or sentimental, but all one story intertwining cleverly and it wasn't coloured with a special filter to make it ethereal which kept things consistent all the way through.
There were some elements that I could pick on. I could have done without the singer for a start, the character was fine, but didn't have to sing or could have had any other job? The song and it's performance seemed to cheapen things.
And the voicemail Peter left was uncharacteristic and mean, which jarred against his general good nature.
Otherwise it was cheerful and while it wasn't filled with Christmas activity, it still had that seasonal warmth that 'A Christmas Carol' and it's variations have always brought, because of the heart at the centre of that story.
I will be sure to look out for this one again next year.
7.25/10.