It’s all very campy, a Christmas pageant with a Netflix budget – and yes, it’s all very Godly, but when the message of faith and kindness comes from a bonafide samaritan and a track record of good deeds as long as Dolly Parton’s, you know its earnest. Second is the wonderful Christine Baranski, who makes a meal of every line delivery as a Scrooge-y owner of a small town that learns to embrace the Christmas spirit with some help from a Dolly Parton angel. They’re not her best work, but when Dolly sings, I listen. Obviously, Dolly, who’s singing all original songs she wrote for the film. There are, however, two very good reasons to show up for this one. But it knows that and it’s okay with it, and so am I because that’s not what either of us showed up for.
It’s not that Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Squareis a good movie. Haleigh Foutchĭo ya want to spend Christmas with Dolly Parton? Yeah, of course you do. If you’re not familiar, the Chiodo Bros are some of the most spectacular stop-motion craftsmen in the biz, having provided the enduringly disturbing puppets for Team America: World Police and the North Pole segments of Elf, and in keeping, Alien Xmas features some pretty stunning animation. Imagine The Grinch, except its little kleptomaniac aliens coming to steal your Christmas spirit and you’ve pretty much got the gist of it.
With powerhouse producers like John Favreau and Karen Gilchrist on board, Netflix’s Alien Xmas had all the right WTF factors to ensure I tuned in as soon as it was available, and happy to report, it’s a charming Christmas treat that’s a bit thin, but thanks to the 40-minute runtime, never stretches its charms beyond their payoff. Adapting from the 2014 book of the same name, co-written by director Stephen Chiodo, the Chiodo brothers put their stop-motion sorcery to work in a sub-hour Christmas special that updates the charms of the classic Rankin & Bass stop-motion Christmas specials for a new generation. Emily CappelloĪ kids’ Christmas movie from the filmmakers of Killer Klowns from Outerspace? Say no more, I’m in. It gained a total of 16.3 million views, which put it just underneath David Fincher’s latest thriller, The Killer. Ever! was generally unfavorable among critics, the film was popular on Netflix upon its release and debuted at number one on the streamer. The film also stars Jason Biggs ( American Pie) as Charlotte’s husband, Rob, and Matt Credeño ( Power) as Jackie’s husband, Valentino.ĭirected by Mary Lambert ( Pet Sematary ), the film was written by Todd Calgi Gallicano and Charles Shyer ( The Parent Trap) and produced by Brad Krevoy ( Beverly Hills Ninja). When Charlotte’s antics cause Christmas chaos, she must team up with Jackie to make spirits bright again. Finally, Charlotte can’t take it anymore and ends up at Jackie’s to prove that her life can’t possibly be as good as she says it is. Emily CappelloĮvery Christmas, Charlotte ( Heather Graham) receives a boastful newsletter from her college friend, Jackie ( Brandy Norwood). There are several fun cameos in the film, including Pete Holmes ( Crashing), Fortune Feimster ( The Mindy Project), Rivers Cuomo ( Pitch Perfect and lead singer of the band Weezer), Howie Mandel ( America’s Got Talent), and Rita Moreno ( West Side Story). Emma Myers most recently starred in the hit Netflix show Wednesday, while Brady Noon was in the 2021 Mighty Ducks: Game Changers. The members of the Wyatt family might look familiar, as Garner is known for her starring roles in hits like Alias, 13 Going on 30, and Daredevil, while Helms is known for his role as Andy Bernard in The Office, as well as Stu in The Hangover movie series. When an astrological reader causes each of the family members to wake up in another member’s body, they need to figure out how to make their new identities work in time for some major life events. The movie follows the Walker family, made up of Jess (Garner), Bill ( Ed Helms), CC ( Emma Myers), Wyatt ( Brady Noon), and baby Miles ( Lincoln and Theodore Sykes). No matter what she’s a part of, Jennifer Garner ( 13 Going On 30) is a delight, and Netflix’s newest family comedy, The Family Switch - which takes place at Christmastime - is no exception.