Christmas with the Kranks (2004) User Reviews

[abahb1 · 6/10 · 14 November 2005]

This is one of those films that you can't ignore the obvious manipulation. Each scene is telegraphed a mile a way, with no real attempt to mark new ground. No, this film is exactly what it is intended to be; holiday good cheer and nothing more. In that respect, the film is successful and in the end, a harmless holiday movie that tries to help us forget all the real world darkness going on.

Tim Allen seems to be carving out a career with these Christmas movies. Though his performance is not even close to his Santa character, he still manages to put in a performance that has some memorable moments (the scene after his fat injection is a hoot). Jamie Lee is over the top and at times can be a little too much, but still, she fits right in with the rest of the decorations that are wrapped around this Christmas tree of a movie. I give it a 6 because let's be honest, it is totally predictable and corny. But as I mentioned, it is a welcome to all the negative things going on right now.

[hannahmarrin · 8/10 · 27 December 2005]

I saw the movie Christmas with the Kranks for the first time in theatres. I now own it. I really liked it. It was a light, funny, laid back movie. I don't know why so many people disliked it. I think that you have to have a certain sense of humor to think it was funny. I thought the plot was very entertaining and yes heartwarming. What's wrong with a heartwarming movie about spreading Christmas joy. Why is it so unrealistic? Is it really impossible anymore for people to be nice to one another? To be thoughtful. I think this movie portrays the values of enjoying the little things and simple things in life and perhaps this is why people automatically think this movie is dumb because they don't enjoy and embrace the little things and therefore they are quick to say these certain situations are unrealistic. All movies are a little unrealistic. So what. Like lord of the rings is realistic? come on folks. lighten up.

[Garyuk-1 · 8/10 · 21 December 2004]

My family and I went to see this film today and we all enjoyed as it seemed that most of the other people in the cinema did too. I think some of the comments here are a little harsh, yes the film is not believable but the fun side of Christmas is all about "make believe". The characters are funny, Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis are great in there roles, especially the bot-ox scene and the honey roasted ham scene. A one time or another we all would like to skip Christmas and we all have had the mad dash at the last minute to organise things. This film just takes all of those moments and pokes fun at them. It also manages to squeeze in a small moment of being aware that sometimes other people's problems are greater than yours. The film is full of different emotions and they all seem to work well, we all left with a Chrismas feeling as the last few scenes of the film are just plain old feel good moments that we all want out of to have. Just take it for what it is, a Christmas comedy and enjoy. I will be adding it to my DVD collection. 8 out of 10!

[krorie · 5/10 · 1 January 2006]

The first part of this movie is filled with dark humor and makes a worthwhile statement: Most of those who celebrate Christmas do so because of the trappings, not because of the substance. The huge snowman that each family who lives on the block is supposed to inflate and put atop their house points to the frivolity of the holiday for the average observer. I haven't read John Grisham's book "Skipping Christmas" yet but the first half of the film seems to be pure Grisham. Luther Krank (Tim Allen) is something of an antihero declaring his own private little war on Christmas abuse, unlike Dickens' Scrooge who simply doesn't want to be bothered with the holiday because he's a miser and worships money. Nora Krank (Jamie Lee Curtis) on the other hand really wants the show of Christmas to impress the neighbors and not to rock the boat. Having her only child Blair Krank (Julie Gonzalo) away from home at Christmas for the first time kills her holiday spirit anyway. She is pictured as a doting mom who has spoiled her child rotten at the expense of her marriage and anything else not involving Blair. The second half of the film becomes a standard traditional type outing with Luther Krank being the scrooge-like selfish oaf who wants to spoil it all with his bah, humbug attitude. He comes around by giving the best gift of all to his neighbor whose wife is dying of cancer. In other words, the film cops out during the second half and with it the humor sours. A potentially funny holiday treat becomes just another lame copy of "It's a Wonderful Life."

There are some truly funny sequences during the first part of the movie. Note when Luther Krank waters down his sidewalk to make it slippery for the terrible carolers. Keep your eye on the neighbor's cat. The botox part is excruciatingly laughable with Tim Allen at his best. The tanning scene with the glorious Tom Poston as the Krank's priest is also hilarious. Too bad this level of humor was not maintained throughout.

The cast is well chosen with one exception. Cheech Marin is wasted in a thankless role. When given a chance he can be a funny man.

[Robert W. · 7/10 · 16 December 2004]

There is nothing better than a great Christmas movie. Everyone can name their favorite and there is nothing more nostalgic than watching your favorite Christmas special every year. It remains to be seen whether The Kranks will become one of those for us, or for me anyways. Christmas With The Kranks which I was stunned to learn, the novel from which it was based, was penned by the amazing John Grisham and the screenplay by the equally amazing Chris Columbus was a fun, heart felt, and often laugh out funny Christmas film. It had it's shortcomings as the critics are shoving in our faces but a Christmas film must be given some slack for being a seasonal film anyways.

The story is The Kranks, Luther and Nora have had to say goodbye to their beloved Daughter Blaire as she moves on to the Peace Corp. Suddenly their empty nest syndrome kicks in and they realize their whole reason for having extravagant Christmas's is gone. Luther realizes that this is the perfect opportunity to leave it all behind and take his wife on a luxurious cruise of the Caribbean but in order to truly appreciate the Christmas cruise they will have to boycott Christmas altogether which sounds easy at first but they realize their Christmas happy neighbors, co-workers and town are not going to stand for it. Everything comes to a grinding halt when Blaire calls to say she is coming home for Christmas which changes everything. Now all they've worked towards avoiding they have to bring back, set up, get ready for and prepare the best Christmas ever!! Tim Allen is wonderful in this movie, probably the best of the cast. The character fits him so well and he doesn't come across as Tim Taylor which is always good. Jamie Lee Curtis who I love don't get me wrong but she didn't quite hit the note on this one. She was okay but she wasn't well matched with Luther and she wasn't given the best of scenes in the film, although her bikini scene was very funny. Dan Akroyd makes an unfortunately brief appearance as the "mayor" of the neighborhood who at first appears to be hassling them but in the end rallies everyone to their support. The movie dragged a little, it's slightly longer than expected and the beginning of it was a little off putting. It felt like it was going to suck basically. But it got so much better half way through and ended perfectly. From the moment of the hilarious carolers outside their house, the movie was funny, heart warming, and fun to watch. The dialog felt forced at times and some of the gags did as well but it was still fun to watch. Throw in some necessary Christmas magic, and a little heart warming moment of Christmas realization and the film is wonderful. I can't wait to see it again next Christmas. I often wondered if Grisham or Columbus wasn't trying to be a little satirical at parts with the neighborhood perfectly aligned and snow perfectly placed. It felt like maybe they were poking a little fun but nonetheless it's a great family, Christmas movie. I also think they should have stuck with the title "Skipping Christmas" but that doesn't effect it much I suppose. Check it out!! 7.5/10

[Douglas Young (the-movie-guy) · 2 December 2004]

For the first time, Luther Krank (Tim Allen) and his wife Nora (Jamie Lee Curtis) are about to celebrate the holidays without their daughter Blair (Julie Gonzalo), who has just left for the Peace Corps in Peru. Luther sees a Caribbean cruise poster in a Chicago travel agency window, and he begins to plan the trip. First he must see how he will pay for the trip, so he comes up with an idea that if they skipped Christmas, they could go. He will save money by not buying a tree, having a party, or putting up decorations. The neighbors think he is crazy and want him to at least put Frosty the Snowman on his roof for the local decoration contest. The battle begins between the Kranks and their neighbors. Then Blair calls and tells her parents that she is flying home for Christmas with her fiancée. They have twenty-four hours to put up all the decorations and prepare for the Christmas party. The movie was based on a John Grisham book, 'Skipping Christmas'. It is a cute Christmas story with a lot of funny slapstick sketches. It reminds you of the Chevy Chase movie, 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'. Tim Allen does a great job in several comedy scenes, especially, the scenes where he gets bowtox injections in his face and the suntan scene. (Columbia Pictures, Run time 1:39, Rated PG) (5/10)

[Moonhawk1975 · 1/10 · 10 April 2005]

How can you go wrong with a holiday movie that pairs Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis? Director Joe Roth has found a way. Based on the novel "Skipping Christmas" by John Grisham, the movie centers around a couple (Allen, Curtis), depressed because their daughter will not be home for Christmas, who decide to skip the celebration and take a cruise instead. While I admit I would've still decorated, the movie goes overboard in the reactions of the neighbors (led by Dan Aykroyd). Turning into Christmas Nazis, they begin stalking and harassing the pair to try to get them to decorate. I was not aware Christmas spirit meant decorate at all costs. I don't find the humor in the characters here who believe so.

Making matters worse, about halfway through the movie, when the Kranks change their minds, it seems more like they did so out of giving in than because they wanted to. And their reason for changing their mind is preposterous: the daughter has gotten engaged to a man from Peru and wants to bring him home for Christmas. She goes on to explain to her mother that he has never seen a snowy Christmas because he spends it in Peru every year with his family. Why would she go through all the trouble of making last-minute changes to take him away from this tradition…when she was already in Peru? I guess it fits the rest of the movie: everyone is centered on themselves.

Allen and Curtis are the best things about the movie, but the scene of her in that tanning salon in the shopping mall is the least funny in a movie full of dead jokes. We even get a Santa Claus finale that does not fit the tone of what came before. Good job, Roth! You've made the worst Christmas movie of all time. Bring on "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians!" Please.

[rbverhoef · 3/10 · 30 November 2005]

What a terrible movie this is! 'Christmas with the Kranks' is a Christmas-comedy that is neither funny or about the spirit of Christmas. It is about a terrible neighborhood where Luther and Nora Krank (Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis) want to skip Christmas for a change to go on a cruise. Christmas has cost them six thousand dollars last year, mainly on decoration, so this year they don't do Christmas-stuff and go on the cruise, still saving three thousand dollars. Unfortunately their neighbors disagree. It is a tradition that the whole neighborhood takes part in this holiday; skipping is not an option. The ending of the film basically says that the neighbors are right and that their cruel methods to stop the Kranks from going on the cruise is justified. How stupid can it get?

Well, even more than it already is. Of course the Kranks fail to skip Christmas because their daughter, only away for some weeks to join the Peace Corps in Peru, returns for the holidays together with her new fiancé. Right. So suddenly the Kranks have to do their usual Christmas-things that includes giving a Christmas Eve party. There is quite some hurry needed since the two lovebirds are already on their way. What do you know? All the cruel neighbors are willing to help! In a series of unfortunate events we see how things almost go wrong the entire time and turn out the way they should after all. How surprising.

The movie rolls from one stupid event into another, never funny, most of the time even annoying. It is hard to believe this story seemed funny on paper and that gives us the obvious question of why this movie was even made. Probably because it is about Christmas and could make some money, which it did. If there is one Christmas-movie to avoid in whatever year it definitely is 'Christmas with the Kranks'.

[kevin shi · 7/10 · 1 December 2005]

The Krank family decided to skip Christmas and go on a vacation instead because their daughter wouldn't come back. But their enthusiastic neighbors didn't agree with their action. Although the neighbors tried everything they could to persuade Kranks, it didn't work. When Kranks were preparing to leave, a sudden call from their daughter changed everything. Their daughter would come back. Time obviously was not enough to prepare the impending Christmas for just both of them.

When I watched that Luther Krank gave the travel tickets to his neighbor who he didn't like, I was moved by the scene. Leniency is virtue indeed.

Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis showed fully their comedian ability. Especially Jamie's exaggerating performance was better. She is my favorite comedian actress. I also liked her Freaky Friday, A fish called Wanda.

A funny Christmas movie. 7/10

[quiksilverboy51 · 12 December 2004]

My girlfriend and I went to view "Christmas with the Kranks," and I must say that it was the biggest waste of $17 that I've ever spent. Every person who plays in the movie is an over-actor; the whole experience is extremely surreal. Each scene that you watch is so overdone that you can't help but expect a funny end to the scene- but, unfortunately, there is none. There were so many times where I thought something funny was about to happen, but to no avail.

It is replete with overshot facial close-ups and over expressions. There's just something missing from the script. What's more, the movie drags on much too long. I will admit however, that there are a few good parts- mostly those which you see in the previews of the movie- but that's about it. I felt that this film left much to be desired. Take my advice and don't waste your hard earned money on such a flop of a movie....I would give this film 2 out of 10 stars.

[gloria2915 · 10/10 · 12 November 2005]

Contrary to what other wanna be movie reviewers on this site may say, my family and I thought this was a really good movie. It's a Christmas movie! It's supposed to make people think about how Christmas effects us. Yes, this movie does have quite a bit of so called "slapstick" comedy, but I thought it was very funny. A very cheerful movie. Who doesn't want a "feel good" movie for the holidays! Everyone needs a good laugh every once in awhile! Don't miss this movie. It's great for the whole family! Maybe people shouldn't try to look so deeply into movies trying to find something wrong with them. Maybe they should just sit down with their families and a bucket of popcorn, in their own living room, cuddle up and enjoy a happy family related feel good show!

[Whythorne · 1/10 · 30 December 2005]

"Christmas with the Kranks" deserves a place among not only the worst holiday movies ever made, but one of the worst of all time in ANY genre.

The story closely follows the novel by John Grisham. The book itself is challenged from the get-go because it employs a formula which is all too familiar among holiday fare: the man who has lost his enthusiasm for the Christmas season but eventually goes through a personal redemption which restores his spirit. It is a theme that has been visited by everyone from Charles Dickens to Dr. Seuss, and so needs a lot of creativity and hard work to appear original. Unfortunately, Grisham"s plot followed a very predictable course and the result is a tale that is so tiresome that you can even sense the actors and the director of the film version were just as completely bored by the premise as most viewers will be.

The story also suffers from the assumption that a family not blatantly participating in outdoor lighting, greeting card sending, party-throwing, etc. would be branded and immediately set apart as rejects of their local society. I don't know about the neighborhood where John Grisham lives, but in my midwest suburb, most of the houses don't even bother to decorate at all. Yet I don't see neighborhood protests occurring every Christmas season. Further, in an age when Nativity scenes are routinely banned from public display and use of the word "Christmas" itself is discouraged as politically incorrect, it is hard to believe there would be such widespread condemnation of one family's decision to "skip Christmas" so they can go on a Caribbean cruise.

Having read the book, I was curious to see if the movie version improved upon the sub-par story. It is much, much worse. The development of the main character, Luther Krank (played by Tim Allen), into a man who is tired of the Christmas grind went too fast in the book and in the movie is barely established at all. In fact, we are led to believe it all comes about after one scene in which Luther makes a dash into a specialty foods store in the pouring rain to pick up a couple of items for his wife. What passes for creative slapstick at this time is Luther getting splashed by a car and his foot being submerged in a watery pothole.

Brace yourself, because that is about as original as the pranks in this film get.

While the main characters - Luther, and his wife, Nora (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) are hardly given any time to get INTO character, the character of the neighbors, and the Kranks' relationship to them is given none. It is almost as if the screenplay was written assuming the viewer had read Grisham's book and could fill in all the blanks. Hence, the much needed dynamic tension between the neighbors and the Kranks in order to establish some of the comedy is non-existent. Without build-up or justification, the animosity the neighbors have for the Kranks is forced, untrue, and very unfunny.

It is unsettling to watch highly paid actors go through the motions, looking as tired as the story. It is as if they themselves had no faith in the film, and just couldn't wait to get it done and over with. Ditto for the director. I can just visualize the director saying, "Okay, Tim, Jaimie Lee. One take and let's move on to the next one."

Even the cinematography looks tired and passionless. It appears as if even the outdoor scenes were filmed in a brightly lit studio. The story ached for a wide angle or bird's-eye panorama of the neighborhood to emphasize the Kranks' lack of participation with the lighting displays but we never see such a view. In addition, the scenery itself is so brightly lit you can hardly tell a difference between the Kranks' "dark" undecorated house and the well-lit homes of his neighbors.

When a comedy falls this flat it is not pretty. Especially when the script tries to inject some instant pathos at the last scene! Ironically, Luther's "conversion" into a caring person, a scene that is intended to be moving, may be the most laughable aspect of a film that is entirely contrived and more pathetic than anything else.

[anthony-rigoni · 1/10 · 21 March 2014]

This movie and Elmo Saves Christmas are the reasons why I should reconsider celebrating Christmas. When I was 13, I didn't know better. The reviews on Youtube, however, made me think about how bad this is.

The movie stars Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis(Why?!) as a couple who is going to go on vacation for Christmas. Of course, the town they live in gets wind of this and think that they should celebrate Christmas or else. What the living hell is with these people?! Who sponsored this film, the Westboro Baptist Church?! Okay, first off, you dumb-asses, you can't force someone to stay and spend Christmas and decorate their houses so that you people can get an award. Of course, the Kranks are no better when they hear that their daughter is coming home and lied to her face.

The acting is too corny to comprehend. Just like the Felix the Cat movie, I can't find a single character who I'm suppose to feel sorry for(Except for the elderly couple near the end where one of them has cancer, but I think you get the gist).

So, what moral do we have here, folks? The so-called moral this movie is screaming out is that you better celebrate Christmas or Frosty the Snowman will kill you in your sleep(Thank you for demonizing Frosty, you jackasses). To make a long story short, if you're thinking about getting this movie on DVD this Christmas, I suggest you don't.

[Printboy · 17 June 2005]

My only issue with this is the first critique of this film by the unemployed critic is that (I quote) "Just to shove that sympathetic feeling along, Columbus and Roth hand cancer to one of these 'I guess' unlovable characters, just to erase any doubt in the audiences' minds as to what emotion they should feel. It's disgusting." He also "comes clean" at the start of his review that he hasn't read the book, if he had, he would see that the cancer and unlovable characters ran throughout the book and as the story ends the reader is almost willing the same outcome as the author writes. I enjoyed the film and having read the book first it is interesting to see how someone else has interpreted the story and it seemed a fair representation of the book, with obviously the extra gags and "poetic licence" (esp. the Botox incident, which judging by the audience reaction was hilarious, I took my son to see this and he enjoyed it, but then he liked Home Alone too. I guess with all criticism, everyone is entitled to their opinion, that's what makes the world go round.

[Newski_the_Hippie · 1/10 · 19 December 2004]

I have had the unfortunate experience of having watched this movie. Oh, great way to start a review, huh? Watching this movie is more harmful to your health than cocaine. That being said, here is a summary of what will go down in history as a movie that truly reflected its time.

The Kranks, though they have such a harsh name, are your regular family. Father, Mother, Daughter. Its the day after thanksgiving, and their daughter leaves them (see, before the movie started, she had joined the peace corps). And the rest of the day doesn't work out for Luthor Krank. Chicago weather gets the most of him, and while walking drenched outside a store he sees a sign, advertising a nice tropical cruise. And this is a man who really needs a vacation.

Soon, he looks at his enormous Christmas expenses, compares it to the price of a cruise, and he gets a brilliant idea: Skip Christmas. And so all is well. Until people find out that Luthor and Nora Krank have denied Tradition. What follows is an assortment of disturbing scenes as the neighborhood tries to win back the Krank's hearts. Two exceptionally troublesome scenes: The newspaper reports the family's wish to not celebrate Christmas in a smear article (front page no less), and the constant arguments about the family's decision to not but up a snowman completely identical to the snowmen on every other roof.

When I was a child, I read the store Tootle the Tank Engine. Tootle was given one rule: Stay on the Rails no matter what. When he went off the rails, nothing was harmed. But he was not supposed to do it so all the conductors and engineers tricked him into staying on the rails. This book was written admittedly as propaganda to keep children following America as the assumed threat of communists grew. Right now, there is an aptmospher in our great nation, that says your for us or against us. If we don't follow, we are wrong. Whether or not this is intentional, the film feels like cold war era propaganda as it does not satirize the neighbor's constant assaults on the Kranks, but supports them.

At any rate, this movie is a frightening monument to conformity and blind faith, and teaches us not to respect the wishes and ideas of others.

See a much better Christmas film with political undertones: Santa Clause Conquers the Martians.

0 stars.

[zennokangae · 1/10 · 6 December 2004]

If you go to see this movie, see this movie or even think about seeing this movie, you should be lobotomized. I 'had' to attend this spectacle as it was a 'gift' to my Aunt and Uncle. Next time I'll just send them a fruit basket. Tim Allen has always been a hack and maybe he's still 'kranked' up; he must be on something to do a film like this. And the film went like this: Cliché, cliché, fart and pee jokes, cliché, trite, cliché attempt to be serious ending, with a freakin' dying person manipulated for tickets!

OK, I know a lot of you out there want easy humor, but don't insult great comedians by calling this movie slapstick. This was as slapstick as a hockey shot, and the NHL is suspended, just like this movie should be from the consciousness of my mind.

I don't pity people with thin senses of humor. Look at it this way: What would a swimming- pool be without its shallow end?

[SimonJack · 9/10 · 10 April 2011]

But he sure seemed to have stolen the hearts and sense of humor of many who have watched and commented on this film. "Christmas with the Kranks" is a mostly clean, clever and witty, film without the vulgar and crass stuff of so many other more recent "holiday" movies. It's a great comedy that's fit for the whole family, although the humor will be mostly understood by the older kids and adults.

I just came across the film when organizing my library, and recalled the poor rating it got but how much fun it was to me. So, these comments are written in the spring with the film still fresh in my mind – that's how good it is.

What's not to like about this movie? It covers so much of what happens in middle America when Christmas rolls around. But, here's a family whose only child is grown and she's off to work in a social program in a foreign country. So mom and dad can skip all the usual holiday chores and regalia in their neighborhood, go away on a romantic cruise alone, and still save money. Then the complications set in, and what a hoot as Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis go from one miscue to another with neighbors and friends. It's got a great cast, and everyone delivers well.

What's funnier than Tim's fruit cocktail dribbling down his chin because he can't close his mouth to chew after receiving a Botox injection? Or, Jamie Lee stepping out of a tanning parlor dressed only in her bikini right in the middle of a mall crowd of onlookers – including her parish priest? Or Dan Aykroyd, the neighborhood ringmaster, organizing the rescue effort to set up the Kranks' Christmas house when daughter Blair changes her mind and flies home.

This movie is full of gaffes and laughs, one-after-another, as Tim "Grinch" Allen gets back into the Christmas spirit with family and neighbors. Of all the very funny Christmas holiday movies over the years – there are some quite good ones a few decades back (black and white), I rank "Christmas with the Kranks" right behind the very best one – National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. So, don't listen to the sour faces who have no sense of humor, or who don't dig clean fun. Watch this film with family and friends around the holidays this year and next – or at any time in between. Unless you're a Grinch, you're sure to enjoy it.

[peteranderson · 6/10 · 27 December 2005]

The acting from some actors was very good. Jamie Lee Curtis and her husband were both very funny and obviously talented, as this movie shows. Some good one liners and classic comedy situations. It brought a festive mood to the world of cinema as well. The genre was comedy and it hit that making a good family movie. Some good situation, slap stick comedy a few good stunts which brought humour and a realistic tale, in a family movie.

Good acting, hit genres, sort of hit target audiences- reasonable a 6!

The Problems were- - Target Audience, I think more were expecting Father of the Bride type comedy and target audiences were only slightly impressed. As a film a 6!

[mrfabulous1025 · 1/10 · 27 July 2014]

When a man and his wife decide to have a second honeymoon instead of an overblown expensive Christmas because they think they will be without their twenty something daughter, the plot of this hideousness exposes itself. They are made to feel guilty and harassed like they were child molesters by an assortment of evil and obnoxious neighbors and coworkers. Who are these jerks who think they are better than the Kranks. The Kranks would have an excuse "if they were Jewish" although the mention of the real reason for Christmas seems to elude the writers of this slapstick drivel. My birthday is on Christmas, I happen to believe in the holiday and I work retail. I find the horribleness of the totally commercialized Christmas ruining every frame of this disaster. It shows the worst parts of a "Christmas" celebration with some token tries at the end that are supposed to redeem its vile and selfish characters. This is easily in competition for one of the worst Christmas movies ever. Putrid and creepy this one should make Tim Allen ashamed. If you really want see a good movie about Christmas try The Family Stone with Sarah Jessica Parker and Diane Keaton. Its not slapstick stupid but it is a much richer holiday experience,

[vxballxqt · 9/10 · 26 December 2008]

This movie was great. I love Tim Allen, and that's what drew me in. Yes, the audacious neighbors were a little annoying, but I think that was on purpose. This movie was not stupid. I laughed a lot during this movie, and I love the parts where Nora is trying to get the honey ham. I want to cover my eyes, because it's so frustrating, but I can't not watch it. The end is also very good and heart-warming: what Luther does for those people, how the whole neighborhood pulls together to help Luther after he's made a complete fool of himself, and the whole thing with "Marty," a.k.a. Santa Clause. I did think the part where he drove a Volkswagen bug instead of a sleigh was kind of nonessential and maybe a little dumb, but I have to give the movie a nine out of ten because it satisfied me. People who are against this movie need to just let go and let live; it is a good holiday movie, and if you weren't blinded by your uptight standards, you would enjoy it. I don't mean to offend anybody, but I felt like I was taking a personal blow when I read many of the mean and nasty comments.

[fullaware · 1/10 · 29 November 2004]

I thought that 'Last Action Hero' was the worst picture ever; the only time I ever left a theater during the middle of a movie. Well now that's two times (or at least should have been, the family wouldn't let me go).

If you're gonna' go for the Home-Alone-hit-in-the-head-crap, then do that. If you're gonna' go for the heart-touching-Christmas-story angle, then do that. If you're gonna' go for the 'burbs-freaky-neighbor-thing, then do that. But don't dabble in all of them and do justice to none. Horrid, boring, terrible, awful (get the idea?).

Choosing between 'The Kranks' and 'Last Action Hero' is choosing do you wanna' get hit in the head or in the stomach (props to Bruce Willis).

[littley-1 · 1/10 · 14 December 2004]

This has got to be the most boring movie i have seen in ages. It has the slowest plot with no real story line. I found myself eating popcorn like no tomorrow and finally

left after 1hr. Most of the jokes were not funny. i only laughed once when he stood on the cat. I wasn't the only one to leave the movie half way through....

it seemed to be an ongoing pattern! So overall not a good film, maybe young children may find it funny. but I'm not convinced.

[JShow_ag · 1/10 · 29 November 2004]

Hilarious No, Funny No, Humorous No, A few chuckles Maybe. It was one "humorous" situation after another and it all added up to a big dud. Take parts of 20 average to bad movies we have all seen 20 different versions of and you've got this movie. Is Tim Allen the new Chevy Chase? Chevy must be taking some time off so Dan Ackroyd had to jump in this one. (All fine actors but with more misses than hits). I chuckled 5 times while at this movie. Yes I had nothing better to do than to count my chuckles. 1. Frozen Cat, 2. Krank eating fruit, 3. Snotcicles on the roof, 4. Enrique spelled N. Reeky, and 5. The lady sitting 5 rows in front of me getting hit with juju fruits after her cell phone started ringing. I hated to waste that candy but felt I owed it to the people who were trying to sleep during the movie. That just does not add up to the $11.00 I spent on the tickets. I'm not a scrooge except when it comes to underachieving Christmas movies.

[StuntsForFilm · 1/10 · 23 December 2005]

If nothing else comes out of this..I hope Joe realizes that he should stick with Producing. The Direction of this film was so bad it will make you nauseous. With the amount of talent on board and the premises of the script, a film student from Eastern Ohio School of Film Wanna-bees could have directed it into a more watch able film. This may be one of the worst films I've seen in over 10 years and all arrows point to Direction. Ooops, my bad, the fake snow was so obvious that it took away from the nail biting script at times that it was hard to follow that these two people didn't want to put up Christmas lights. Save your 5 dollars and the 90 minutes that this film will steal from your life. It is so bad that if Jaime Lee actually cared about her career, she might be in trouble. The fact that she showed off her fat in that scene at the tanning salon shows that she does not care and is…umm.. how do we say it in show business??/ DONE !