12 Men of Christmas (2009 TV Movie) User Reviews

Forgettable holiday fluff with a couple of highly watchable scenes

[JaynaB · 6/10 · 6 January 2016]

This movie is predictable and forgettable, a Christmas rom-com that ends happily ever after before barely grazing the surface of the leads' potential character arcs. Not that I am convinced either of the lead actors was capable of greater depth, but the script didn't give them any room to try. The secondaries were reasonably attractive and warm and human, but didn't get much in the way of lines or focus.

The reasons to watch:

1. Breathtaking mountain scenery 2. The photo shoot montage is excellent eye candy with humour attached 3. The mid-plot mutual-loathing confession of attraction that's a blatant ripoff from Pride & Prejudice but done in language far less polite.

4. The nod to the very real issue of cash-strapped Search and Rescue services, staffed by volunteers and relying often on borrowed or out-dated equipment, who manage at tremendous risk to life, limb, and family/romance to bring most people home most of the time from the wildernesses they've wandered into.

It's a 6 for those 4 reasons. Otherwise, it might be a 3.

Sassy movie, but not altogether bad.

[paul_haakonsen · 5/10 · 15 December 2010]

This movie had sassy written all over it, but yet I sat through it till the very end.

The story told in "Twelve Men of Christmas" is right out of the academy of clichés; a corporate high-end New York woman going to a small town in Montana to get away, and here she ends up taking advantage of all her skill she acquired in New York, in order to raise funds for the local search and rescue crew. Alrighty then, not really believable, but still a movie came from it. The story is, of course, the type of story that you have figured out the course it will take and how it will end right from the beginning. So no big surprise there!

As for the cast and acting, well I can't really say that it was bad. I found the cast to actually be good enough, though I haven't really seen any of the faces before (and the head of Kristin Chenoweth is kind of hard to get around), though I seem to recall having seen Josh Hopkins somewhere before, though I can't recall where exactly. Josh was actually the most memorable of all people in the movie here.

The setting of the movie was fantastic. Really nice and beautiful scenery, nature, and an idyllic town setting. That was so nice to look at.

There were a couple of times throughout the movie where the movie might have actually become funny, but it never shined through. It was always just brooding beneath the surface. But of course, this wasn't really a comedy.

Despite it being a super predictable movie, I still found "Twelve Men of Christmas" to be good enough entertainment, though you have to fight your way through a tsunami of sassyness along the way. But ultimately, I was entertained, but I doubt that I will be returning to the movie for a second watching, ever. This is the type of movie that will go well with women with big romantic hearts and suckers for sassy movies.

Oh, and before I forgot. I noticed the coolest blooper ever in this movie. If you manage to sit through the movie, take a good look at the drummer in the background at the pre-launch party for the calender. He goes crazy at the drums at a certain time, and it doesn't even match the drumming sounds from the actual music playing. But wait, it gets better. The guy isn't even hitting the drums, hi-hats or cymbals, he is just drumming in midair, and it is so obviously clear to see. I had to go back in the movie to watch it a second time, it was just that priceless. Hilarious stuff right there.

Cute holiday film with a great looking cast, not as risqué as the title sounds

[inkblot11 · 7/10 · 18 November 2013]

In fast-paced Manhattan, EJ (Christin Chenowith) seems to have everything going her way. She has a great job in publicity, a handsome fiancé and a very nice apartment. But, things fall apart, as they say. Her fiancé cheats on her with their mutual boss lady and there's nothing for EJ to do but throw back the ring and quit her job. But, a new problem arrives. When this beautiful blonde smartie goes looking for another position, of which there are plenty in her chosen field, she finds that she has been "blackballed" by her former boss. Now, she's lost her man and her chance of employment in the city that never sleeps. Fortunately, she has a caring sister who advises her to take a fine job offer from Kalispell, Montana's mayor. It seems this scenic town, not far from Glacier National Park, wants a publicist to bring more corporate retreats to their area. Thus, EJ will have a salary and she will be far away from those who did her wrong. She does it. Arriving in this very lovely place, EJ is astounded at the low rents and the warmth of the residents. But, naturally, there are very few restaurants and sight-seeing opportunities, other than the natural beauty of the mountains and fields. Therefore, EJ is initially stuck for a "good angle" on her quest for publicity. But, hold the phone! There is a bevy of good looking men who do volunteer search-and-rescue. One man is particular, Will (Josh Hopkins) has a great face and, er, bod. Yet, since EJ manages to offend him straight away, there may not be any romantic vibes coming. Even so, EJ hatches a tried-but-true idea for her job. Why don't they make a calendar featuring the men of Kalispell, in various stages of dress, doing rugged manly chores? Everyone eventually loves the idea except Josh. So, its soon underway to becoming a reality. Will it work for the town's benefit? Will EJ and Josh soon realize that sparks are flying despite first impressions? This is another fine entry into the realm of holiday romcoms. Since calendars have twelve months, there is indeed a wonderful dozen of handsome, charming men on display, which adds enjoyment to the fine work by Chenowith and Hopkins. The rest of the cast, including Anna Chlumsky, is nice as well. One could hardly miss the tremendous beauty of the Montana setting while the nice costumes, script, photography, and cheerful direction add their own assets to the movie. All in all, fans of romantic comedy will be the seventh, er, twelfth heaven with this cute little winner.

Matters of the heart

[TheLittleSongbird · 4/10 · 14 June 2022]

Have actually seen a fair share of Hallmark Christmas films that have been surprisingly good and more, so they are absolutely capable of having a good film in them, hence why they keep getting watched by me. Despite giving '12 Men of Christmas' a mediocre rating and am going to give it a fairly lukewarm review, it did have some potential even if expectations weren't entirely high because of the casting of Kristen Chenoweth (a big singing inspiration of mine).

'12 Men of Christmas' is neither one of the hits or one of the misses. There are definitely worse Christmas films from Hallmark, as it just about misses being in the mediocre at best or dud category, but there are also better as it is not quite surprisingly good level or particularly good. '12 Men of Christmas' is one of the just about semi- watchable in between films of theirs, but to me for a one time watch only for completest sake and for Chenoweth.

There are good things here. Chenoweth sparkles in her role, wasn't crazy about her character but Chenoweth gamely brings effervescent charm to her. Josh Hopkins is also charming and their chemistry is natural and sweet. Actually did think on the whole that the acting wasn't bad at all considering what was given to the cast.

Also thought the production values were very nice to look at, especially the scenery which is beautiful. The music is pleasantly festive.

On the other hand, '12 Men of Christmas' isn't particularly good. The biggest strike against it is the story, which is formulaic (due to almost every recognisable Hallmark cliche in the book, or at least that's how it feels like, and with no freshness) and painfully unrealistic to a quite silly degree. Did think too that some of what happens was forced and actually could have been left out and felt like filler. While thinking that the cast was game, the characters weren't well fleshed out.

More tired variation of familiar character types, and either bored or irritated. The male roles are all one dimensional and Chenoweth's character's quirks can be overdone. The fish out of water aspect was too alien from space randomly inserted in a location like. Furthermore, the dialogue goes well overboard with the cheese factor and comes over as really dumb and childish. As well as quite stilted. There is a lack of warmth and heart, which is all lost underneath all the silliness and contrivances, while there is absolutely no doubt how things will end and in a way that even for that ending feels too tidy.

Concluding, didn't do very much for me in spite of Chenoweth. 4/10.

Pride and prejudice and mountains

[cinda_b · 6/10 · 13 December 2020]

Not sure how nobody else has mentioned this but the plot is predictable because it almost a straight map from pride and prejudice.

That doesn't make it bad - quite the opposite - just predictable. Basing it on this classic isn't unique amongst Christmas films - let's be honest, we don't watch films like this for originality anyway.

Kristin Chenoweth is her usual, bubbly self, the men are handsome and the scenery is beautiful. It has a decent secondary cast so of its type it's really not that bad.

If you like the rom-com Christmas films then you'll like this. My main gripe is it's really not a Christmas film only a very small proportion of the film is set at Christmas and it plays no part in the plot.

Cute movie

[jewhitmer25 · 4/10 · 28 November 2021]

Not a great movie, but not bad.

Entertaining, lots of hunky guys.

The plot is weak, the acting for the most part is adequate. But on the whole it is a watchable movie.

My advice: go ahead and watch it, you will enjoy it.

Better than average

[SanteeFats · 6/10 · 2 December 2014]

Okay this is a typical Christmas time movie. It is cutesie of course but still good. A New York super advertising woman finds her man going to town with the boss. At least the boss is a female. So she quits her job, can't find another one for months. Then a small time job opens up in a small town in Montana. Her job is to put this small town on the corporate map as a destination place for retreats. To get this done she hits on the tried and true semi-nude calendar using the regular everyday men of the local search and rescue squad. She calls in a big time photographer and the shoot takes place. It turns out very well, sales take off and so the squad gets its new equipment. A side light of this film is the relationship between the New Yorker and the local stud. It is detestation at first meeting that eventually develops into the inevitable, tis' the season, love affair. Like I said it is cutesie but I liked it.

Watch this and Yule regret it.

[southdavid · 2/10 · 11 November 2019]

I had a lot of fun watching "12 Men of Christmas", that was next on my alphabetical trawl through Sky Movies offerings, not because it was any good - but because it was so bizarrely awful.

After being fired from a New York advertising company after finding her boss in a compromising position with her fiancé, rather than suing for wrongful dismissal, E.J. (Kristen Chenoweth) heads to Montana, with one of the few job offers she can get, to help attract corporate events to the area. Having seen the financial struggles of the local Mountain Rescue team, E.J decides to convince them to pose for a suggestive calendar to help raise funds. With this plan though, she butts heads with Will Albrecht (Josh Hopkins) a local businessman and volunteer.

It should be pointed out, "12 Men of Christmas" is a Hallmark TV movie, so the effort and money spent on it is not that high, still - it's awful. Hilariously so. A shambolic mess of ideas half thought through, then abandoned, or at the very least explored for two minutes before moving on. It's like watching a 90 minute summation of a season of a TV show where each problem that befalls E.J and her plan is immediately resolved without any drama whatsoever. "The calendar needs a corporate sponsor" beat "Here's a sponsor" - "There are people objecting to the content of the calendar" beat "Oh well". The initial premise is way overplayed too, with E.J. acting less like a city girl in the country and more like an alien landing on Earth for the first time. The film also likes to pretend like its established things to play off later. It pretends like there's a relationship between E.J and one of the Model/Rescue team and then hints like he's cheating on her, before ignoring that for most of the rest of the film before resolving the plot point in the end.

It should be said, I like Kristen Chenoweth and she's gamily up for most of the garbage this film wants her to wade through and nobody else, who you would consider an actor, is staggeringly awful (some of the models crow-barred into the rescue team are though). The points I have given then film all come from Chenoweth's appeal, and the fun I had laughing incredulously at it with my wife.

Unlikeable characters

[Jackbv123 · 4/10 · 30 December 2017]

The only remotely likeable person in this movie is Jan and maybe a couple of the other Montana ladies. Of course E.J. and Will are supposed to start out as a little arrogant and antagonistic, but the problem is that neither ever really improves.

The story is doesn't really follow any of the typical patterns for Christmas romcoms, but then there isn't really that much of a tie to Christmas either. There are almost none of the usual Christmas feel-good moments. The story doesn't flow smoothly and that is especially true of the ah-ha moment between E.J. and Will. And the excuse for Will's nonchalant attitude toward E.J. leaving isn't presented well either and sounds shallow.

I might as well say also that E.J. going back to Lillah made no sense either, or if it did, then E.J. is even more shallow than I expected.

Fun for the season

[JamMovieReviews · 8/10 · 23 December 2010]

Cute little Lifetime movie with the cutest little actress Kristin Chenoweth playing a hateable/likable character that finds a little piece of herself when she loses everything. The small town grows on the big city girl who finds herself falling for the town, the rough and tumble guy, and the life that she never knew she could have.

It is a Lifetime movie so don't expect high powered drama or comedy but is a good movie to add to the Christmas time rotation. Heartfelt ideals of saving a small town search and rescue clash with the pushy side of New York life. It is a bit too much of a cookie cutter ending, but it was a fun movie evening with that special someone without too much commitment.

Check out the rest of this review and more at http://jammoviereviews.blogspot.com

Christmas story kissmiss story

[torrentstorm · 3/10 · 1 December 2010]

After watching this flick this evening, I am now looking hard for something I saw really worthwhile, something moving, something not a stereotype or cliché, something not seen before or unique, something I can say to you,like: "Hey, I'd like to recommend this one because...", but, I can't think of anything.

These ideas they come up with for Christmas stories are really annoying sometimes. Haven't we seen something similar and probably better put before? A top New York (when not) publicist catches her boyfriend in a compromising situation with her lady-boss and quits her job, then after fruitlessly searching, decides to take a position working for the Mayor of a small town in Montana (again, sameo sameo), doesn't exactly fit in with the local small town life (no surprises?), finds out they have a climber's rescue team but not enough money to buy the equipment they need, so drums up the 'brainy' idea to have 12 of the town's Adonises pose semi-naked for a calendar to produce profits to meet the goals? Well, admittedly, if you are in a place this small with limited resources, you bring out your think tank and go the distance, but honestly, after the first 45 minutes or so, everything was so humdrum I was becoming bored.

The plot had some gaps that made me mentally race ahead to try understand what was going on. Then in romantic affairs, I got mixed up with who was dating who and who had a crush on who and so on and on. The only thing that stood out was that E.J. Baxter (Kristin Chenoweth) and Will Albrecht (Josh Hopkins) were slicing each other up into ribbons ever since they met, but during the last 30 minutes or so, they found out they liked each other and fall in love, or something like that anyway (surprise!). So with the right mixture of improbabilities and copycat ideas, we produce this movie called "12 Men of Christmas" (why Christmas anyway - unless referring to the general period in which things took place). If trying to place a happy, hopeful feeling about the season, well, this movie failed to get that feeling moving - it was pretty banal and hum-drum. I felt suddenly empty and missing something.

As for the rest, you find yourself really stretching imagination a bit here to understand how they created a wannabe feel-good story that doesn't leave anything to think about, cherish, comment on, criticize constructively, or learn something for posterity's sake, if nothing more. There was nothing noted in the acting either, usual lame not-good not-bad stuff.

Honestly, I watched this one because I had nothing better to do, and I was enjoying my supper meanwhile. MY supper, how was it? Good! This movie, 12 Men of Christmas? Are you kiddin'?

Tucked in TV Movie

[wes-connors · 4/10 · 17 December 2013]

Petite blonde public relations expert Kristin Chenoweth (as Emma Jane "E.J." Baxter) catches her boyfriend in the bathroom stall with her boss. Deciding to give them both more space, Ms. Chenoweth leaves the hustle-bustle of New York City and moves to a smallish-looking town in Montana. She doesn't become a dental floss tycoon; that's already been invented. Instead, she works for the mayor. Chenoweth becomes acquainted with the volunteer men of the search and rescue squad. They have a lot of fund-raisers and do good work – like rescuing petite blonde mountain climbers. Chenoweth decides to contribute by creating a calendar featuring "12 Men of Christmas" and sell it for the holidays. The problem becomes how to get the local men to take off their shirts for sexy poses. Somebody must be pulling our legs because a few of the coy, well-built men look shaved, waxed, plucked and/or ready for action. One of the many handsome men in this movie, Josh Hopkins (as Will Albrecht), gives Chenoweth an especially hard time. Photography by Peter Benison is an asset.

**** 12 Men of Christmas (12/5/09) Arlene Sanford ~ Kristin Chenoweth, Josh Hopkins, Anna Chlumsky, Jefferson Brown

Beefcake calendar

[Prismark10 · 4/10 · 17 November 2018]

EJ (Kristin Chenoweth) is a New York publicist whose life spirals downwards when she catches her fiancé cheating with her boss.

Unable to get another job in New York she moves down to a small town in Montana doing publicity for the Mayor's office. The town is next to the Glacier National Park.

When the local rescue team who are all volunteers need to fundraise, EJ persuades them to pose for a calendar while finding romance with one of the locals.

As this is a Lifetime Christmas film. EJ is a fish out of water in a homely small town where rents are low, everyone is nice to each other unlike the rat race of New York where everyone stabs each other in the back.

The director knows enough to keep the men interested by having several cleavage shots of Chenoweth. Frankly two good reasons to watch a Kristin Chenoweth movie!

For others there are several beefcakes who pose for the calendar and it is done in the best possible taste.

decent surrogate

[Kirpianuscus · 26 December 2016]

like many films from the same genre, it is a surrogate. romance, crumbs from classic comedies, pieces from Jane Austen, actors in skin of legends - Kristin Chenoweth as a version of Eve Marie Saint, Josh Hopkins as a form of Cary Grant. sure, very far by original, not realistic, with a story who seems far to be coherent. but nice. and this is the most important thing in this case. because it is the only thing who could be expected. the subject is so old, the performances are far to be bad and the idea has the chance to seduce. the war between E. J. and Will is fake but the aspects from a small community from Montana looking the work for a noble cause is not real awful but could be useful. so, a film for Christmas. and it is enough !

Terrible, Awful and Disgusting

[folsominc2 · 1/10 · 17 December 2014]

Trashy, nasty, awful and disgusting.

This was not only unbelievable, unrealistic, stupidest plot I have ever seen in a long time, but one of the many rehashes of Pride and Prejudice or Bridget Jones Diary (another real nasty!)

Why in the world do movie writers think they have to throw in obligatory sex situations into something so stupid and unmoving. I saw no reason or chemistry in the couple at all and no convincing of why the woman would want to share her personal body parts with this man that she hated . . . until he decided to pose for the calendar!

Ridiculous and stupid - have I said that before?

12 men of Christmas deserves 12 minus points for worse than dumber!