Almost Christmas (2016)

i must have seen a different film!!

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

Danny Glover might be too old for this kind of sugar. A spiky feel good festive film but a little slow to get going and too many flat and clichéd characters.Walter (Glover) is the patriarch and recently widowed who has invited his family round for Christmas at his home, a house he plans to sell but as yet not told his kids.In attendance are his daughters Cheryl and Rachel who do not get along. His son Christian who plans to run for congress and his youngest son Evan who is hooked on painkillers after a sports injury.There are other family members and hanger on's such as Christian's campaign manager who wants to redevelop a centre for the destitute that upsets Walter.You have a family squabbling, an errant husband having a bit on the side with a store clerk but it is only sporadically amusing but is inoffensive and is amiable enough to watch at Christmas.

Almost Christmas was traditionally funny in the sense where you have a family with relatable issues to any audience. Here we have a family who had a yearly Christmas tradition up until their beloved mother passes. Walter (Danny Glover) thinks that if his family can spend at least five days together it will truly be his Christmas miracle. But of course you have two sisters who can't get along, a cheating husband, pain pill taking football player, a son who's a congressman, and the vibrant and outspoken Aunty. This family recipe doesn't seem like it will work but in the end everyone comes out getting what was coming to them. And in the end....family is all that mattered.

I love IMDb and find the user reviews to be very informative reading. I wouldn't consider myself a "power user" however so have never written one....until now. I do so to tell you how god damn awful this film is. The acting is lame and the plot is highly unoriginal. My girlfriend and I successfully predicted some of the lines just as they were about to be delivered. It's a cross between all the worst parts of The Cosby Show and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation while containing none of their virtues. Stick to the latter if you're looking for some xmas feel-good light entertainment. It's shocking how a director like this could demand such a large budget (17 million was it?). Avoid this at all costs!

I saw "Almost Christmas", starring Danny Glover-Dirty Grandpa, Saw; Mo'Nique-Precious, Domino; J.B. Smoove-The Millers_tv, We Bought a Zoo, he also does those Crown Royal Vanilla TV commercials and Gabrielle-The Birth of a Nation, Bad Boys 2.This is the first Christmas movie of the year. It has all the usual scenarios that usually show up in a traditional Christmas movie; a dysfunctional family, siblings that don't get along, etc. It also has a few new ones; one of the family members is a football star that is hooked on painkillers, one is a notorious lothario and another is running for Congress. Danny is the father of the family, who has just lost his wife, 10 months earlier. This will be the first Christmas, since her death, so it is hard on everyone. Mo'Nique is his sister-in- law and the best part of the movie. She has the funniest lines and acts outrageously. Gabriella is one of Danny's daughters and J.B. is a son- in-law, and he is also the aforementioned lothario. Danny knows how they can fight and argue with each other but he only wants to have 5 days of peaceful holiday cheer and memories, one last time-he has plans for after the holidays. But of course, that is not in the cards. As the end credits start, there are some funny bloopers-nothing at the very end. It's rated "PG-13" for drug content, language and sexual content-no nudity-and has a running time of 1 hour & 52 minutes. I enjoyed it enough that I would buy it on DVD.