PiraBit
if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.
Edison Witt
The first must-see film of the year.
Edwin
The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.
Monique
One of those movie experiences that is so good it makes you realize you've been grading everything else on a curve.
Mitchell Wells
I don't understand all this overly effusive praise for Robin Williams. One user indicated that Robin Williams was one if the greatest actors and comedians of all time. Neither is true. Far from it.As a comedian he trafficked in racist stereotypes and cartoon-ish voices that accompanied his childish antics. May be somewhat amusing if your 12-years-old. But that's alright. Bored 12-year-olds buy a lot of movie tickets in the summer. That became Williams' bread and butter in the '90's. He got the roles that Sandler, Carey, Myers, and a long list of others passed on. Not that a guy like Sandler or even Carey were more talented actors, they were more relevant and well known do to recent SNL exposure. Williams was on TV in the '70's.Robins did take a genius turn in the Fisher King. Revelatory. After his first into of fare in the '90's, he turned to morose and creepy supporting roles. He did this essentially until his death. He played morose well. He never really took another chance like he did in Fisher King. I don't know if he wasn't offered the roles or if he simply was comfortable in familiar territory.This film was fine. Expectations were met. It was an adequate low budget-made for TV and not theaters-basic cable and you watch it cause you're bored film. It was what it was. Within that contextual framework I would say it was 7/10. This film is what it is and does a fair job at it.The Godfather 2 or Citizen Kane it ain't. I think people need to temper their expectations and understand that you don't judge films such as this through comparisons to great art. This is a cheap movie that entertains you somewhat for 90 minutes. Judge it against its contemporaries which are other made for TV Christmas movies. This film compares favorably to most.
jezziebezzie
I'm so glad I waited until a couple of years after Williams passed to watch this. I love nothing more than to DVR a couple of sappy Holiday Movies in the time between US Thanksgiving & Christmas Eve. Williams, Candice Bergin, Joel McHale, Lauren Graham, Clark Duke, Wendy McLendon-Covey & Oliver Platt? It took 0 convincing to queue this one up. It's 88 minutes of grumbling & groaning & whining & unfunny. I'm not sure how it's even POSSIBLE to make an UNFUNNY movie with that cast. Although the movie is so oddly disjointed (are the kids sleeping or awake? When did they go to bed & who put them there?), it's obvious they person in the editing bay had no clue what they were doing. Also, no disrespect to lovely actresses, but WHEN was this movie actually made? I've seen movies several years ago with both McLendon-Covey & Especially Bergen looking MUCH more ... "Experienced?" "Distinguished?" Darn, what's the correct (polite) word for a woman? It almost feels like this movie had been shelved (for good reasons) and then perhaps was 'dredged' up when Williams passed away. Sad. Sad. Sad.
Ima Bean
Joel McHale plays Boyd, a hipster hedge-fund-managing dad raising a macrobiotic-diet-eating hipster family who finds he'll be visiting his cigar-smoking alcoholic dad (played by the late, great Robin Williams) at Christmas.His brother, Nelson (or Nelly, as dad calls him) is a "war" veteran, having sustained a head injury after falling out the back of a humvee in basic training. He, too, bears the thick-rimmed glasses and bow tie characteristic of a hipster. Nelly, having recently become a father to a Mexican infant boy, shows classy parenting as he blends a bean burrito with some milk while on the phone with Boyd, then feeds this concoction to the infant who seems to eagerly anticipate it.Boyd's sister is white trash and is married to a convicted sex offender with a stupid bowl haircut who has a fondness for Old Milwaukee beer. They've raised two adorable white trash children, one who's an eating competition champ, another who's into 80s-style fashion and likes making YouTube videos of herself shaking her ass for the internet.The stabs at humor are painful at best. I've got to wonder if Robin Williams' expression of his character mirrored his last, dark days. I couldn't make it through the whole movie in part for this reason.It's for the compassionate Wisconsin state trooper character (who lets the speeding characters go in spite of being flipped off by Boyd, in favor of calling it a night to be with his family) is responsible for the star above 1 I give this miserably predictable flick.
gabe-neo
I am not sure why so many reviews were under the 5 out of 10 IMDb rating. But I really liked this illustration of a typical dysfunctional family get together for the Holidays. I would think most everyone has their own version of some wacky anecdotes that happen during the Holidays. Whether it is about Christmas or Thanksgiving. Of course trying to keep it together for Christmas is definitively important in this movie or story. Again, I really think there are a lot of poignant little issues brought up with this ensemble of pretty good actors. This brings back a lot of weird family memories that I am fairly sure many of us can share. I love it when Lauren and Candice get drunk reminiscing and looking for presents in the attic. If anyone was cast wrongly I think it may have been Robin. He has a tough time playing a grumpy ass dad if you ask me. Although when he realized that he was an ass all his life... his demeanor changed showing the real Robin again. Not a great movie to remember him by but it's still a treat to watch the comic master one more time.