![]() ![]() No spoilers here as usual but I will reveal that the "Christmas theme" actually does partially describe the mood of this wonderfully produced dark comedy. I will challenge these same viewers to watch this film again with the knowledge that you get to see fine actors like Tim Allen, Luke Grimes, Vincent D'Onofrio, Dax Shepard, Kurtwood Smith, Michelle Mylett, Emilio Rivera, Kimberly Quinn, and Jessica Alba in unique roles that are definitely contrary to their usual typecast. I've read some reviews like "I can't get back the hours wasted" or "worst comedy I've ever seen." Now, while I can't be certain what these well meaning reviewers were thinking when they posted these type of comments, I'm pretty sure they expected to see something akin to Die Hard and found El Camino Christmas instead. El Camino Christmas clearly wasn't meant to be the next Citizen Kane, the classic Opus by Orson Welles (although coincidentally Vincent D'Onofrio played Wells in Tim Burton's excellent film, Ed Wood). The sum of the above mentioned parts is what you get, and any ratings lower than 9 stars is likely because the viewer may have overlooked the film's most important points. On the other hand, this is the kind of small film that is much larger than life, and not surprisingly given the superb cast, sharp directing, well paced editing, clean cinematography and a singular style of dialog reminiscent of the films by Howard Hawks. ![]() In fact, calling Netflix's El Camino Christmas (2017) a "holiday movie" would be a stretch. awareness and some funds towards making it happen. still not sure why Jessica Alba had to be in the movie. I had fun with it - even/despite its flaws. again very weird, but also able to be entertaining if you let it. and this movie almost seems to tell you to not be too good. be it the very easy to spot Tim Allen character (I can't imagine anyone not guessing what is going on there) or the "fate" of Emilio Riveras character. Especially considering certain weird points and twists this throws your way. Yes the script has good parts too of course - but without the actors to pull those off. The movie has its ups and downs, but lives off the performances mostly. especially when mixed with eager police who may have good intentions, but. A visit or search for a person, can become an entirely different thing. Sometimes things do not go down the way we imagine them to go down. I think the film would have been better served to end it right after the siege at Vicente's Liquor Mart, but I guess they needed to tie up Eric's relationship with Kate (Michelle Mylett) for the classic happy ending. Vincent D'Onofrio, who portrays deputy Carl Hooker is straight out of Stallone's "First Blood" playbook as an ignorant redneck, and the film's fatal ending for Tim Allen's character mimics Eastwood at the conclusion of "Gran Torino". The fact that it's Christmas time in the movie is ancillary to the story line. Don't be fooled by the title of the picture. ![]() Funny, but I never made the father-son connection with Eric Norris (Luke Grimes) until the very end of the story when Larry (Allen) dredged up his bad experience in Vietnam. I also know he dabbled as Santa Clause in a series of flicks, so to see him here as an alcoholic dirt bag was quite the shock to the system. Now I haven't seen Tim Allen in many movies, I basically know him as Tim the Tool Man Taylor from the hit TV show. Seriously, one needs to live in a small town to understand, but as John Mellencamp would put it, "that's good enough for me". It would have been even easier about four decades ago when the population was less than half that. My town only has about three thousand residents and I could probably come up with a cast for this film. Another reviewer for this picture says he doesn't believe a town like the one in the story could have so many stupid people in it. ![]()
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