Christmas with the Campbells (2022) User Reviews

Justin Long watched too much Yellowstone

[nikkimae · 5/10 · 4 November 2023]

Christmas with the Campbell's is not exactly your typical Christmas rom-com. Definitely not Hallmark level. We have some raunch and multitudes of sexual innuendo, but no actual sex/love scenes.

It does actually have a few funny moments but it's mostly forgettable. Well except for Justin Long's attempt at sounding like some weird cross between Yellowstone's John Dutton and Rip Wheeler to sound not so nerdy I guess. It's so distracting. He's a likable actor but not when he's trying as hard as he was here.

Saw afterwards that it was co-written but Vince Vaughn which I believe explains the sexual content and raunch.

Alex Moffat is hilarious

[vamanosninja · 5/10 · 10 December 2022]

I came for Justin Long but stayed for Alex Moffat. He was hilarious in this movie. He made me crack up. I could tell he was ad-libbing. Brittany was cute as well. And the mom.

Otherwise this movie was pretty lame. Weird sex jokes mixed in with cute comedy. They just don't make good Christmas movies anymore, like The Holiday or Family Stone. This one might have been trying to copy Just Friend's humour but couldn't pull it off.

Anyway I'm still glad I watched it. It has a legit cast and that's what brought me to it. These days the Christmas movies (on Hallmark) have no names.

This one was not as cheesy as those.

SO DARNED ODD!

[susan-317 · 6/10 · 19 December 2022]

You might recall Brittany Snow from the Pitch Perfect movies. This movie had that same odd dialogue where characters say really odd, inappropriate or absolutely crazy things.

I am a HUGE Justin Long fan and I was really looking forward to this little Christmas truffle. But his character is really strange, like he grew up with the Amish.

Again - odd dialogue.

I ended up watching it all, attempting to jive with the vibe, but it's really not all that good.

That being said, it COULD have been good, perhaps with some tweaks in various areas. And, I did enjoy Brittany and Justin, even with his odd character.

Apparently this was filmed where it was really cold and there was a lot of snow which they used to great affect.

Also, it was great seeing Norm after all these years. NORM!

Awkward

[crazyonyou-02466 · 3/10 · 17 December 2022]

I'm maybe 30 minutes into this film right now and I'm regretting my decision to watch it. Justin Long is usually a good actor but what the hell is this?? The accent and attempt to sound more "manly" is embarrassing. He's trying so hard that it is over shadowing any chemistry he could have had with Brittany Snow. Even his interactions with the dog are awkward and forced. I don't know if I can actually finish this movie. Its only saving grace is the side characters. I like the mom and Joanna Swisher. I actually really like all these actors which is why it's so disappointing that this movie isn't good.

Awkwardly funny

[zennith · 7/10 · 7 December 2023]

No this is not a family friendly Christmas movie. It's almost an anti-Christmas movie. After I realized it was meant to be a spoof of the Hallmark movies it made more sense. I personally have a like/hate feeling towards those movies. So predictable and saccharine sweet. If you only watch one once in a while it's cute, but too many and you feel nauseous and depressed from the sugar crash. This silly movie hit just right. I needed a few laughs. I knew most of these actors were better than they were playing so it was funny to realize they were over the top on purpose. Justin Long must have used every cliche comment ever used by a sappy good ol' boy out there. I thought there were a couple of moments where you could tell he and the cast were trying not to laugh at their own lines. The old people being the crude ones was a bit over the top. The boyfriend was hilarious as the jerk. If you don't like cheesy Christmas stories and have a slightly naughty sense of humor this movie might be just what you are looking for. If you are a Christmas movie fanatic and only want the most sweet stories, you'll hate this. Definitely not appropriate for kids.

I wouldn't say don't watch it...

[Short_and_to_the_point · 3/10 · 19 December 2022]

I get that it's trying to be funny and there are a few (very few) funny moments, but it's mostly rubbish. This could have been a good and funny movie (the idea is there) had they hired a better jokes writer or something. Justin Long's voice annoys me the entire time. Why did they decide that should be a thing and how did they let it go on for the entire movie??

I wouldn't tell people not to watch it. If you want a background movie to have on while playing your phone then this is perfect for that. I wouldn't watch it more than once, though.

So pop it on, lay on the couch with your candy crush open and see how you go.

Spiked eggnog

[allisonjoys · 7/10 · 19 November 2023]

I thought I was watching a squeaky clean Christmas rom-com but within a few minutes an F bomb made me reassess. It's all exactly like a Hallmark movie but with a naughty sexual undertone. I appreciate what they were doing. Once you get over it and accept it for what it is, it's really funny.

On a Hallmark level I actually liked the story and found the main couple had some chemistry. They checked all the boxes. Small town, cheesy parents, awful ex, misunderstanding near the end that causes someone to leave, kiss at the end.

I'm kinda surprised this is rated a 5, and not a 6 at the very least.

It's not satire, it's just terrible

[ron-26241 · 1/10 · 17 December 2022]

I love Vince Vaughn and was hoping this would be a great movie. Vince, my man, you really need to evolve. As a Navy veteran I've heard my share of profanity, but profanity just for the sake of it is just pointless and disrupts any point trying to be made. The plot? What plot? As if a girl who just got dumped would actually visit the family of the guy who just dumped her. Please. Brittany Snow is great, but even she couldn't carry this terrible attempt at "entertainment". Big swing and a miss here. What's sad here is there really is an opportunity for something like this to be good. Best of luck to Vince and Pete going forward. You simply failed here.

Horrid, awful.

[jignace-69443 · 4 December 2022]

I've never hated a movie more. I wasn't 10 minutes in before I heard the worst lines in a movie ever. I have no real words to describe the movie other than you'll want it off in less than 10 minutes. I haven't even finished it and I want to kill myself. The characters suck and the writing seems like it was done by a child and a 13 year old to add a hint (a lot) of sex jokes. I can't bare to look at the screen to watch it because I'd rather look at the weather in places I've never heard of than listen to the terrible conversations in this movie. The last thing I want to hear in a movie I'd watch with my family is how 2 old people bang.

Firmly Planted at the intersection of Hallmark Place & John Waters Blvd

[BBoozer · 7/10 · 18 December 2022]

This is clearly tongue-in-cheek take on a Hallmark movie justixposed with the typical John Waters style small town seemingly normal weirdos, just not in Baltimore. Pay close attention to the aside conversations between the mother and father characters (played by Cheers veteran George Wendt and Newhart alum Julia Duffy) that add absolutely nothing to the story, but add all the true color, and the the small town busy body that makes all the off color remarks that are the bread and butter of absurd comedies All of this only to end with the predictable Hallmark holiday ending. Still, better fodder than the typical Hallmark Christmas fare.

Record breaking, but not in a good way ...

[A_Different_Drummer · 2/10 · 2 December 2022]

First and foremost, movies are a business. Which means that seasonal movies (Halloween, X-Mas) are a staple for many production companies because they know in advance there will be demand. Which is why, even though the IMDb database lists 100's of X-Mas movies, only a small handful are worth watching. Or re-watching. That said, I wanted to give 'Christmas with the Campbells' a go because the casting of Snow and Long held promise. A promise, unfortunately, which was not kept. Within the first 5 minutes, we have possibly the most awkward and cringe-worthy breakup scene in the history of film. Followed by one of the most illogical and dissonant story arcs in the history of film -- after the humiliating breakup, the heroine (Snow) decides to go and celebrate X-Mas with her Ex's family, even though he will not be there, and they are no longer a couple. Whaa? Just when you think things can't get any worse, they do. Almost every line of dialog seems extracted from a bad TV sitcom you saw when you were twelve. There is a running joke (not kidding!) about vagina hygiene. Snow looks lost for most of the film, and Long's character was deliberately written to be rugged and manly, with 5 o'clock shadow. Not his brand at all. All in all, one of the most awkward and uncomfortable films ever, worthy of being taught in film class. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

Was this movie made for me, specifically??

[blairvcarpenter · 8/10 · 13 November 2023]

If you are adjacent to the Hallmark Movie phenomenon but can't bring yourself to fully dive into the trash pile, this movie is for you.

The negative reviews of this movie are particularly hilarious, because they make it abundantly clear that the reviewer is not in on the joke. This movie hits every ridiculous stereotype head on while showing enough restraint to still be funny instead of heavy-handed.

Julia Duffy said some truly outrageous things, with impeccable comedic timing. Justin Long made me laugh out loud more than once. The whole main ensemble knows their role perfectly but plays it earnestly.

In my perfect movie, Brittany Snow would've had a chance to show off her comedic chops more, but she did an amazing job playing the pitch perfect straight man. Occasionally the overwhelming horniness of her character's ex was a bit much, but it was tolerable.

Overall, hilarious takedown of a well-trod genre.

Even the dog didn't want to be in the movie.

[corie-82655 · 1/10 · 12 December 2022]

If you are looking for horrible innuendos and even worse cowboy accents this is the movie for you. It was so terrible even the dog didn't want to be a part of the cast and kept running away!

Justin Long has a classic voice and the accent was terrible. The chemistry with him and Ms. Snow never got past the first scene.

Shawn was memorable only because of how awkward he was with everyone in the cast. His parents made everything uncomfortable with their weird addictions and unbalanced relationship.

Overall-they tried entirely too hard for a movie that could have just been an episode of a soap opera.

Forced F

[tsdennison-63370 · 1/10 · 22 December 2022]

They tried to make a raunchy Hallmark Christmas movie, but the language was so pathetically forced it was just sad. Dropping F bombs just for the sake of having them in the movie does not work. They went for shock and awe and failed miserably. Add to that the absolutely horrific high school play acting and you have a completely unwatchable, boring piece of crap. This movie doesn't deserve any more words, but according to the required characters counter in order to submit a review I have to keep going. Therefore, in conclusion, Christmas with the Campbells really, really, really,really, really sucks.

Shocked

[ninaostadijanovic · 1/10 · 6 December 2022]

Did Justin Long do this on a dare????? This is so cringy! U loveJustin,but this fake deep voice and accent are terrible...Brittany Snow and him have zero chemistry. I'm actually writing this in the middle of watching this.

The actors are doomed with this script. The acting is amateur,so bad .I'm usually a sucker for cheesy Christmas movies but this. This was just bad.

I'm giving this a 1 star rating because of Justin who is otherwise awesome and when I compare the Justin here and the one in "He's just not that into you" I just can't recognize him here. Wgat was Vince Vaughn thinking???!!!!!!!

I know it's "satire"...but it's just bad

[speppers-67458 · 3/10 · 1 December 2023]

There is a way to do parodies and satire...but this isn't it. The over-acting and under-acting...the phony "Colorado accent" almost make this movie unwatchable. I love spoofs, parodies and satire. But most of them are at least funny. Even black comedies have redeeming qualities. Christmas with the Campbells is more cringe-worthy than redeeming. A decent parody at a minimum has characters that have some chemistry. There is no chemistry between either the main characters...Snow and Long...nor Wendt and Duffy. Satire still has to work. This one just doesn't do it for me. I tried. Watched the whole movie. But my 4 stars was generous.

Not Good - at all! (worse than Hallmark's)

[AuVid · 2/10 · 2 December 2022]

Summary: A waste of everybody's time and money. Avoid it if you can (even if you love Brittany Snow). So many better options out there.

(1) HORRIBLE Script Whoever wrote this (Vince Vaughn?) really should abandon this career; this a collection of bad ideas and awkward moments, many of them really borrowed from other movies (and modified to make it look original) and even worse dialogue - almost NON-STOP!

(2) BAD Casting for the co-star Justin Long as a rugged man that loves the outdoor and for no reason goes through the whole movie trying to conjure a deeper voice (what? Why?). It is so bad, it keeps distracting you the whole way trough. He is so out of place, he couldn't even fake chemistry with the dog. I guarantee you he didn't audition for this; someone would have seen the tape and stopped this train-wreck before it got to production.

(3) A STORY that walks on a treadmill and slowly goes nowhere.

It really leaves you thinking why the hell did I sit here for almost 90 minutes? Did I really think this would get better at any point? The answer is clearly NO.

I can't believe people don't realize this is a PARODY

[dred-787-983932 · 8/10 · 6 March 2023]

Come on, people: this movie is a PARODY of Hallmark Movies! It is SATIRE. That means the inappropriately raunchy comments, how the parents are doing weird things like rough sex, purple drank and huffing paint are meant to MAKE FUN OF THE ULTRA-CLEAN HALLMARK MOVIES. It is HILARIOUS.

The R-rated dialogue, the incredibly awkward and cringeworthy break-up, the completely out-of-character Justin Long, and the ridiculous past love, are all meant as JOKES. Justin Long is SUPPOSED TO ACT TERRIBLY, with a TERRIBLE ACCENT, and completely inappropriate machismo. If you don't believe me, watch the extra behind the scenes clip on the DVD (yes, they still make those).

The plot is ridiculous, the movie is completely predictable, but some of the one-liners are bust-out laughing funny if you realize the movie is a SPOOF.

Super Weird

[aharkins-39519 · 2/10 · 11 December 2023]

It's like a wanna be Hallmark movie on ecstasy. Many sexual lines and the acting is horrible. It seems like it's a joke that someone made to make fun of Christmas movies. To be honest as I'm watching this movie right now, I'm getting more and more confused as to what is going on. It's about a weird dude that breaks up with his gf and says stupid crap and she goes to his family's house for Christmas then his cousin comes and they flirt and then the bf then some honey baker named Becky. The mom and dad are super honey and talk about drugs I think and a dog named polo and weird people in a small town. What is happening ?????

what?

[kksox · 1/10 · 7 December 2022]

It looked cute in the trailer. That's where it ends. Vince Vaughn has the credit of writing this, with Peter Billingsly. The movie is just another holiday break up movie. However! The only christmas movie I have heard the f note used is Bad Santa.....and that was worthy of the grit. This movie is really poorly scripted. Since Vince Vaughn and Peter Billingsly have such experience with christmas movies, who would think it would be that bad. It has more sexual inuendo then some rated R movies. It is cringe worthy. Georgt Wendt is aging :( I had to look up to see if it was actually him :( Brittany Snow's character decides to accept an invitation to her freshly EX boyfriend's family. He wasn't supposed to be there. So, in comes Justin Long so save the day. The ex-boyfriend (Alex Moffat) is just a jerk. Not a funny one either. Then of course he shows up, tries to get her back, while flirting with the sweet shoppe girl (Joanna Garcia Swisher). Really bad. Not a Justin Long fan. Just not a fan of this film at all, and I wasted a free movie rental from Directv! No real spoiler here, just the plain truth.

Disappointed

[octoberopal28 · 3/10 · 10 December 2022]

I thought this would be cute because I like Justin Long and Julia Duffy. The story line was interesting but the sexual references were over the top. I found them to be rather disgusting. I am not prudish, the comments were just downright absurd and ruined what could have been a cute holiday movie.

Justin portrayed a macho type person that seemed a bit awkward (still like him though), he didn't seem to fit the role. Julia Duffy and George Wendt were cute, but again, in my opinion, the sexual stuff between the characters was ridiculous.

This could have been entertaining had it not been for the absurd sexual content.

Would be better with subtitles

[roosviews-42316 · 2/10 · 28 December 2022]

I signed up for AMC+ just so I could watch this movie. Augh. I truly thought it would be funny...but as soon as Justin opened his mouth with that annoying, god awful accent, it was ruined.

It started off somewhat okay - super cheesy - very much like a typical Christmas Hallmark movie.

Is it realistic? No. No girl would go and spend Christmas with the parents of her brand new ex. But let's face it - we don't watch Christmas movies to see something that we could sit on our front porch and see.

Did it have potential? Maybe. It had some amazing actors in it.

I usually like Justin - but I just can't get past the horrible accent and the awful phrases that he keeps spewing out.

It could be viewed as a satire of the cheesy Christmas movies that we love to sit on the couch under a fluffy blanket and watch - but it doesn't seem to lean quite far enough to pull it off.

First IMDB review in my life because this movie was SOOOO awful!

[lisataylorcowart · 1/10 · 4 December 2022]

Save yourselves! Do not watch this movie. I am a Hallmark, cheesy Christmas fan. It has become a holiday tradition with me and my husband. This movie was sooooo bad, I thought he was pranking me. I did not believe it was a "real" holiday movie. I thought it was his payback for asking him to watch these with me every December. He even made peppermint bark white Russians (and I drank 2 of them) and this was by far, the worst holiday movie I have ever suffered through. Ladies...just schedule your annual mammogram for December rather than watch this movie.

Men, my husband laughed his ass off the whole time. Clearly he was trying to get back at me for asking him to watch holiday movies in December. All I can say is, "Well played Sir. Well played".

It's a Satire, folks

[chicagosummerstories · 10/10 · 10 December 2022]

After sitting and watching so many Hallmark movies with my wife I'm glad someone actually followed through on the dare to make a satire- well done.

It has the same tone, look and feel of the hundreds of holiday movies before it, but the dialogue goes a different direction.

Fantastic idea, but have the kids in the other room- not that they will want to come anywhere near a Hallmark movie anyway, but the language is spicy and absurd- reinforcing the satire.

In a day of serial writing and production this blows up the whole concept of the Holiday film in a fun and comical way. Not that you could or would invite your buddies over to watch a Holiday movie, but this one might be the one to recommend they watch with their wives on their own.

We've all been stuck watching these thing, now we have one for the (good) guys.

Ho Ho Oh No!

[adamstevenhummel · 1/10 · 5 December 2022]

If this movie is an attempt at a Hallmark Christmas satire or spoof, it fails miserably. Actual Hallmark movies are far more ridiculous and sincere and that's what makes them somewhat charming and, often, stupidly hilarious. It seems like it might have been an attempt at a Hallmark movie, and then Vince Vaughn injected his "humor" into the script with absolutely awkward scenes between Julia Duffy and George Wendt, a bizarre vocal affectation by Justin Long, lazy sexual innuendo, moments of tonal whiplash and a weird fart sound effect thrown in to a scene that still baffles me. Fa la la la Farrelly brothers this is not.