Pjtaylor-96-138044 Review of A Boy Called Christmas

A Boy Called Christmas (2021)

Grief is the price we pay for love, and worth it a million times over.

[5/10 · 21 December 2021]

'A Boy Called Christmas (2021)' features this absolute gem of a line (see review heading), delivered by the absolute gem Maggie Smith. The line itself is undeniably great, a poignant musing that's sure to move you on some level. Sadly, though, it's undercut slightly by what it follows (a rather silly and avoidable tragedy that befalls the picture's young protagonist), as are most of the film's other resonant moments. As a whole, the movie is little more than fine. Despite being relatively enjoyable at times and generally well-achieved overall, it consistently stumbles over itself and is an incredibly uneven experience. There are so many annoyingly contrived, noticeable clichéd and otherwise genuinely odd plot points that the affair is hard to take seriously and, even, properly engage with. One particularly peculiar inclusion is a pyromaniac pixie (well, 'truth fairy') who literally enjoys blowing people's heads up. I have no idea why the filmmakers decided to include that in a kid's film. The tone, in general, is a tad inconsistent, with the adventure slipping from seriously stupid to stupidly serious on a number of occasions. Its characters are also fairly flat and, though it has charming moments, it lacks the sense of Christmastime wonder that it really ought to have. Plus, its 'Christmas begins' elements actually feel a little forced, squeezed into the affair's baggy final third simply so that it can claim to be yet another origin for Father Christmas. Ultimately, the flick isn't bad. It has its moments, including a couple of entertainingly scene-chewing performances and a handful of exciting set-pieces, but it's just a bit unremarkable overall. Its plethora of issues don't prevent it from occasionally being quite a bit of fun, but they undeniably dampen its effect and arguably contribute to the affair's generally forgettable nature. It's the sort of thing that I can see people really liking, though; I guess your mileage will vary depending on how Christmassy you're feeling. It's a decent effort. 5/10.