Dubb Watches & Reviews Holiday Stuff

[Dubb]

I tried to do this last year on WC with a fancy Rubric and stuff... it wasn't even that detailed of reviews and it still became too formal for me. It was supposed to be the 12 Movies of Christmas, and I think I may have made it to 4?

But I love me some holiday movies, shows, specials...etc... so I'll probably be watching a lot of them over the next several weeks. And I'm just going to use this place to jot down my thoughts and if people get a speckle of enjoyment out of it, then woohoo! And there's no punny title like the 12 Movies of Christmas...it'll just be however many I do. Whether it's 1 or 100.

First up is almost always the first movie we watch in my household come this time of the year. And I believe it was even the first movie I reviewed on WC when I did this last year. And that is Elf (2003) We actually usually watch it multiple times because it's not only my wife's favorite Christmas movie but its like, her favorite movie in general. No joke. That and my kids love it too. So usually when I start to get out some Christmas decorations, this is the movie that gets put on the TV while we're doing it. So last week (yes, we already started, don't judge me) it was on.

I do really love this movie. And I may even love it more every time I watch it.

The scene where Buddy gets hit by the car when he first gets to NYC makes me literally laugh out loud every time I see it.

Just a very heart-filled movie and it's Will Ferrell at the level of Will Ferrell I can tolerate. Plus James Caan is great.

Elf gets a 9/10 for me. And no, I'm not judging any of this on an Oscar scale so if I give something a 10/10, we can recognize I'm not saying it's Citizen Kane or something... it's just Christmas movies people... but it's just about how much did I enjoy the experience. Okay? Ok!

Check back in tomorrow or maybe a week from now, who knows!

 

[Wiseman]

I approve of the 9 rating. As far as holiday movies go Elf has it all. Humor, a few tunes, hijinks, and a heartwarming bow on top by the end of it. I will say unless you rate Scrooged I will disqualify all of your ratings.

 

[Dubb]

I approve of the 9 rating. As far as holiday movies go Elf has it all. Humor, a few tunes, hijinks, and a heartwarming bow on top by the end of it. I will say unless you rate Scrooged I will disqualify all of your ratings.

I love that movie so I do hope to watch it at some point between now and then. But it's not a family favorite so I have to sneak it in during my alone time. Usually my alone time is spent watching other things so sacrifices will have to be made.

 

[Wiseman]

I mean giving the kids nightmares could always be that "sacrifice".

 

[Mandalorian]

Watched Elf with my little one at the weekend and I’ve got to say that I agree with the rating as well. I also burst out laughing at the taxi scene as well, and the one a bit before it when the man is hailing the cab and Buddy waves at him. In fact the entire sequence when he arrives in New York is gold.

The ending with the singing is very feel good without being too on the nose as well. Will Ferrell does the character great justice throughout with the vulnerability he shows, and of course the jokes and the physical comedy all land.

 

[Dubb]

Happy Monday to all.

Today let's talk about How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000).

This is another one I did last year on WC, and I will stop thinking back to those after this but again, it's another one my family has to watch every single damn year. So after we knocked Elf out, this one naturally came next.

Unfortunately, I do not like this one nearly as much as I like Elf and I wish I didn't have to see it every year, usually multiple times a year because that's what kids do.

I think there was a point in time when I did like this movie. But something about it, every time I watch it...I like it less and less. Having to stretch out like a 15 page kid's book into a nearly 2 hour movie by having Jim Carrey be Jim Carrey just ultimately doesn't work for me. There's so much damn useless filler in the middle and unlike Will Ferrell in Elf, in this one the Jim Carrey crosses the line of his schtick that I just can't tolerate.

I can only give this version of the Grinch a 4/10.

 

[Wiseman]

I would have to strongly disagree with 3.5. Movie is great and really I think it might be ahead of Elf in terms of likeability and just in the way of being a better movie overall. With you saying the kids like to watch it throughout the year you might just be suffering from burn out from how many times you have to watch the movie.

 

[Mandalorian]

Yeah I’m gonna have to disagree as well mate. Like Elf, I think this one also hits the right notes with the emotional moments and Carrey does a great job.

Plus it gave us this scene;

 

[Dubb]

I would have to strongly disagree with 3.5. Movie is great and really I think it might be ahead of Elf in terms of likeability and just in the way of being a better movie overall. With you saying the kids like to watch it throughout the year you might just be suffering from burn out from how many times you have to watch the movie.

Nah, we watch Elf more times a year than Grinch (and sometimes not even during Christmas season), so it's not just burnout. Elf is just a way better movie!

But at least it's better than the other Jim Carrey Christmas movie, A Christmas Carol. Granted that one I only watched once and it was 13 years ago in theaters. So boring and the animation is so bad. Can't really fairly score it since I'd need to rewatch it but it definitely wouldn't rate higher than the Grinch.

 

[Wiseman]

Nah, we watch Elf more times a year than Grinch (and sometimes not even during Christmas season), so it's not just burnout. Elf is just a way better movie!

But at least it's better than the other Jim Carrey Christmas movie, A Christmas Carol. Granted that one I only watched once and it was 13 years ago in theaters. So boring and the animation is so bad. Can't really fairly score it since I'd need to rewatch it but it definitely wouldn't rate higher than the Grinch.

Ah, I never saw that Christmas Carol, but I can guarantee there are about ten other film versions that are better and there is no need to go back to it.

 

[Chris]

Not really too high on the live action Grinch myself but I do love Carey in it, plus his Grinch gave us a lot of good reaction gifs before they were even a thing lol

 

[Dubb]

Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving if you're in the US, and if you're not I still hope you had a great week/weekend also!

So a couple of weeks ago, The Santa Clauses debuted on Disney+ and as a child of the '90s, I couldn't not watch. While we're only about 3 episodes into it, that's not what I'm going to be talking about today. I want to watch all the episodes and then give my thoughts on the show as a whole.

That being said, in preparation for the show, I did partake in a rewatch of the source material, 1994's The Santa Clause.

Again, being a child of the 90s, this one has and always will be fairly highly regarded for me. Plus I was a big fan of Home Improvement at the time, so seeing Tim Allen as Santa Claus was pretty darn cool.

Now I don't think I necessarily hit this one every single year, but probably most years at the very least. But I'd definitely say this one still mostly holds up watching it from the eyes of a man slowly reaching that 40-year-old threshold. Tim Allen is pretty much the same Tim Allen from anything he's ever been in, but it definitely works in this and the transformation of him from Scott Calvin to Santa Claus is still fun and the falling off the roof scene still makes me laugh.

I can't quite put this one on the same level as Elf, so let's grade it at 7.5/10.

I've also realized perhaps I was a bit too harsh on The Grinch and I'll go up and edit it's score up to a 4!

 

[Dubb]

Speaking of movies from the 90's that I highly enjoyed as a kid, the next one on my list was Jingle All The Way (1996).

There's just something about this movie... like... I get it, it's really not very good. The acting is terrible. The plot is pretty dumb. But... it's just... like.. so much fun and I can't help but enjoy myself on the rewatch. So many meme-able moments too...

It's not an every year watch for the family, but I find myself enjoying it as a movie that's so bad it's good...so that's good enough for me to give it a 6.25/10.

Now...this somehow lead me to doing something that I wouldn't necessarily recommend. I remember scrolling through Disney+, maybe last year...idk...but I saw there was a Jingle All The Way 2 (2014). Immediately seeing it starred Larry the Cable Guy... I figured I would never do such a thing as watch that. But after watching the original, I decided out of sheer morbid curiosity (and for the content)... I'd give it a watch.

I'll start by saying it wasn't as bad as I expected. That said, I went in expecting like a 0/10. It was still pretty bad. If you thought the acting in the original was bad... well, you'll probably be wishing you could have Sinbad and Arnold back. I will say, Larry the Cable Guy's schtick is ever so slightly dialed back in it, otherwise it probably would've been a 0.

At first I didn't understand how it even made sense to call this "Jingle All The Way 2" until like 30 minutes in they finally get to the "getting the hot Christmas toy" plot. Not nearly as much slapstick violence in this one either. Though they do almost verbatim copy the Santa Claus bootleg scene from the original.

Oh and apparently this was a WWE Films production and Santino Marella is in it. So, uh yeah there's that.

Anyway...I'll give it a 2/10.

 

[Chris]

I feel like I remember this plugged on WWE TV when it came out and then never heard another peep lol

 

[Dubb]

I feel like I remember this plugged on WWE TV when it came out and then never heard another peep lol

Haha, yeah this was during my wrestling gap years of 09-19 but I did find a clip of Larry the Cable Guy coming out on Raw shirtless in a luchadore mask.....