Transcript
Speaker: Catch Me If You Claws.
Speaker: On the verge of her big break, aspiring news anchor Avery Quinn catches a home intruder wearing a red suit claiming to be Santa's son, Chris.
Speaker: One out of ten stars. Just know.
Speaker: I've watched some really awful Christmas films in my time, and this is up there with them.
Speaker: It really bad. bad The first 15 minutes started off okay, but then slid into oblivion.
Speaker: With me fast-forwarding, i recorded it, most of it.
Speaker: The plotline concept was a good one, but it was cast so badly.
Speaker: Italia Ricci is good, as is Luke McFarlane, but knowing that Luke is a gay man,
Speaker: makes any romantic scene with a woman a bit unreal. Yes, we see heterosexual actors play gay men on film But us ladies are wired to see our characters play for real.
Speaker: Aside from that, it may be perfect for children's TV but not one I wish to sit through again.
Speaker: One out of ten stars.
Speaker: Really awful. Couldn't even finish it.
Speaker: So many great Hallmark movies this Christmas. This, sadly, isn't one of them.
Speaker: Boring and pointless.
Speaker: I couldn't even get through it It dragged on aimlessly until finally, halfway through, I gave up and deleted it from my DVR.
Speaker: Many great Hallmark movies to watch this Christmas. A Biltmore Christmas, the Santa Summit, Norwegian Holiday. Haul out the holly lit up.
Speaker: Ms. Christmas.
Speaker: Don't waste your time on this one.
Speaker: I love most of them, but they can't all be winners, and each season there are many fabulous, but a couple of clunkers.
Speaker: The other one was Joyeux de Noël.
Speaker: Wanted to love it. Set in Paris. What's not to love?
Speaker: Terrible acting and boring.
Speaker: Again, for the most part, they're usually great.
Speaker: One out of ten stars. No idea what was happening lost my interest.
Speaker: completely lost my interest. It just carried on the background. It was chaotic, and I didn't connect any of the characters.
Speaker: Every time i looked up, it seemed we were repeating the same scene in a different location.
Speaker: Maybe I needed to concentrate more to follow the plot. But I watch these movies so I don't have to work hard.
Speaker: The actors seem talented, and I feel the concept of the movie was the reason I didn't enjoy the movie.
Speaker: I understand the need to find new Christmas movie ideas, and I applaud that.
Speaker: I don't think I will be giving it another try to see if the second time is better.
Speaker: I am sure this will be a hit for some people, but it is miss for me.
Speaker: Two out of ten stars.
Speaker: Complete garbage.
Speaker: The two leads tried to save this poorly written movie, but the writing was so awful that it wasn't possible for them to pull it off.
Speaker: I've seen Luke in other movies where he did well.
Speaker: What a convoluted mess of a story. It just meandered around like a drunken fighter trying to connect but never landing a punch.
Speaker: My fifth graders can write better stories than this.
Speaker: Most of the actors were one-dimensional.
Speaker: Maybe it wasn't their fault, however, because their characters were written one-dimensionally.
Speaker: thespians were the only good part. Two hours completely wasted.
Speaker: Skip this turkey. You probably got enough of that at Thanksgiving.
Speaker: Four out of ten stars.
Speaker: Santa sure like kissing.
Speaker: Was this a comedy?
Speaker: the mystery movies this year have been a bit off with so much talking.
Speaker: Non-stop.
Speaker: There seems to be some big story, but all the convoluted stories, scenes, and running around, then circling back, just made it hard to follow. Santa santa didn't feel like Santa.
Speaker: Security guards are more trustworthy than police.
Speaker: This wannabe reporter tries to come out from under her mom's shadow And there's a bunch of people at the news station and no one else to report the news?
Speaker: The magic of Christmas just wasn't in this movie.
Speaker: The very long make-out scene so seemed very un-hallmark-like.
Speaker: Also, a random name drop of Beyonce.
Speaker: Why are they name dropping celebs this year?
Speaker: Just stay in the Hallmark snow globe, not reality. This movie felt like a mess of a ride, but I guess this is how all the mystery movies are.
Speaker: There's probably some appeal and certain audience that really like the chase of the clues and try to figure them out before the end.
Speaker: But I lose interest halfway and really don't care about the ending.
Speaker: Four out of ten stars
Speaker: did not really catch me. Hallmark comes with their version of a Christmas farce caper, probably with the aim of appealing to many tastes and ages.
Speaker: It seems that with the coming new installation of the Hall Out the Holly saga, which I have personally found idiotic and other entries to come,
Speaker: They have decided that ingredients like mystery and farce may add flavor to their productions, progressively hampered by a vanishing Christmas spirit.
Speaker: In this, they cannot claim any originality either.
Speaker: Ion TV has overused the concept in the last couple of seasons.
Speaker: Here stars Luke McFarlane, memorable for several enjoyable, when not brilliant, roles in the past.
Speaker: In my opinion, he seems somewhat uneasy in this one and definitely subpar as a result.
Speaker: The film walks the thin line between cute and silly. with some undeniably charming moments, and many others that feel trite when not awkwardly stupid.
Speaker: Italia Ricci whom I like and respect, is kind of wasted in the hodgepodge.
Speaker: In the attempt to provide too many things, the movie ends up not charming enough for children not funny and enough for adults,
Speaker: inane as a mystery, and rather insipid for the romantic viewers.
Speaker: It does have some attractive moments and is suitable viewing for all ages, for which i would not classify it as a total failure.
Speaker: Where has Christmas spirit gone, though?
Speaker: Five out ten stars.
Speaker: Santa's a regular guy.
Speaker: Fortunately, there is good casting. Luke McFarlane, thumbs up emoji, as Chris, and the lovely Italia Ricci as Avery in Catch Me If You Claws.
Speaker: which will help you, at least partially, overcome a big stretch taken on the legend of Santa Claus.
Speaker: If you are a solemn believer, You will be saddened here that being Santa is a learn-on-the-job responsibility no longer held by the Kringle family.
Speaker: and that Santa can take a joyride on his sleigh in the off-season.
Speaker: Nobody notices?
Speaker: In another borrowed theme this season, you can guess by the title This movie will be a fast-paced adventure.
Speaker: Chris is failing his first trek as Santa delivering gifts. He misdelivered a gift and has half the world left over to complete his duty in less than five hours.
Speaker: Avery, on the other hand, has her biggest opportunity in her TV news career, anchoring the morning news.
Speaker: And yes, that's in a few hours.
Speaker: They get entangled in a criminal conspiracy involving the town mayor and a criminal Santa who is actually an ex-employee turned vigilante.
Speaker: Avery who is well aware of the APB out on criminal Santa, mistakenly apprehends Chris coming from her fireplace.
Speaker: He ah apparently has no Santa magic to break free.
Speaker: So the two of them, once she deduces Chris is the real deal, He does have Santa's sees you, knows you insights when convenient in the storyline. Team up to solve the crime.
Speaker: It's corny back and forth comical action. but it does serve to draw our leads, Chris and Avery, closer.
Speaker: It feels more like an endearing friendship is developing, a traumatic life experience together.
Speaker: but they get a long kiss in under the guise of covering their faces to escape discovery by the mayor's henchmen.
Speaker: You can't fault Hallmark for venturing into non-exhausted plots. But this one, somewhat unique and whimsical, requires plenty of your attention for all of the scene changes.
Speaker: This pathway left me more relieved than emotional about any goodwill or romance that could develop.
Speaker: Therefore, as we draw closer to Christmas, I would move this farther down your watch list.
Speaker: Six out of 10 stars.
Speaker: Glad I stayed through to the end.
Speaker: At around the 59-minute mark, I was ready to give up on this movie.
Speaker: It was very slow to start. And honestly, Avery enough.
Speaker: believing Chris was who he said he was got annoying fast.
Speaker: But I'm glad i stuck with it because it ended up being pretty cute in the end.
Speaker: The plot and twists were so-so, and I honestly had to rewind a couple times to make sure i knew who they were referencing character-wise.
Speaker: But all in all, what made this good was, as per usual, Luke McFarlane.
Speaker: He's a hallmark staple for a reason, and this was no exception.
Speaker: Italia Ricci was all right. I feel like the first half was sort of rough in that she was kind of dialing it in and or overdoing it, but she mellowed out in the end.
Speaker: The theater troupe was one of the best parts of the movie.
Speaker: I'm not exactly sure how Chris and Avery are going to work out the whole dating thing, given that he's Santa and all.
Speaker: But it's movie magic for a reason. L-O-L. oh l
Speaker: Six out of ten stars.
Speaker: Fun.
Speaker: Hallmark movie. that doesn't really look or feel like a hallmark movie.
Speaker: Hallmark veteran Luke McFarlane and the gorgeous Italia Ricci are fantastic as, respectively, the son of Santa Claus, Chris, of course,
Speaker: taking over the family business, so to speak, and Avery, an aspiring TV local host at Channel 71 in Dayton, Ohio, who is looking for her one big break.
Speaker: Turns out she thinks she has caught the so-called Santa crook breaking into her house.
Speaker: The scenes where Chris has to do his present delivery thing with his hands tied together, are some of the best in the movie.
Speaker: It's a case of mistaken identity, though, which soon gets cleared up and what starts as an uneasy alliance become something much more.
Speaker: There were some twists and turns I just didn't expect to find in a Hallmark movie.
Speaker: Very refreshing.
Speaker: The chemistry between Ricci and Macfarlane is fantastic,
Speaker: and a well-written script that is actually funny, unlike, say, haul out the holly or its sequel.
Speaker: and suits the comedic chops of both actors.
Speaker: The best hallmark work for both actors, if you ask me.
Speaker: Fun stuff.
Speaker: So,
Speaker: Are you still awake?
Speaker: hope I hope I've lulled you off to sleep. But if not, let's go to the next one, shall we?
