Mel Gibson is the sole saving grace to this one, even though his character is a sociopath.
Here is yet another movie about an extended family, portrayed by an ensemble cast, reuniting for the holidays, and personalities clash, hilarity .... um, ... ensues ... ? and everything works out because * PLOT * , and we can't forget the face palm-inducing song and dance routine at the end. Fifteen minutes of this dysfunctional, ensemble family going to a cinema, and " Do They Know It's Christmas? ", to the accompaniment of choreographed dance routines.
Gibson's character seems to be in on the joke here, almost like he's aware of the fact that he's watching Will Ferrell acting like an idiot in a dim witted movie, and Gibson just stands back and says things like, " What an idiot " , as Ferrell demolishes a Christmas lights display with a snow blower, or chainsaws a high tension power line, in two of the lamest, longest scenes.
Nothing in this film goes anywhere. None of what happens seems to genuinely happen, it seems like it only happens because that is what the formulaic plot needs to have happen, although, as sociopathic as Gibson's character is, he is the only one who made me laugh at all here. Without his character, I would have loathed this one, whereas now, I'm just indifferent toward it. Even Mark Wahlberg, who I'm a fan of, didn't get many laughs from me this time.
Here is yet another movie about an extended family, portrayed by an ensemble cast, reuniting for the holidays, and personalities clash, hilarity .... um, ... ensues ... ? and everything works out because * PLOT * , and we can't forget the face palm-inducing song and dance routine at the end. Fifteen minutes of this dysfunctional, ensemble family going to a cinema, and " Do They Know It's Christmas? ", to the accompaniment of choreographed dance routines.
Gibson's character seems to be in on the joke here, almost like he's aware of the fact that he's watching Will Ferrell acting like an idiot in a dim witted movie, and Gibson just stands back and says things like, " What an idiot " , as Ferrell demolishes a Christmas lights display with a snow blower, or chainsaws a high tension power line, in two of the lamest, longest scenes.
Nothing in this film goes anywhere. None of what happens seems to genuinely happen, it seems like it only happens because that is what the formulaic plot needs to have happen, although, as sociopathic as Gibson's character is, he is the only one who made me laugh at all here. Without his character, I would have loathed this one, whereas now, I'm just indifferent toward it. Even Mark Wahlberg, who I'm a fan of, didn't get many laughs from me this time.