Cindy Prascik's Review of A Christmas Mystery

 

My dear friends on the Nice List, in the interest of enjoying a little holiday cheer for Christmas in July, this weekend I checked out A Christmas Mystery.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailer.

When her best friend's father is unjustly accused of stealing the town's famous Jingle Bells, a girl uses her sleuthing skills to track down the real thief.

A Christmas Mystery is a by-the-numbers holiday tale, full of faces you'll know even if you don't quite know the names. It's fair to say no one's talent is over-taxed, but the familiar story is as comfortable as your favorite fuzzy Christmas socks. The sunny setting keeps A Christmas Mystery from feeling super Christmasey, and odds are you'll see the ending coming from as far away as the North Pole, but if you're looking for an easy, feel-good film, A Christmas Mystery will find a place on your Christmas list.

A Christmas Mystery clocks in at a quick 87 minutes, and is rated PG for "mild thematic material."

It won't exactly keep you on the edge of your sleigh, but A Christmas Mystery is a sweet story with a likeable cast, good fun for the whole family.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, A Christmas Mystery gets five.

A Christmas Mystery is now streaming on Max.

Merry Christmas in July, everyone!

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: M3GAN

 

M3GAN is a marvel of artificial intelligence, a lifelike doll that's programmed to be a child's greatest companion and a parent's greatest ally. Designed by Gemma, a brilliant roboticist, M3GAN can listen, watch and learn as it plays the role of friend and teacher, playmate and protector. When Gemma becomes the unexpected caretaker of her 8-year-old niece, she decides to give the girl an M3GAN prototype, a decision that leads to unimaginable consequences.

Director: Gerard Johnstone

Cast: Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Ronny Chieng, Brian Jordan Alvarez, Jen Van Epps, Stephane Garneau-Monten

Release Date: January 6, 2023

Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Rated PG-13 for violent content and terror, some strong language and a suggestive reference

Runtime: 1h 42m

Review:

M3gan plays like the strange offspring of The Twilight Zone episode, I Sing the Body Electric, and the Chucky franchise.  It’s the kind of genre film that could have recycled tone and tropes from various other sources, Speilberg’s A.I., HBO’s Westworld or the original Westworld movie, to deliver passable entertainment.   Thankfully, Akela Cooper’s screenplay is self-aware enough to try something different and embrace some of the funnier elements of the conceit and deliver a film that will deliver more laughs than actual scares.   Gerard Johnstone directs a sleek, efficient film that’s easy to enjoy, especially once the opening act sets up the introduction of the titular android.  Once M3gan shows up, the film really finds it footing due in no large part to well the live action/FX creation works as a character.  It’s a fascinating bit of screen alchemy with the character feeling authentically artificial while still having a clearly defined persona.   Amie Donald physical performance combined with Jenna Davis voice work serve as the life blood of the film, making incredibly watchable especially when it leans into the funnier aspects which are best left as a surprise.  The supporting cast is solid but Voilet McGraw interactions with M3gan really make the film pop before the fairly sanitized homicides start happening.   The plot, itself touches on themes like technology raising our children but it’s nothing terribly in depth or meaningful. The film moves at such a fast pace that you get the sense there is a more detailed longer cut of the film somewhere which expands on some the story threads.  Needless to say, that there’s something to explore in the inevitable sequel which will hopefully maintain the same level of fun as this entry. 

B+