Looks Like Christmas (2016) Anne Heche, Dylan Neal, Michael Teigen, Samantha Ferris Movie Review

Looks Like Christmas (2016)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Anne Heche and Dylan Neal in Looks Like Christmas (2016)

Old Meets New = Familiar

Divorced mum, Carol (Anne Heche - One Christmas Eve), is super organized so much that after cooking a feast for Thanksgiving she already has the Christmas decorating planned and the presents ordered online already for her traditional Christmas. Terry Evans (Dylan Neal - The Gourmet Detective: Death Al Dente) is a widowed father who, with his daughter, has never settled in any one town as his job as a redevelopment project manager keeps them on the move. After registering his daughter at the local school Terry heads to the PTA where they are discussing the Christmas concert and feathers fly when, Carol wanting to do the same thing they do every year, Terry suggests they do a talent show. But the two single parents are forced to work together as co-chair on the Christmas pageant and maybe see that there is more to Christmas than getting your way especially as they find themselves on opposite sides when it comes to the redevelopment of the town library.

"Looks Like Christmas" has one huge, mammoth problem which no matter how many decorations or snow you throw at it, it can't get around, it's predictable and narratively slim. Now in fairness "Looks Like Christmas" is not my first Hallmark Christmas movie and I know that being predictable is often part of their deal and in truth appeal but with "Looks Like Christmas" being slim when it comes to the story its predictable nature really sticks out.

As such what you get in "Looks Like Christmas" are two alpha characters who throw back handed compliments around like they were how they spoke to everyone. Basically we have chalk and cheese combined with being enemies as Terry works for a company wanting to demolish the town library to make way for a new development and yes Carol is on the library preservation committee, yes that does sound a bit like something in "How I Met Your Mother". I could go on but basically Carol loves tradition, Terry is for progress and between the escalating bickering they end up falling for each other and getting a reminder what Christmas is all about thanks to their kids who become friends. That is it and no matter how pleasant Anne Heche and Dylan Neal are they can't make "Looks Like Christmas" any more than being predictable, although predictable with a lot of beautiful lights and decorations.

What this all boils down to is that "Looks Like Christmas" is a fun Christmas movie with plenty of laughs. But it is unable to escape from its predictable, familiar nature which means whilst a fun Christmas movie to watch this year you probably won't necessarily feel like you need to watch it again.

Tags: TV Christmas Movies, Christmas Movies


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