6 Overrated Christmas Movies That I Definitely Won't Be Watching This Year
These flicks aren't worth wasting hot chocolate on.
Jim Carrey in 'How The Grinch Stole Christmas.' Right: Train from 'The Polar Express.'
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
The Christmas season has a limited number of days, and I won't waste a single precious one watching these overrated films. Call me Scrooge, but these holiday flicks have me saying, "bah humbug" and are much better left in Christmas past.
From cringey, cliche stories to unsatisfying remakes of classic holiday tales, here are the movies I won't be drinking hot chocolate to this year.
The Polar Express
Rating: 6.6/10 on IMDb
About: Despite enjoying the classic storybook, I find The Polar Express film is nothing short of a trainwreck. The Christmas tale has strangely dark and ominous undertones which diminish the overall feeling of Christmas magic. It has fast-paced, sometimes jarring scenes that made me feel like I was riding an out-of-control rollercoaster instead of an enchanting holiday train. Plus, its over-the-top effects and flashy animation feel like distractions from the lack of actual substance in the plot.
Love Hard
Rating: 6.3/10 on IMDb
About: I had high hopes for this film, not only because I'm a fan on Nina Dobrev (team Damon, anyone?), but also because it starts out strong. The story portrays the real-life, humorous struggles of online dating, but then takes a turn for the worse and becomes riddled with cringey moments, random dirty jokes and outlandish events. The film seems like it's trying too hard to be a number of things; a comedy, a heart-warming story and a Christmas tale. Not only is there no chemistry between the characters, but the underwhelming ending is simply a reproduced scene from Love Actually. Plus, Dobrev's character ends up coming across as self-centred, immoral and unlikable.
How The Grinch Stole Christmas
Rating: 6.2/10 on IMDb
About: I don't mean to be a Grinch, but I've never understood why this film gets so much hype. Yes, the makeup, sets and costumes are well-done, but that's about it. The whimsy of Dr. Seuss's original story is totally obliterated, and the film relies on loud scenes, shallow jokes and obnoxious (even creepy) moments to hold the viewers' attention. While there are some funny lines here and there, it's not enough to make up for the overall mayhem of the film. We would have been better off if this story had been left as a cartoon.
The Princess Switch
Rating: 6.0/10
About: I could barely make it through this film. It felt like every cheesy holiday movie ever made had been thrown into a blender, mixed with extra fluff, then cooked until it was overdone. There is nothing original whatsoever about the story and it seems like the filmmakers tried to pack as many cringey Christmas cliches as they could, while somehow marketing it as something unique. The characters have no substance, the plot is uninteresting and predictable, plus the comedic moments just aren't funny.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Rating: 7.9/10 on IMDb
About: This Halloween-meets-Christmas film is one I definitely won't be watching this holiday season. I appreciate the creativity and style of this Tim Burton classic, but it just snuffs out any Christmas spirit you have. Dissected teddy bears, bloody ducks and other disturbing toys are not something I want to see, even if I was watching this at Halloween. The worst part of this film is kidnapped Santa, a true Christmas nightmare and one that terrified me as a child.
A Christmas Prince
Rating: 5.8/10 on IMDb
About: This bland film is about as predictable as it gets. At best, if you're looking for something to half-watch while you decorate your tree, then this movie checks all the boxes. But it's far from original, lacks depth and is, at the end of the day, forgettable. I may have enjoyed it a bit more had the romance been believable, but there was no chemistry between the main characters, and I just didn't buy their love for one another.