Movie Review: Naughty or Nice (2011)
Synopsis: Despite her name, Krissy Kringle is having a hard time getting into the holiday spirit. Her water heater doesn't work, her credit cards are maxed out, she just lost her job and her boyfriend of 6 years, Lance, doesn't seem interested in marrying her. To top it off, her name and the fact she lives on Candy Cane Lane results in her getting hundreds of letters meant for Santa Claus. Things begin to change for her when she accidentally receives Santa's Naughty or Nice list. However, while she initially thinks it is a blessing, Krissy's opinion soon changes when she learns about the naughty things those closest to her have done.
Who's in it? The movie stars Hillarie Burton Morgan, Matt Dallas, Gabriel Tigerman, Danneel Ackles, Meredith Baxter and Michael Gross.
Review: I have had Naughty or Nice in my movie library for a couple years and since my wife and I have never gotten around to watching the Hallmark film, I figured I'd give it a shot this morning. It ended up being a surprisingly good choice.
The beginning of the film seemed like many Hallmark movies at first - "independent" woman who can't pay her bills and can't be happy unless she has a husband and, of course, she doesn't have the Christmas spirit. However, once Krissy (Morgan) receives the Naughty or Nice list, the film admittedly became interesting.
Some of the things weren't all that surprising. I figured her friend, Jill (Ackles) wasn't as good a friend as Krissy thought she was. I also correctly guessed she'd learn something about Lance (Dallas) that either was true or would prove to be a misunderstanding. There were other things that weren't as predictable though.
For example, I had a surprisingly hard time getting a read on her friend/co-worker Marco (Tigerman). It was clear he wasn't the love interest, but I wasn't completely sure if he really was her friend either. He seemed awfully eager to help her use the book to commit mischief. It made me wonder if he would turn out to be a bad guy or, perhaps, he was secretly Santa (or one of Santa's elves) and trying to teach her a lesson.
I also thought the twist involving the list itself was clever, with Krissy learning she was reading it wrong and only getting half the story (except, of course, with Jill). That, along with the list's surprisingly fragile nature around spilled cocoa did lead to some clever reveals and an extra challenge when Krissy found herself unexpectedly trying to save the employer who fired her.
Final Opinion: I wasn't really expecting all that much from this movie, especially after the first few minutes but it turned out to be an entertaining film with a few surprises. It's worth watching.
My Grade: A
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Here are some reviews of other Hallmark Christmas movies:
Movie Review: Take Me Back for Christmas (2023)
Movie Review: Christmas by Design (2023)
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