#54 "Christmas in Wonderland"

So I watched this movie months ago, wrote the review, and then forgot to post it. I am SO THANKFUL I wrote about it then because watching it again now would be torture. No lie.
Stats: 2007. Starring Patrick Swayze, Tim Curry, Chris Kattan. PG.

Background: I remember seeing commercials for Christmas in Wonderland a couple years ago—I’m pretty sure it ran on Hallmark, ABC Family, or Lifetime during the Christmas season—and I remember being completely uninterested. The only reason I have this movie is it was part of a Christmas 4-pack sold in Walmart’s $5 bin, and my mom gave it to me in my stocking because I absolutely love one of the other movies (Borrowed Hearts—see my review here).

Plot: Wayne Saunders (Swayze) moves his family from L.A. to Edmonton, Alberta, because of a new job. His wife (who stayed behind for some reason I can’t recall) is stranded at LAX, and it’s the day before Christmas, so Wayne decides to take his kids to the mall so he can go Christmas shopping. Wayne leaves his two younger kids with teen-age son Danny, who in turn leaves them in line to see Santa while he goes off moping about how horrible Canada is. When Mary and Brian discover a bag full of money, they decide to go on a spending spree—and find themselves being chased by bumbling counterfeiters (including Chris Kattan).

Reactions: Please don’t waste your time on this movie! The kid who played Brian was the only “natural” actor in the bunch—everyone else came across as either completely over the top or bored. Tim Curry as the Mountie in charge of the counterfeit money investigation was slightly humorous … he played the same over-the-top character he seems to always play—but I couldn’t get over his Scottish accent. What was up with that? At one point, the plot when all "Home Alone" … only it was probably more like Home Alone 4. Do you think it’s funny when a villain gets covered in ping pong balls? Didn’t think so. The most laughable part (and not in a good way) was a scene that’s supposedly taking place at the North Pole. Brian opens a door that leads to the North Pole, and instead of real elves, he sees CGI elves … circa 1995. It looked like an old-school video game. They obviously had to pay someone to create the scene … so why couldn’t they just pay two guys to dress up in elf outfits and pretend to put together some toys?

Verdict: Keep—only because throwing it out would mean throwing out Borrowed Hearts.

P.S.: The cover lies. Patrick Swayze, may he rest in peace, will not melt your heart in this film.