Year: 2019
Rating: G
Running Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Santa's son Nick, who is poised to take over the role of the Jolly Gift Giver, disappears the week before Christmas. Now, his sister Noelle sets off to look for him so he can return in time for the holiday and save Christmas.
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| In a movie still for Disney's 2019 film "Noelle," Noelle Kringle (Anna Kendrick) talks to her favorite reindeer, Snowcone, who is flying outside her window. (Image Source) |
Oh my garland! Disney+'s feature film "Noelle" is teeming with yuletide puns! This movie is written and directed by Marc Lawrence who, besides apparently being Hugh Grant's number one fan, has also made the movies "Two Weeks Notice," "Music and Lyrics," and "Did You Hear About the Morgans?" For generations, the Kringle family has passed down the role of Santa from father to son. It is now time for Nick Kringle (Bill Hader) to take the reins from his father. Feeling like he's not ready to fill his father's shoes, and stressed out from all the training he has had to do, his sister Noelle (Anna Kendrick) tells him to take the weekend off. When Nick doesn't come back from his weekend vacation, and with less than a week to go before Christmas, Noelle takes Santa's sleigh to look for her brother and bring him back in time for the holiday.
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| Bill Hader plays Santa's son, Nick Kringle, in Disney+'s holiday film "Noelle." (Image Source) |
If you're looking for a brand new family-friendly Christmas flick to check out this holiday season, Disney has got you covered like fresh powdered snow. "Noelle" is one of the first films available via Disney+'s new streaming service. Now that we are in full swing of the season, we finally sat down to watch it with candy canes and silver lanes aglow and love in our hearts. As the film began, we got a little nervous as many cringe-worthy holiday puns and moments of terrible CGI'ed reindeer come a-flowin' like a batch of freshly brewed hot chocolate. On top of that, it's very obvious where the narrative is headed, so there are no surprises to be had. The script is riddled with so much cheese that it's almost too much to bear. We love using well-placed puns and "dad jokes," but "Noelle" puts even us to shame. Some of our favorites include: "yule love our savings!," "my partridge in a pear tree underwear needs washing," "I'm so jolly you're here," and "that's pretty stocking half empty." SoOoOoooOoOo many puns! We were almost ready to say "bah humbug" to this newfangled Christmas flick about three times, but its excellent cast and stunning decorations and costumes warmed our hearts with enough celebratory cheer to keep us watching. Anna Kendrick is charming as can be, and she lights up a screen brighter than the Griswold house on Christmas day. She was the perfect casting choice to play the bubbly Noelle, who has always played second fiddle to her older brother and is someone who hasn't yet found her true calling. Bill Hader also does a great job as the reluctant Nick Kringle, who is halfway to a mental breakdown because he feels compelled to follow in his father's footsteps even though it's not what he wants out of life. Billy Eichner does a decent job as Gabriel, Nick and Noelle's tech-obsessed cousin who gets put in charge in Nick's absence and thinks he can revamp the naughty and nice list based on algorithms and trending charts.
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| Kingsley Ben-Adir plays private detective Jake Hapman, who tries to help Noelle Kringle (Anna Kendrick) find her brother Nick (Bill Hader) in Disney's "Noelle." (Image Source) |
At some point, while watching "Noelle," we put any expectations we had aside and started enjoying it for what it was: a corny and dumb but ultimately sweet yuletide tale that's not meant to be super serious (though we thoroughly appreciate the notion of evolving traditions over time). It's supposed to make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, and in that aspect, we think it is successful. It's a bright, shiny, (mostly) fun story people of all ages can appreciate and enjoy if only they give it a chance if you can wade through the dumb jokes and the copious amount of iPad product placements. Know going in that it's 50% cringe, 50% wholesome entertainment with a powerful ending that's sure to hit you right in the feels and give your heart an emotional tug that'll have you ready to pound a few glasses of spiked eggnog and sing Christmas carols when all is said and done.
BigJ's Rating: 6/10
IMDB's Rating: 6.3/10
RT Rating: 53%
Do we recommend this movie: Sure, why not?
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