Christmas with the Kranks

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But he sure seemed to have stolen the hearts and sense of humor of many who have watched and commented on this film. "Christmas with the Kranks" is a mostly clean, clever and witty, film without the vulgar and crass stuff of so many other more recent "holiday" movies. It's a great comedy that's fit for the whole family, although the humor will be mostly understood by the older kids and adults. I just came across the film when organizing my library, and recalled the poor rating it got but how much fun it was to me. So, these comments are written in the spring with the film still fresh in my mind – that's how good it is. What's not to like about this movie? It covers so much of what happens in middle America when Christmas rolls around. But, here's a family whose only child is grown and she's off to work in a social program in a foreign country. So mom and dad can skip all the usual holiday chores and regalia in their neighborhood, go away on a romantic cruise alone, and still save money. Then the complications set in, and what a hoot as Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis go from one miscue to another with neighbors and friends. It's got a great cast, and everyone delivers well. What's funnier than Tim's fruit cocktail dribbling down his chin because he can't close his mouth to chew after receiving a Botox injection? Or, Jamie Lee stepping out of a tanning parlor dressed only in her bikini right in the middle of a mall crowd of onlookers – including her parish priest? Or Dan Aykroyd, the neighborhood ringmaster, organizing the rescue effort to set up the Kranks' Christmas house when daughter Blair changes her mind and flies home. This movie is full of gaffes and laughs, one-after-another, as Tim "Grinch" Allen gets back into the Christmas spirit with family and neighbors. Of all the very funny Christmas holiday movies over the years – there are some quite good ones a few decades back (black and white), I rank "Christmas with the Kranks" right behind the very best one – National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. So, don't listen to the sour faces who have no sense of humor, or who don't dig clean fun. Watch this film with family and friends around the holidays this year and next – or at any time in between. Unless you're a Grinch, you're sure to enjoy it.

I have no idea why people complain about this movie. I hear more complaints about this than the current President in office. I thought that this is a good film. The story is about a family whose daughter is leaving for the holidays apparently. The family played by Jamie Lee Curtis and Tim Allen decides to go on a cruise on Christmas Day. As the day nears, the daughter calls back saying that she'll be home for Christmas. Now the family have to celebrate Christmas or else. This movie is not very funny, but it's funny enough that I'll chuckle here or there. Mostly, I was interested in the plot line. The acting is a bit cheesy but nothing totally bad. The soundtrack is average but I like to listen to Christmas songs. The screenplay by Harry Potter director Chris Columbus could have been written better. Overall, this is a good film designed to make you feel good. I rate this film a 8/10.

One of the worst movies ever made. It's not funny. It doesn't make sense. It makes you feel lousy about Christmas. It wastes a number of talented actors. Many $ millions were wasted making this movie, money that would have been better spent cleaning gum off sidewalks. When I watched it at a theater, I became furious. I wanted to demand my money back - life a defective product. Anyone praising this movie - or saying this review isn't helpful - is a paid studio plant. Don't waste your time or money. You have been warned.

I have had the unfortunate experience of having watched this movie. Oh, great way to start a review, huh? Watching this movie is more harmful to your health than cocaine. That being said, here is a summary of what will go down in history as a movie that truly reflected its time. The Kranks, though they have such a harsh name, are your regular family. Father, Mother, Daughter. Its the day after thanksgiving, and their daughter leaves them (see, before the movie started, she had joined the peace corps). And the rest of the day doesn't work out for Luthor Krank. Chicago weather gets the most of him, and while walking drenched outside a store he sees a sign, advertising a nice tropical cruise. And this is a man who really needs a vacation. Soon, he looks at his enormous Christmas expenses, compares it to the price of a cruise, and he gets a brilliant idea: Skip Christmas. And so all is well. Until people find out that Luthor and Nora Krank have denied Tradition. What follows is an assortment of disturbing scenes as the neighborhood tries to win back the Krank's hearts. Two exceptionally troublesome scenes: The newspaper reports the family's wish to not celebrate Christmas in a smear article (front page no less), and the constant arguments about the family's decision to not but up a snowman completely identical to the snowmen on every other roof. When I was a child, I read the store Tootle the Tank Engine. Tootle was given one rule: Stay on the Rails no matter what. When he went off the rails, nothing was harmed. But he was not supposed to do it so all the conductors and engineers tricked him into staying on the rails. This book was written admittedly as propaganda to keep children following America as the assumed threat of communists grew. Right now, there is an aptmospher in our great nation, that says your for us or against us. If we don't follow, we are wrong. Whether or not this is intentional, the film feels like cold war era propaganda as it does not satirize the neighbor's constant assaults on the Kranks, but supports them. At any rate, this movie is a frightening monument to conformity and blind faith, and teaches us not to respect the wishes and ideas of others. See a much better Christmas film with political undertones: Santa Clause Conquers the Martians. 0 stars.

This movie was great. I love Tim Allen, and that's what drew me in. Yes, the audacious neighbors were a little annoying, but I think that was on purpose. This movie was not stupid. I laughed a lot during this movie, and I love the parts where Nora is trying to get the honey ham. I want to cover my eyes, because it's so frustrating, but I can't not watch it. The end is also very good and heart-warming: what Luther does for those people, how the whole neighborhood pulls together to help Luther after he's made a complete fool of himself, and the whole thing with "Marty," a.k.a. Santa Clause. I did think the part where he drove a Volkswagen bug instead of a sleigh was kind of nonessential and maybe a little dumb, but I have to give the movie a nine out of ten because it satisfied me. People who are against this movie need to just let go and let live; it is a good holiday movie, and if you weren't blinded by your uptight standards, you would enjoy it. I don't mean to offend anybody, but I felt like I was taking a personal blow when I read many of the mean and nasty comments.

Based on the book 'Skipping Christmas', Tim Allen's latest movie is about a stingy accountant and his wife who are planning to skip Christmas because they're daughter's with the Peace Corps, and they wanna save a little money and take a cruise, which will actually cost less than half of what they spent for Christmas last year. But their neighbors are aghast. Skipping Christmas? Is something like that legal? Not on Hemlock street. And when Tim refuses to put up the Frosty decoration like everyone else, that's the last straw... This is a really good movie. Tim Allen does excellent Christmas movies, and this is his best one to date. This movie teaches about love, community, the downsides of selfishness, while showing, in a way, that Christmas has become a little too materialistic of late, though it forgets to point out why we really do celebrate December 25. But it also doesn't replace the real reason for the season with Santa, either. Well-done, funny, only negative scene is in a tanning salon, but it's tolerable. I fully recommend this film to anyone who enjoys good, wholesome family entertainment. But beware of evil seven-foot Frosty the snowman roof ornaments!

When their daughter Blair (Julie Gonzalo) leaves home to go to Peru for the Peace Corp, Luther Krank (Tim Allen) decides to skip Christmas and go on a cruise with his wife Nora (Jamie Lee Curtis). He refuses to do anything related to Christmas causing resentment from the rest of the neighbors led by Vic Frohmeyer (Dan Aykroyd). Tim Allen usually plays arrogant pompous pricks. This character is best balanced out by somebody more reasonable. The resulting conflict is where the comedy comes from. In this movie, Tim Allen plays an especially large prick. The problem is Jamie Lee Curtis plays such a weak compliant partner. She is some kind of scared '50s housewife. The partnership doesn't generate any comedy at all. Then there are the neighbors. They are too annoying. In fact, everybody in this movie are too annoying, well everybody except the cancer lady. They are as ridiculous and unreasonable as Luther Krank. Luther Krank writes a letter to everybody telling them that he's not Scrouge, but that's what this is. The big disappointment is Jamie Lee Curtis. She's suppose to fight back. Without that, there is no comedy. It's just a lot of annoying people bickering.

There is nothing better than a great Christmas movie. Everyone can name their favorite and there is nothing more nostalgic than watching your favorite Christmas special every year. It remains to be seen whether The Kranks will become one of those for us, or for me anyways. Christmas With The Kranks which I was stunned to learn, the novel from which it was based, was penned by the amazing John Grisham and the screenplay by the equally amazing Chris Columbus was a fun, heart felt, and often laugh out funny Christmas film. It had it's shortcomings as the critics are shoving in our faces but a Christmas film must be given some slack for being a seasonal film anyways. The story is The Kranks, Luther and Nora have had to say goodbye to their beloved Daughter Blaire as she moves on to the Peace Corp. Suddenly their empty nest syndrome kicks in and they realize their whole reason for having extravagant Christmas's is gone. Luther realizes that this is the perfect opportunity to leave it all behind and take his wife on a luxurious cruise of the Caribbean but in order to truly appreciate the Christmas cruise they will have to boycott Christmas altogether which sounds easy at first but they realize their Christmas happy neighbors, co-workers and town are not going to stand for it. Everything comes to a grinding halt when Blaire calls to say she is coming home for Christmas which changes everything. Now all they've worked towards avoiding they have to bring back, set up, get ready for and prepare the best Christmas ever!! Tim Allen is wonderful in this movie, probably the best of the cast. The character fits him so well and he doesn't come across as Tim Taylor which is always good. Jamie Lee Curtis who I love don't get me wrong but she didn't quite hit the note on this one. She was okay but she wasn't well matched with Luther and she wasn't given the best of scenes in the film, although her bikini scene was very funny. Dan Akroyd makes an unfortunately brief appearance as the "mayor" of the neighborhood who at first appears to be hassling them but in the end rallies everyone to their support. The movie dragged a little, it's slightly longer than expected and the beginning of it was a little off putting. It felt like it was going to suck basically. But it got so much better half way through and ended perfectly. From the moment of the hilarious carolers outside their house, the movie was funny, heart warming, and fun to watch. The dialog felt forced at times and some of the gags did as well but it was still fun to watch. Throw in some necessary Christmas magic, and a little heart warming moment of Christmas realization and the film is wonderful. I can't wait to see it again next Christmas. I often wondered if Grisham or Columbus wasn't trying to be a little satirical at parts with the neighborhood perfectly aligned and snow perfectly placed. It felt like maybe they were poking a little fun but nonetheless it's a great family, Christmas movie. I also think they should have stuck with the title "Skipping Christmas" but that doesn't effect it much I suppose. Check it out!! 7.5/10