Opinion Battles Round 26 – Favourite Christmas Movie

Round 26 of Opinion Battles is featuring favorite Christmas Movies! While not exactly a full on Christmas movie, my favorite is The Holiday. However, there are some other fantastic choice. I have to say that I’m a little shocked one title isn’t there.

Remember to head over and check out the other choices and drop a vote! And if you want to join in also for 2017, drop an email at Movie Reviews 101. All the details are there.

Movie Reviews 101

Opinion Battles Round 26

Favourite Christmas Movie

It is Christmas and Merry Christmas to you all, we have seen plenty of Christmas movies over the year and it is fair to say we have had good and bad ones, but which is your favourite.

We will be back for Opinion Battles next year with the new rounds which have been announced with our first round be Favourite Nicolas Cage Role, email you choices to moviereviews101@yahoo.co.ukby 7^th January 2017.

Darren – Movie Reviews 101

Gremlins

Gremlins is one of my favourite Christmas movies because we have a perfect mix of horror, comedy and Christmas spirit. Just remember the rules and you will have a good simple Christmas but if you break them you will be paying for them for the rest of the holiday. Gizmo could easily have been the biggest selling present at the time too because he…

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Christmas Marathon: A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS

A lot of people probably already know this one.  However, if you don’t, I will still do a short little summary.  Christmas is just around the corner and Charlie Brown sees that everyone around him, his friends and family seems to have lost the Christmas spirit and is influenced by the commercialism of the holiday.  In need, he seeks out Lucy’s “psychiatric” help and she advises him to direct the Christmas play.  Because of this, he tries to get everyone to have Christmas spirit with a little tree that he buys.  Little does he know that this will bring everyone together and helps everyone find the true meaning of Christmas.

This is one of my favorite Christmas movies, however, I just managed to get it last year.  The Peanuts gang always puts a smile on my face.  Linus with his security blanket and how he manipulates it in every way possible so that Lucy can’t take it away. Schroeder with his musical talent and love for Beethoven and Lucy trying to get his attention all the time is just adorable.  We also have Snoopy and Woodstock that tries to be Santa Claus and his little helpers.  We have the one who brings the most commercialism and its Charlie Brown’s little sister, Sally with her material and monetary desires.  This is a cute flick and after so many years, its held up quite well to the general audience.

My DVD also had the short TV flick called Its Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown.  That was quite fun as well.  Part of the Peanuts gang are all preparing for the school play and everyone is working hard to practice for their parts.  While Charlie Brown tries to save up enough money to get the red hair girl a pair of gloves as a Christmas gift.

Who is your favorite in the Peanuts gang?

Christmas Marathon: Miracle on 34th Street (1994)

Last night, a story about the whole concept of belief in Santa Claus was the next up.  Thats right, its…

MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET (1994)

(I only own this version and I have never seen the old one)

Director: Les Mayfield

Cast: Richard Attenborough, Elizabeth Perkins, Dylan McDermott, Mara Wilson

I’m guessing that the majority of you have already heard of this one, whether it be the 1947 version or this one.  If you haven’t, then please go see it.  Its a very nice story about a 6 year old girl called Susan (Mara Wilson) who has doubts about Santa Claus.  Her mother Dorey Walker (Elizabeth Perkins) is the director of special events at a big department store Coles and she is the one who puts together the annual Santa Claus parade, so she also doesn’t believe in this as the Santa is just an imposter she hires.  That is until she hires Kriss Kringle (Richard Attenborough) as Santa Claus after the other Santa that she hired had an accident.  At the same time, Cole’s is facing a takeover from Shoppers’ Express who is their competition and they intervene to taint Kriss Kringle’s name to bring down Coles.  Its then they set off Kriss Kringle’s temper and he injures the previously employed Coles Santa and is deemed mentally unstable.  Susan’s mom asks her boyfriend, Bryan (Dylan McDermott) to defend Kriss and set out to prove that there is a Santa Claus.

Miracle on 34th Street is possibly one of my favorite Christmas movies.  Its about belief based solely on faith.  Santa Claus may not exist as we grow older but its part a childhood experience to have had it.  It is someone who takes care of a child’s happiness.  He can make the most impossible of things happen.  Whether Kriss Kringle is actually Santa Claus didn’t matter as much as the fact that he was viewed as him and that his existence was acknowledged.  I think that is very magical.  This movie is very fun to watch because most of the time, adults view an old man who thinks his Santa Claus and talks about flying reindeers and invisible workshops crazy.  Its the idea to preserve that belief to keep a bit of the naivety that we love for children for as long as they can have it.

Another reason this movie is that I love Mara Wilson as a young actress.  I first saw her in Mrs. Doubtfire and she is just adorable but yet acts so smart all the time.  It makes her very enjoyable to watch.  She’s the typical fun little girl with lots of questions and trying to find answers all the time.  Another actor I like a lot is Richard Attenborough.  Many of us will know him as John Hammond in Jurassic Park.  For the record, I thought he really looked like Santa Claus and represented him really well.

With this movie coming in, it rings in Christmas better even than any other holiday based romantic comedy.  This brings in Santa Claus, our belief, our faith and is perfect for the whole family.  Its a wonderful Christmas flick and should definitely be viewed if you haven’t yet.

On that note, has anyone seen the 1947 version? I’ve heard that its better. Is it? Why do you like it more? Does either of the version ever show up on your Christmas movies?