'Tis the Season - Father Christmas is Back (2021)

Streaming Service: Netflix
Movie Name/Year: Father Christmas is Back (2021)
Genre: Comedy
Length:  105 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Production/Distribution: MSR Media, Front Row Filmed Entertainment, Netflix
Directors: Mick Davis, Philippe Martinez
Writers: Philippe Martinez, Hannah Davis, David Conolly, Dylanne Corcoran
Actors: Amelie Prescott, Ania Marson, April Bowlby, Caroline Quentin, Elizabeth Hurley, John Cleese, Katy Brand, Kelsey Grammer, Kris Marshall, Naomi Frederick, Nathalie Cox, Oliver Smith, Ray Fearon, Talulah Riley
 
IMDb Blurb: Father Christmas Is Back centers around four sisters who have re-united for the Christmas Holiday in a Yorkshire mansion. Misunderstandings uncover the long-buried secret that tore their family apart, so many years ago.

 
Cat’s Point of View:
I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed with Father Christmas is Back. I started out very hopeful and excited for this film because of its cast. Once the picture began, the deflating process that took the wind from my proverbial sails was rather rapid.
 
Father Christmas is Back wasn’t horrible, it was just…missing something…OK, a lot. It was missing a lot.

 
I’ve had a week of ESPN playing in the background with my Father-in-law visiting for Christmas. The fact that some of that was more entertaining than what I just watched is, for lack of any better word, quite the fumble.
 
I absolutely adore John Cleese (Elliot the Littlest Reindeer, The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee, Clifford the Big Red Dog). He is one of the pillars of British Comedy, and will forever be in my heart as one of the Monty Python boys. His role in Father Christmas is Back simply didn’t utilize his full potential. He certainly didn’t disappoint – I just feel he was in a situation where he had to make the most of what he was given to work with.

 
I think the same could really be said for Elizabeth Hurley (An Elephant's Journey, The Royals, Runaways) and Kelsey Grammer (Money Plane, Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans, Black Box). They were the other two large draws for me to this film.
 
All told, Father Christmas is Back was amusing but fell a bit flat. I didn’t really jive with elements of the plot, it was a bit too all over the place, and the twist rather rankled. I had a very hard time suspending disbelief here.
 
I’m afraid this one falls into the category of “bless their hearts, they tried.” 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – None
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 9%
Metascore – None
Metacritic User Score – 2.9/10
IMDB Score – 4.5/10
 
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 2.5/5
 
Movie Trailer: