Nurse Betty (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)A young waitress in a small town in Kansas witnesses an act of violence so unspeakable that her mind refuses to accept it; instead, like a ray of light reflected through a prism, she takes a detour within herself and enters a reality in which things are just a little bit better and nicer, one that fuses with the world of her favorite soap opera wherein resides the "doctor" of her dreams. Renee Zellweger stars in "Nurse Betty," a satirical comedy/drama with some serious psychological overtones from director Neil LaBute. It's an objective look at, among other things, small town life, the aesthetics of professional hit men, an unhealthy (?) obsession with soap operas, and the ethics of car salesmen. One thing is certain: After the aforementioned incident, Dorothy isn't in Kansas anymore. And her story becomes an odyssey of sorts, one that is both exhilarating and hilarious, and by turn somber and disturbing. Since those with whom Betty comes into contact do not realize that she is dwelling within a reality of her own design, it creates moments of absolute side-splitting hilarity as they try to figure out what is going on with her; is she putting them on, or is she in fact, deranged? But at the same time, even as you're laughing, there is an element of discomfort about it, because you know the truth of it all, and what a sad and serious situation it really is. You feel, not only for Betty, but for all of those involved with her as well, and it's like manic depression; you ride the wild highs, but come down just as hard. As Betty, Renee Zellweger gives what just may be the best performance of her career; there is such a gentleness of nature about her, a winsomeness and pacificism that makes her such a wonderfully sympathetic character. Early in the film LaBute establishes what kind of a person Betty is; she's easy to like and someone you care about instantly, someone you want to see good things happen to. And it makes the impact of the violence with which she is visited all the more profound (and be advised, the scene is shockingly reminiscent of the torture scene in "Reservoir Dogs;" somewhat graphic, but because of excellent directing and editing, you get the illusion of seeing more than you actually are. It is definitely one that you will not soon forget). These are things that should not happen to someone like Betty; it just doesn't seem fair somehow, and the connection that she makes with the audience underscores what a brilliant job Zellweger has done. Equal credit, of course, has to go to Neil LaBute, for creating the perfect atmosphere through which the desired results are so impeccably delivered. The serene, almost lilting essence of Betty's reality, this kind of "Pleasantville" into which she has entered, contrasts so vividly with the thread of violence and menace laced throughout that it heightens the emotional response to it all. He has successfully managed the perfect balancing of the pure with the despicable and enhanced it all with pace, timing and some memorable performances. Besides Zellweger, Morgan Freeman is outstanding as Charlie, the aging hit-man out to finish one last job before retiring. He brings a commanding demeanor to the role, coupled with a maturity and intelligence that adds so much to the depth of the character. And Greg Kinnear, as Dr. David Ravell/George McCord, gives a definitive performance as the soap opera star of Betty's dreams. It is a character Kinnear was born to play and he covers all the bases, leaving no doubt as to just exactly who and what this guy is all about. Notable performances also are turned in by Chris Rock, as Wesley, Charlie's protege; and by Aaron Eckhart, as Del, Betty's sleazy, neglectful car salesman husband. Rounding out the supporting cast are Tia Texada (Rosa), Crispin Glover (Roy), Pruitt Taylor Vince (Ballard), Allison Janney (Lyla) and Kathleen Wilhoite (Sue Ann). Rarely are there so many truly memorable performances in a single movie, and again, LaBute must be given credit for bringing out the best in his actors; it adds a polish to the finished product that is inestimable. Another reason for the success of this film is that the humor is natural and true; rather than being forced or contrived it issues from real situations and the characters reactions to them, and LaBute plays everything straight, which makes it all real. The laughs (and there are many) are born of their own merit; each one is honest and earned. And again, because of that purity of delivery, it makes the drama all the more effective. Well made and delivered, "Nurse Betty" is highly entertaining and certainly memorable; a funny, emotional movie that will have you alternately gasping and cheering. Check this one out; it's a motion picture experience you do not want to miss.

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Rose Red (2pc) (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)Sometimes I am blithely unobservant. Arriving at the decision to see Rose Red based on one of those AI recommendation machines, I never noticed that it was 1) by Stephen King, and 2) the four hour version of a television special. In retrospect, I'm really not sure why I decided to see it, since haunted house horror movies generally don't grab me. But I did, and after a moment of shocked realization discovered that I was having fun watching it.
The story isn't anything spectacularly original. Joyce Reardon (Nancy Travis), a parapsychology teacher, bets her entire career on the possibility of finding measurable psychic phenomena at an eerie old mansion (Rose Red) in the heart of Seattle. Said mansion has a long history of eating people, and Reardon's plan is to invite a selection of psychics to spend a weekend at the house in order to wake it from a dormant state. Her ace in the hole is Annie Wheaton (Kimberly Brown), an autistic 15 year old who is an industrial strength tele-everything.
Sure enough, the house wakes up, fingers get lopped off, people drown, and a whole host of equally nasty things start to happen. As the mysteries about the house begin to unravel, things get even worse and it becomes clear that Rose Red has no intention of letting anyone go. From that point on it is a pure battle for survival.
The house is the real star of the film. It is huge, full of weird rooms and interconnected hallways, and has a knack for rebuilding and changing itself. CBS went all out to make it a spooky masterpiece, and they did a good job of it. It's the kind of nightmare that you really would like to visit. Think of it as a haunted theme park and you have the atmosphere.
Acting varies, but is generally decent. I'm not sure about Nancy Travis though. She makes Joyce on of those sublimely irritating characters that you start out sympathizing with and wind up hoping she gets his with an axe. No such luck. Julian Sands and Matt Ross are brilliant and everyone else has moments of greatness.
So I likes the show after all. Since it's made for TV, don't expect a lot of gore or out and out violence. The film starts a bit slowly, but the upside of that is that king spends as much time on character development as he does on plot twists. While this isn't a masterpiece, it's worth watching on a lazy Saturday afternoon with buckets of popcorn.

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Wives and Daughters (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a superlative period piece and a brilliant adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's 1865 novel of the same name. This BBC mini-series is a superb costume drama with stellar performances by the entire cast. Set in rural England, the film centers around Molly Gibson, the seventeen year old daughter of a country doctor. Richly drawn portraits of Molly's neighbors and friends quickly emerge and weave an absorbing tapestry of nineteenth century life.
Molly and her father, a widower for most of Molly's life, have an exceptionally close and loving relationship. Their relationship is put to the test when he decides to marry a widow and former governess, Hyacinth, who is a pretentious, self absorbed, ridiculous woman. She has a grown daughter named Cynthia, a beautiful young woman, close to Molly in age, but as different from Molly as night and day. Cynthia is best described as a Marilyn Monroe of the Victorian age. Cynthia and Molly become fast friends, while Molly barely tolerates her nigh intolerable step-mother.
The series really revolves around Molly's relationships with all the characters in the production and her handling of the various everyday situations in which she finds herself. Richly drawn, memorable characters, as well as intrigues, secrets, and romance, make this a highly absorbing drama and one that those who love period pieces and lush, well acted costume dramas will enjoy. It is simply a masterpiece.
With stunningly crisp visuals and beautiful clarity of sound, the production value of this three disc, five hour DVD is simply first rate. It is also value laden with some very interesting features. There is an engaging fifty five minute portrait of Elizabeth Gaskell, the author of the novel upon which this mini-series is based. There is a also a twenty minute documentary on the making of the film which is entertaining, as it gives a bird's eye view of the thought that went into the making of the film and the development of the characters. There is also a who's who guide to the performers. This DVD is well worth having in one's collection.

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From the team that brought you "Pride and Prejudice." Set in a richly portrayed society well-stocked with eccentric nobles and gossipy villagers, the story centers around 17-year-old Molly Gibson, the only daughter of a respected country Doctor.

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Unbreakable (Two-Disc Vista Series) (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)These days any film associated with comics is likely to be a special effects extravaganza full of action and short on character development. Well director M. Night Shyamalan has taken us in a different direction, (no surprise there). His film, "Unbreakable", explores the action comic philosophy without becoming an action comic itself. You won't see men in spandex leaping from tall buildings to save the day. What you will see is a thoughtful investigation of the unusual skills we humans may or may not have, and the choices we make regarding their use.
I have a talent for putting holes in T-shirts. My sister can permanently stop any watch she wears for a few weeks. It's hard to see either of us becoming crime fighters or maniacal masterminds on the strength of these talents but it does makes you think. Let's stretch our imaginations a little further. What if a man had the uncanny luck to avoid virtually all injury or illness? Could this be significant? Would he even notice? Where would it lead him?
Unbreakable introduces us to such a man. Bruce Willis plays David Dunn, the sole survivor of a tragic train derailment that killed the other 131 passengers. David walks away without a scratch and barely notices his fifteen minutes of fame on the local news channels. But at least one other person takes note of David's uncanny good fortune. Elijah Price is an art dealer, played convincingly by Samuel L Jackson. His gallery specializes in comic art and he is very passionate about the seriousness of his chosen profession and it's medium.
Elijah believes that action comics represent an ancient wisdom, exaggerated and commercialized but still containing an essence of truth. His theory is that there are people with extraordinary abilities and that these people have a destiny. Whether these people become legendary hero's or any other larger than life figure depends on them realizing their destiny and fulfilling their potential. In David Dunn, he suspects lies the heart of a hero and Elijah's obsession soon drags David and his family into a new world.
Shyamalan takes his time with this story. It could have very easily been boring, because when boiled down, little actually happens. However, Unbreakable avoids that trap and becomes instead, a strange mixture of longing, suspense and doubt. We truly get to know David's wife Audrey and his son Joseph. They are not an atypical family; marital problems, boredom and some other dysfunctions feature at the start of the story. In a way, David's gradually more serious attempts to explore his "gift" become the catalyst to improve his home life.
The sub-plot of David's crumbling relationship with Audrey, (Robin Wright), is not fully explored but we are given several clues that make it interesting. David is chasing job offers in another city, even after the accident little emotion passes between he and Audrey, and they sleep separately. All of which points to a lack of love. But to counter this we discover that David sacrificed a promising football career to capture Audrey's heart and, even in the hardest times, he has remained faithful to her. I like these quiet story lines, where nothing is forced down your throat and you have to work it out on your own.
By far the most interesting character is Elijah. Born with a brittle bone disease, his life has been crowded with pain, torment and ostracism. At school he was taunted with the moniker, "Mr. Glass", and to an extent he has embraced this title. If you look closely, you will see that he is always close to glass, for example, his fragile glass walking stick. Elijah is a fighter. His mother headed off a life of seclusion when he was a depressed boy and convinced him to accept life's challenges, eventually leading to his becoming a professional success. Elijah's passion and conviction are magnetic. He not only draws David and his son into the world of duty/destiny but the audience is forced to believe, long before David starts to.
Unbreakable is a subtle film about taking risks, acknowledging hope and following dreams. Whether we have special gifts or not, it challenges us to take a look around and try to find opportunities to make a difference; to stand up to the small and large evils in this world and do our part. I can only hope we see more of these inspiring characters in future films. I want to feel this way again.

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Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson star in a mind-shattering, suspense-filled thriller that stays with you long after the end of this riveting supernatural film. After David Dunn (Willis) emerges from a horrific train crash as the sole survivor -- and without a single scratch on him -- he meets a mysterious sranger (Jackson). An unsettling stranger who believes comic book heroes walk the earth. A haunting stranger, whose obsession with David will change David's life forever.

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Loving Annabelle (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)This movie is fantastic. You don't really realize how great it is until after its over though. It is a great story. A Catholic Boarding School teacher falls in love with her female student. That's right, it is about lesbians and homosexuality. However, if you are just looking for "lesbian action" don't waste your time with this, its not a sex movie. If on the other hand, you are mature enough to handle such a plot, you'll love it. So after an hour of the student pursuing the teacher and the teacher being wary and afraid to be with her.....well I can't tell you how it ends. What I will say, though, is why it is so great. It does not openly debate, discuss, or point out anything about homosexuality being right, wrong, good, or evil. What it instead does is tell a wonderful tale of romantic, yet forbidden pursuit, and no matter what your stance is on homosexuality in general, you cannot help but hope for a happy ending, and get wrapped up in this love drama. After the movie is over, you think of how bittersweet the story is and poor this and at least that and then it hits you - You have been focusing on love, passion, heartache, and beauty....but NOT about Straight or Gay relationships. That's the beauty of this film. It captures you into a world of pure love drama and you forget that it is about a controversial subject at all. Regardless of your stance in this controversy, all you can focus on while watching is a love story between two human beings. Watch it, you'll love it.

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Rising star Erin Kelly (Waking Madison) is Annabelle, a precocious Senator's daughter who falls for her Catholic school teacher, Simone (Diane Gaidry, The Dogwalker).After Simone is assigned to control the rebellious student, she instead finds herself drawn into Annabelle's world. As their attraction builds, the two women must cope with the reactions of those around them. Writer-Director Katherine Brooks unveils this smoldering tale of forbidden love with intelligence, wit and sensitivity.

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Dinner With Friends (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)I loved the original play that the film was based on. I found it to be a wonderfully intelligent exploration of monogamy and marriage that put other like plays and films to shame. The movie does the play justice (although the play is still better). Be warned, this is a VERY "talky" piece. Not necessarily much plot action. It is mainly people sitting around talking about what is important to them. I LOVE THAT. If its not your bag -- you were warned.
Casting is just short of great. I can't remember her name, but the blonde is very good, as is Greg Kinnear as the couple who split up. Nice work all around. ... Andie MacDowell ... takes what is a very interesting character and does her usual walk around and whine while looking pretty routine. Awful awful awful. However, this is surprisingly made up for by one of the gutsiest casting choices I've seen in awhile with Dennis Quaid. Anyone who thinks Quaid can't act should see this film. This character is VERY unlike anything he's done before -- much more feminine quality than we've seen before, while remaining strong and overtly masculine. He's articulate and sensitive ....AND HE COOKS FOR A LIVING!!! Anyway, can't go into it all here, but its the best thing he's ever done with the possible exception of THE RIGHT STUFF.
The final scene, as with the play, is one of the most important scenes I've watched in a long time. Andie MacDowell even works. Its the most delicately beautiful exploration of love and marriage I've ever seen.
Want to spend a "thinky" evening? Watch this with some friends and then have dinner. My wife and I still talk about this film and what it means.
But watch this film. Its truly outstanding. I'd give it 5 stars except for Andie MacDowell and slightly watering down the play's original script.

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Mary Higgins Clark: Pretend You Don't (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)The pattern of the previous films of this series by Ms Clark is partly broken. The main character is not a radio anchorwoman but a female real estate agent. We are not dealing here with a serial killer but with a real hit man hired by a dirty soiled trafficker who appears slightly ambiguous because his secular but not criminal boss, who he cheats, is Italian, or has some kind of an Italian name. But it does not have anything to do with the mafia. The whole business is a cover up operation for a first murder that the police sloppily classified as being an accident. There the pattern is not broken. The police is still sloppy. What's more the police does not succeed where a simple woman, by taking risks and using her intelligence, baits the hit man and the rotten egg out of the basket in which they were hiding. The suspense is OK though of course we know from the very start what the stakes are and we are only missing the name of the man who is ordering these murders. The police will arrive just on time when it is needed not to get into more complicated business. And yet the whole film is built around a leak in the police protection of the main character and we will never know how this leak happened and where it came from. The police is always sloppy with Ms Clark, but Ms Clark is also sloppy on some basic logical elements.
Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine & University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne


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Catch Me If You Can (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition) (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)"Catch Me If You Can" is the story of real-life con artist Frank Abagnale, Jr. who, in the late 1960's and early 1970's, when he was between the ages of 16 and 21, wrote $2.5 million dollars in bad checks and became one of the most notorious con men in American history. The film follows Frank (Leonardo DiCaprio) from his early high school pranks to his check-printing operation and eventual capture in France five years later. FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) doggedly pursues Frank as he successfully impersonates an air line pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer, living the life of a playboy and cashing ingeniously forged checks all along the way.
"Catch Me If You Can" was directed by Stephen Spielberg and, along with Minority Report, signifies a revival of Spielberg's directing talent after fifteen years of mediocre-at-best filmmaking. This film is fairly light fare, but it is immensely entertaining, funny, touching, and impeccably cast. Frank Abagnale, Jr. is a perfect fit for Leonardo DiCaprio, and is probably his best role since "What's Eating Gilbert Grape". Tom Hanks seems to have abandoned his typically saccharine roles this year -much to his credit- and puts in a wonderful performance as sympathetic geeky G-man Carl Hanratty (along with a terrific showing in "Road to Perdition"). Christopher Walken was the only actor to receive an Oscar nomination for "Catch Me If You Can". His performance as Frank Abagnale, Sr., our protagonist's down-and-out father, deserved the honor. Frank Jr.'s awkward combination of admiration and pity for his father seems to have been a key motivator in his illustrious life of crime, and Christopher Walken really helps us understand that.
The real Frank Abagnale, Jr. is a successful security consultant these days, protecting businesses from white collar crime. He cooperated with and bascially likes the film, but is quick to point out that "Catch Me If You Can" is based on his biography of the same name that was written about 25 years ago. Mr. Abagnale says that some aspects of his experiences were exaggerated in that book and some have been altered for the movie as well. Whatever the inaccuracies, Frank Abagnale, Jr.'s immense intelligence, ambition, and guts are the most striking elements of the film. It's the rarity of finding all of these qualities in such abundance in one person that make Frank's character so fascinating, and make him one of cinema's most lovable antiheroes.
I highly recommend "Catch Me If You Can" for its great performances and its extremely entertaining story of an ingenious con man and his noble pursuer...made all the more interesting because the story is largely true.

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Mary Higgins Clark: Loves Music Loves (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)Loves Music, Loves to Dance is a suspenseful little mystery, slightly reminiscent of 2001's Valentine, but much better at delivering thrills. Mary Higgins Clarke, America's Queen of Suspense, has crafted a terrific tale of murder, full of twists and turns which lead to an edge-of-the-seat and surprisingly non-violent finale.
While the low budget does hurt the film (the stock footage of NY is painfully horrible), and Patsy Kensit tends to overact quite a bit, the real winner here is the story, a twisted tale which takes a stab at the dangerous side of the world of online dating. The film does get cheesy at parts, especially when we see the 'killer' alone in his studio, talking to himself and dancing with the corpses of the women he has killed. These scenes could have been handled a lot more maturely and have had a creepy feel to them had they been done right, but it comes across as B-movie bad in this. However, that is a small part to a top-notch mystery and its unexpected ending. This is definitely the best of six Lions Gate DVD releases of the Mary Higgins Clarke Made-For-PAX-TV mystery movies.

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Stargate Atlantis - Rising (Pilot Episode) (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)First off, you may want to read this, then skip over to the season 1 boxed set, as that contains this episode, and the entire first season. It pretty much makes this one defunct. Aside from that, this is a very thrilling start to the SG-1 spinoff, and they've assembled a very interesting team for the show. It's too bad Robert Patrick didn't stay on as a regular, as I liked his tough as nails military leader attitude, and the clashing between him, Sheppard and Weir.
The story revolves around SG-1's discovery of a new Stargate on Antartica, at the end of Season 7, and then Daniel Jackson uncovers a link to the Stargate at the real Atlantis. This new team, headed by civilian Elizabeth Weir, and militarily by Colonel Sumner (Robert Patrick) are sent in to investigate the new find, knowing that they may never safely return. What they find is the ancient city of Atlantis, buried beneath an ocean on a planet in the Pegasus Galaxy. There, they find there isn't enough power to keep the city's shields from imploding with water, so they send a team led by Sumner to a random Stargate dialed from an Ancient code. It is here they encounter the two main races of beings which they will deal for most of the first season, the Athosians and the Wraith.
The Athosians are a nomadic tribe like people, who are friendly, and the Wraith are their feared enemies, but were not seen for a very long time. The SG team's presence there causes the Wraith to awaken, and the Athosians are forced to relocate to Atlantis, which has now risen from the water to become a spectacular city again.
There is plenty of action and tension throughout the entire pilot, and it gives high expectations for the new series. I was a little skeptical whether or not they could keep the interest up through an entire season, and was rather disappointed with the second episode (not bad, but a simple plot that was rather dull), but overwhelmed again with the 3rd episode, which was one of the best of the first season. I won't get into the rest of the season, as this is only a page for the pilot, but you can check season 1 and I will write a review there soon.

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When SG-1 discovers what it believes to be the remnants of the Lost City of the Ancients ? the originators of the Stargates ? Stargate Command launches an investigation. A new team of explorers, headed by civilian Dr. Elizabeth Weir, travels to the distant Pegasus Galaxy, where it discovers an advanced but deserted city on the ocean floor, a group of nomadic humans and a deadly enemy that feeds on humans as an energy source!

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The Pilot's Wife (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)This CBS TV movie was filmed in Ireland. It is the second Anita Shreve book to come to the screen. Her "The Weight of Water" which starred Sean Penn was well acted, but was laboriously edited. (My review for that one was called "The Weight of Editing." :) "The Pilot's Wife" fares a bit better overall, although Sean Penn is certainly one of our finest actors.
Christine Lahti who had her Oscar nomination for "Swing Shift" with Goldie Hawn does an incredibly excellent performance here. The variety of levels she hits as grieving wife, compassionate mother, angry widow and driven super-sleuth give us a sterling performance. Campbell Scott, real-life son of George C. Scott & Colleen Dewhurst, gives an excellent subtle performance as the pilot association representative who becomes emotionally involved. John Heard played a character named Jack who was about as devious as Jack Lyons in "Pilot's Wife" in his co-starring role with Goldie Hawn in "Deceived." While his performance here is in flashback and not as chilling, it equals the devious nature of his previous Jack from 1991. Particularly excellent is newcomer Kirsty Mitchell as Murie Boland, the Irish counterpart of Lyons' hidden life. Mitchell gives a brief but excellent portrayal of a woman whose life has been impacted by the violent struggles in Ireland. I haven't seen her previous film credit of "Capone's Boys," but certainly intend to seek it out on the basis of the strength of this performance. Alison Pill from "Pieces of April" with Katie Holmes who plays daughter Mattie turns in a good performance as a teen dealing as much with the struggles of her own adolescent social issues as with her father's untimely death.
The depth for this picture comes amid the backdrop of the Irish troubles. How the lives of the characters weave with the political turmoil of Ireland along with Lahti's performance elevates the picture from the mundane to the magical. The DVD doesn't offer a great deal of extras; but it is nice to appreciate the film as an uninterrupted whole. Enjoy!

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Christmas Town (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)This review will be a critique of the movie, for those unfamiliar with Christmas Town. Those of you who love the movie, will probably love the DVD, although it's presented as a barebones release with no real special features. The uninitiated, who are searching for a new Christmas classic, can continue searching elsewhere. I have to agree with the other reviewers. This movie is pretty bad. Not in a so-bad-it's-good sense...just plain bad. It's not the worst film ever made, but the story, casting, acting, and even the filming locations are all lackluster.
The story revolves around a ten year old boy named Mason and his workaholic mother who take a trip to visit the boy's Grandfather in a Christmas themed town. The town houses NP (North Pole) Enterprises, which turns out to be a distribution center for the real Santa Claus (bet you didn't see that one coming). The town is also home to the local restaurant owner, who is, of course, the love interest for our single Mother (bet you didn't see that one coming either).
The movie plays out as your typical Lifetime Movie Network feature, with all the usual predictable drama and romance. However, about 3/4 of the way through, the movie takes a bizarre turn, as Mason infiltrates Santa's NP Enterprises compound. The tone of the movie completely changes, and becomes comedic (although the term "stupid" would be a better descriptor). After about 15 minutes, the tone of the movie shifts back to drama. The comedic part seems almost surreal, and doesn't mesh well with the overall flow of the rest of the feature.
The real problem with this story is that the characters don't really grow over the course of the film. The Mother starts off as a self-centered workaholic, and ends up pretty much the same. The romance between her and the strapping young restaurateur barely even gets off the ground. Her son is an obnoxious character as well. Throughout the movie, he repeatedly does the same four things: complain, disobey his mother, run away, and spy on people (usually in that order). At the end of the movie, he's still up to his usual shenanigans. Since this is a character driven film (vs. a plot driven one), it makes me wonder what the purpose of the script was, if the characters didn't grow.
Aside from the poor story, this film also has terrible casting and acting. Santa's evles are played by fully-grown, middle aged, men, who act like grumpy dock workers. Patrick Muldoon's acting can be likened to an announcer on a coffee commercial, except, instead of touting the virtues of hand picked beans and rich aroma, he drones on and on about the magic of Christmas and the power of believing. Every time he opens his mouth, something that's supposed to be profound comes out.
The sets and filming locales for Christmas Town are on the same level as the acting. First off, there isn't a trace of show to be seen anywhere, and it looks as if everything was filmed in mid-summer. Santa's warehouse isn't very magical either. There's an unintentionally hilarious scene in which Mason is looking around in doe-eyed wonder at the joys of Santa's storeroom. The only problem is that it looks like this scene was filmed in Costco...and not even in the toy aisle. There is also a long sequence in which Mason sneaks through a maze of corridors at NP Enterprises' headquarters. The problem here is that it's very obvious that he's running through the same two hallways repeatedly, as you can see him passing the same signs and doors time and time again (almost like a scene from Tom and Jerry).
Sure, there are much worse ways that you could spend two hours. If you see Christmas Town show up in the local TV listings, go ahead and check it out. However, this DVD definitely isn't worth the $15+ that it retails for. If a money exchange needs to occur in order for you to watch this movie, you're probably going to be disappointed.

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Disillusioned Liza McCann and her son travel to Hollyville to visit her estranged father. The town's profuse decorations and intense Yuletide spirit exasperate Liza, who has hated the holidays ever since she was a little girl. But a series of magic and inexplicable events force Liza to rethink everything she thought was true. Will the magic of this Christmas town help Liza reconnect with her father and open her heart to the true spirit of the holidays? Heart-warming and fun for the whole family, CHRISTMAS TOWN stars Nicole de Boer (DEAD ZONE), Patrick Muldoon (STARSHIP TROOPERS), Garry Chalk (DECK THE HALLS), and Gig Morton (SNOW BUDDIES).

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