Watched on: Netflix
Duration: 1 hour 25 minutes
Originally aired: October 15, 2019
Directed by: Michelle Johnston
Starring: Laura Marano, Gregg Sulkin and Isabella Gomez
Please see IMDb for full cast and crew information.
Synopsis
Kat Decker could really use a Christmas miracle. The aspiring singer-songwriter may have big dreams, but she has even bigger problems. Treated like a servant by her vain stepmother and self-involved stepsisters, Kat is forced into a demoralizing job as a singing elf at billionaire Terrence Wintergarden's Santa Land. But there is one bright spot to the job: Nick, the handsome new Santa at the tree lot and charms his way into her heart. When Kat gets invited to the prestigious Wintergarden Christmas Gala, her step-family is determined to prevent her from attending and snag their own invitation. Could an attentive dog, a loyal BFF and a sprinkling of holiday magic help turn things around for Kat? Join Laura Marano (Disney's Austin and Ally), Gregg Sulkin (Marvel's Runaways) and Isabella Gomez (One Day at a Time) in this modern-day re-imagining of the cherished classic, featuring original music and holiday favorites.
Review
I'm just going to start by saying this is not a Christmas movie. It's an iteration of the classic Cinderella story set at Christmas time, but it is NOT a Christmas movie. So I will be reviewing it as a Cinderella movie instead.
This is definitely a 21st century retelling. The step-sisters add to Kat's torment by posting embarrassing videos online and the prince is a local rich kid. This movie actually reminded me a lot of A Cinderella Story starring Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray. Her stepmom steals her inheritance while she is forced to work multiple jobs to get away once she turns 18; his dad has obvious plans for his future, but he's into pursuing something in the arts. That's his real passion. And because he comes from money, he hangs out with with popular, mean kids, but he's genuinely a nice guy deep down.
This movie is missing one thing to make it a true Cinderella story though. While Dominic doesn't know Kat's identity, she doesn't lose anything that he needs to find a way to return to her. And the thing that will identify the mysterious princess is kind of a major part of the trope. In spite of that, this was a better movie than I was expecting, probably because they didn't lean too heavily on the Christmas thing.
As a Cinderella movie it gets 4 glass slippers, but as a Christmas movie, I can't rate it any higher than I have below.
Rating
No comments:
Post a Comment