Despite loving Christmas and loving many Christmas films and specials, 'All I Want for Christmas' didn't appeal to me on paper and looked cheesy from the advertising. It just sounded so predictable and unimaginative and Tom Arnold usually does little for me (with a couple of exceptions). Plus reading about the female lead being one of those characters with overblown character flaws filled me with further dread, as that is a peeve of mine when watching something.
'All I Want for Christmas' was not just more or less what was expected (very low expectations despite my love for the holiday, the only reason for watching as well as completest sake and curiosity) but was pretty much worse. Have seen worse films and Christmas films, but this was very bad in almost every area (and this is coming from someone who always tries to find the good in something that is overall bad) and is very close to being towards the bottom.
The soundtrack was quite pleasant.
Other than that, 'All I Want for Christmas' was a waste of time. The acting is mediocre at best and absolutely awful at worst. Faring worst is Melissa Sagemiller, who overacts and comes over as neurotic in a role that is as badly written as people say it is. She has no chemistry with not as bad but bland and too laid back Brad Rowe, really was not feeling the charm or the romance and that he saw any appeal in her suspends some disbelief. Arnold's character was completely pointless, one that the film does absolutely nothing with, and Arnold is a plank of wood in it.
Really disliked the characters, they are not interesting or well developed and almost all of them have deeply unpleasant and over-flawed personalities. 'All I Want for Christmas' has a cheap and rushed look to it, especially the choppy editing. The script is cheesier than the cheesiest of burgers, as sugary as the sourest sweet and there is a mean spirited quality. Plus it never really flows naturally.
Furthermore, the story has nothing imaginative in it. Lots of well worn tropes with very fatigued execution. There is no charm or heart to it either and the pace lacks energy.
In summation, very poor. 2/10.
