The New York Times
Los Angeles Times
If you are looking for a movie with mediocre music, possibly the worst display of acting in film history, and a celebrity cameo featuring Will Ferrell and his entire family, then grab your popcorn and candy, sit tight for an hour and twenty minutes, and watch “A Very Jonas Christmas Movie.”
I went into this movie excited for another cute, cheesy Christmas movie, and was even thrilled to see it star the Jonas Brothers. However, what I was not expecting was another “Hot Frosty” fail. Like “Hot Frosty,” this movie was another attempt by the film industry to pair actors who peaked a decade ago with a corny Christmas movie plot that feels like homework to watch. The movie lacked a clear plot, featured poor acting and distasteful music, and was overall a tough watch. I rated this movie a 2 out of 5 stars and would not recommend it to anyone with a pulse.
I personally like the Jonas Brothers; I think they are a fun and talented group. What I enjoyed about the movie was showing the bonds of brotherhood, which was sweet, but not worth watching for an hour and twenty minutes. The brothers themselves were okay actors, but why are they always leaving out Kevin? He had a minuscule plotline and was always tossed to the side. Not saying that the movie would have been any better with his plotline, because there is no resurrecting this movie, but at least give Kevin a chance.
As the movie went on, the directors decided to tank their movie even further by adding a love interest for Joe, named Lucy. I think at this point, they knew how bad the movie was going to be, so they decided to add this atrocious storyline paired with bad acting and call it a day. Lucy's character was supposed to be quirky, down-to-earth, and spontaneous. However, like the rest of this tragic film, they executed it horribly. Joe and Lucy were friends in elementary school (in America), yet met on a small train in Europe after not interacting for a decade. Then, after all the “drama” the Jonas brothers experienced getting home, she came over to the house, and Joe confessed his love. Somehow, after two decades of never interacting and being elementary school friends (who cares), they are “meant to be.”
What was also a surprise (a slightly unpleasant surprise) was that it sort of doubled as a musical. There was one song that I actually enjoyed, and that was “Coming Home This Christmas;” however, the other songs were as great of writing as the movie (so actually horrible).
Also, like “Hot Frosty,” there is a pretty stacked cast. At the beginning of the movie, they show Will Ferrell and his entire family going to a Jonas Brothers concert. The cameo was kind of adorable, as I've never seen the entire Ferrell family, and although it was a very brief cameo, I think it was the best part of the movie.
Overall, this movie was an unfortunate hour and twenty minutes of my life that I will never get back, and in all seriousness, I would not recommend it to anyone on a full stomach or with any respect for the Jonas brothers. I think watching “Krampus” would have given me more joy and Christmas spirit than whatever that was.