This is a reworking of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, with Michael Moore Malone standing in for Scrooge and the Fourth of July (Which Malone wants to shut down) standing for Christmas.
What follows I crossposted (in slightly modified form) over at Curmudgeonly and Skeptical, because I had earllier announced there my intention to go to the evening show specifically to pay full price, to put my money where I stand.
I went to an eight o’clock show. Good crowd at the ‘plex, but almost nobody in this auditorium. The laughs were half-hearted, forced even. The people there wanted to like it, wanted to laugh. We were hungry for the sentiments expressed.
But my god, it was dry and boring.
Unfortunately, it is at best clumsy, heavy handed preaching to the choir. There is nothing, nothing in this film that will explain its position to anyone that doesn’t already agree with it, much less convert them.
The patriotism was cloying. The family values were saccharine. The religious faith was flimsy.
Perhaps worst of all, the stabs at jihadism were clumsily wide of the mark, failing to acknowledge the very sincere fanaticism at work.
Go to the evening show at a big cineplex. Pay the full price. Buy popcorn and soda and hotdogs and candy.
Then watch another movie playing at the same time, because this one, I am very sorry to say, is a dog.
Two out of five stars. Sorry, folks. [scale adjusted for better resolution.]
[update -- additional reviews below the fold. Nobody agrees with me. Hey Hollywood: people are starving for this! Please, please, please, give us more!]
I do want to get this above the fold: By Hollywood standards, Zucker and co. are displaying career courage by daring to make this film.