Un Noël pas comme les autres

Dashing Through the Snow is not a top 10 Christmas movie of all time but it's not trying to be. This film was in the middle of the road and is very family friendly since Disney is behind it. This movie made me smile from time to time as it does have some charm but ultimately very predictable with throwing a lot of cliches throughout. Lil Rel Howery as Santa was a very good casting choice as he plays the role very well and gives the character his own style. Ludacris plays the father/husband who is not a believer in Santa and dislikes Christmas very much. That all changes when his daughter and him meet Santa and experience one crazy night together. Like I said before don't expect any big suprises from this film but sit back and enjoy the show. Dashing Through the Snow gets a mild 6 stars out of 10 from me.

This is basically the identical plot to Catch Me If You Claus on Hallmark, which is like when Hollywood made Armageddon and Deep Impact and released them the same summer, like nobody would notice. I like Ludacris as a dad driving an SUV, not a "Furious" street racer. Overall, it's a tad slow and not as magical as I'd hoped. I watched with my first grader and he started working on his Christmas list through most of the second half which isn't a good sign for a movie with a real Santa Claus. The best joke in the movie is Santa's beard which is black and white. Spoiler alert he dyed it white because he's really old. The joke works. And, for a movie with the title "snow" there is a concerning lack of snow, in Atlanta no less.

IN A NUTSHELL: A divorced social worker takes his daughter on a crazy ride along with him on Christmas Eve.

This Christmas caper is directed by Tim Story and written by Scott Rosenberg.

THINGS I LIKED: One of the characters says that Ludacris looks like John Legend. Do you think so? Seeing him in a family-friendly holiday movie sure mixes things up from his usual high-octane action movies.

Lil Rel Howery offers an entertaining Santa Claus, including a little ring dipped in white on his requisite beard.

Madison Skye Validum is totally adorable as Charlotte. I'm sure we'll see her in much more, as she's quite a natural.

The rest of the cast did a good job and included Oscar Nunez, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Ravi Patel, Kevin Connolly, Teyonah Parris, and more.

There is plenty of Christmas decor and spirit in this goofy holiday offering.

Fun costume design by Salvador Perez Jr.

The movie was filmed in Atlanta. I lived in a suburb north of Atlanta for 15 years and loved it there. Southern hospitality is a real thing.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: The villains are completely ridiculous and innocuous.

It's pretty doggone predictable and filled with cliches.

It's an occasionally amusing distraction you'd put on the TV for the kids to watch while you're in the other room wrapping presents.

Disney worked very hard at diversity. They should have worked harder at writing a good script. Did Chat GPT write this one during the writers' strike in Hollywood?

Unfortunately, the movie is forgettable.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: It's family-friendly.

Talk about believing in Santa Claus Lots of shenanigans and chaotic action Talk of dishonest politicians Talk of a home invasion Talk of a divorced family An adult talks about going to therapy.

"Dashing Through the Snow" is a Comedy movie in which we follow a stressed-out social worker who ends up on an unexpected Christmas road trip with a quirky family, leading to a series of comedic and festive moments.

What I appreciated about the film is its strong cast, particularly Lil Rel Howery, who brings his usual comedic flair to the role. In addition to this, Ludacris' interpretation also adds his charm as part of the fun ensemble, with Madison Skye Validum providing an endearing performance as the younger character who helps tie the family together. The dynamic between the cast is the movie's highlight, delivering moments of genuine warmth and laughs. However, the story itself falls into familiar holiday movie clichés, with forced family bonding, and predictable resolutions but the interpretations of the cast saved it. All in all, I have to say that "Dashing Through the Snow" is a perfectly fine holiday movie for those looking for a light, feel-good watch. So, if you're in the mood for something heartwarming and easygoing, this film is enjoyable and I recommend it to you.

As the years go on, we seem to be flooded more and more with Christmas movies every year. Yes, it's a staple that Hallmark Channel movies are released weekly, but it also seems that all of the streaming services have gotten on the bandwagon. Disney+ has released a few, but I'm here to share my thoughts on Dashing Through the Snow. I have thought nothing of this film over the last couple of months but decided to give it a try. While it's not very good overall, this movie's heart is in the right place. Here's where I found some mild enjoyment in this aggressively mediocre holiday flick.

Eddie Garrick (Ludacris) is a social worker who always works on Christmas. Not this year though, as his daughter Charlotte (Madison Skye Validum) is left with him on Christmas Eve by his ex-wife Allison (Teyonah Parris). Having a traumatic childhood involving Santa Claus, Eddie's Christmas spirit has been absent his whole life. Well, when the real Santa appears in front of him and his daughter, the movie becomes a night on the town with Nick (Lil Rel Howrey). Along the way, Eddie just may start believing again and may even have a chance at earning his family back in the meantime.

The premise itself screams that it has all the right intentions. The main problem is that many other films, especially holiday films have tackled stories like this numerous times. Ludacris is fine as the lead, Lil Rel Howrey is quite amusing and easily the best part about the movie, and Ludacris' chemistry with Validum as his daughter was believable. It has all the hallmarks of a Christmas movie involving Santa and is very much the ending you expect it to have. I rolled my eyes countless times watching Dashing Through the Snow, but I will say that it was sweet enough that it held a smile on my face most of the time. So did I like it or dislike it? I'm honestly not even sure, and I have taken the time to think about it.

For families, I think there are far worse new options out there this year, but for adults, it's a lot like many classics that you already love. It looks very clean and well-decorated, as all Disney films do, but it does get bogged down in the final act by some CGI that clearly says this film was made for television. With a bigger budget and some risks taken in the story, this had the potential of being much better. It sadly just feels like a replica, and not a great one. Dashing Through the Snow is now streaming on Disney+ and it's a harmless watch. It's probably not one that I will revisit, but it was passable.