Do yourself a favour....go see it.

Rating: 9/10 (11 December 2007)

I find it extremely difficult to comprehend how anyone can watch an engineered piece of seasonal fantasy such as this, then dash to their nearest PC and delight in penning a negative comment. These must be the same people who believe the moon landing was shot in an Arizona lock-up, or that Elvis Presley is alive and living in a cave in Bulgaria. Despite all the evidence before their eyes, they refuse to just accept the probable and search for a microbe of inconsistency upon which to proffer the improbable.
Is this movie predictable? Of course it is. Is this movie a little contrived? You bet. Are some performances stronger than others? As always, yes. Does it represent English/U.S. reality? Not a chance. Would Kate Winslett ever consider getting it on with Jack Black? I seriously doubt it. Is Cameron Diaz's smile widely annoying? Oh yes. Is this movie a classy piece of seasonal escapism that makes you want to hug the nearest bad guy? Yes it is.
Despite the many minor flaws (if that is the right word) this movie achieves what it set out to do, which is to provide a thick slice of non-challenging, non-threatening Christmas feel-good fare. So don't be like the Elvis spotters and count the calories, or complain about the trans-fats....just dive in and devour the whole thing....you know you want to.