Michael Scott
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Oh dear, it’s that time of year again. Does anyone remember A Cinderella Story with Hillary Duff and Chad Michael Murray? It was a moderately successful and entertaining retelling of Cinderella in modern times that was really spurred along due to the popularity that Hillary Duff still held during 2004. I enjoyed it for what it was, and thought of it as a cute and fluffy re imagining of a classic for the new world that didn’t taint the original, but for some reason Warner has continued milking that particular cow way past the expiration date. 4 years later we had a sequel with Selina Gomez that actually retold the same story nearly beat for beat, just with different actresses. Then came a THIRD film in 2011 that dive bombed badly, so what could POSSIBLY make any more sense than to get a fourth retelling of the same old tale some 8 years later?
The real “twist” for A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish is that it’s a new remake of the same tired and cliched old A Cinderella Story plot mixed in with a Christmas story at the same time. Clever right? Well, OK, maybe not so much clever as desperate, but you get where I’m coming from. The plot revolves around downtrodden stepsister Kat Decker (Laura Marano), who is living with her evil stepmother Deirdre (Johanna Newmarch) and her two stepsisters Joy (Lillian Doucet-Roche) and Grace (Chanelle Peloso). Naturally she’s treated like a slave by the three sanctimonious women, and is forced to do the laundry, clean the house and work part time to make ends meet while Deirdre and the other two get to live off of the inheritance that Kat’s father left her.
Ugg, I was honestly banging my head against the wall the entire viewing of A Christmas Wish. The film literally replicates all of the basic steps of the previous 3 A Cinderella Story films, just without the fun and creativity of the first one. Oh, and of course pulling in a Christmas movie out of the hat as well. In reality the film isn’t as bad as most of the Hallmark channel type movies, or most DTV movies out there, but this is completely rote and predictable to the extra, filled with teenager bubblegum pop situations and overacting supreme from the stepmother/sisters. Teeny bopper pop music fills up the downtime with your typical auto tuned sugary sweetness, and at the end of the day this is about as entertaining, or successful as the previous two sequels to the 2004 Hillary Duff film. Which means it’s pretty cringey.
Rating:
Rated PG for Rude and Suggestive Material
Video:

Audio:

Extras:

• The Mic and the Stage
Final Score:

At the end of the day I have to remind myself that I’m not a tween like the intended audience, so I won’t be able to get as much out if it, but A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish is about as tired and well worn as could possibly be imagined. It’s devoid of anything but over acting and cheesy Disney channelesque humor, with a sprinkle of Christmas time strewn throughout. At least Warner’s Blu-ray looks and sounds great though, but once again the extras are a tad sparse. Personally, unless you’re a tween girl, I’d skip it.
Technical Specifications:
Starring: Laura Marano, Gregg Sulkin, Isabella Gomez, Garfield Wilson, Barclay Hope
Directed by: Michelle Johnston
Written by: Michelle Johnston (Screenplay), Leigh Dunlap (Characters)
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 AVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1, French, Spanish DD 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, French
Studio: Warner Brothers
Rated: PG
Runtime: 85 minutes
Blu-Ray Release Date: October 29th, 2019
Recommendation: Skip It.