Christmas, the Only Genre That Can’t Be Worn Down

Christmas, the Only Genre That Cant Be Worn Down

Christmas is no doubt the most magical time of the year.

Whether Santa Claus is a staple in your house or not, Christmas movies flood each year with new movies: better and some worse, and the best classics in between. Since the 1930s there have been classic Christmas movies that people watch every year. A notable mention that is not listed in my top 20 is  “The Miracle on 34th Street ” whether it be the 1947, 1955, or the 1994 film, the plot of this movie is classic.

Some Christmas movies that people love are truly awful and others should receive more recognition than they currently have. In my Christmas obsession and opinion, “Elf” is by far the worst Christmas movie while “Home Alone” can easily be noted at the best.

1. Home Alone
All Credit To: Hughes Entertainment and 20th Century Studios
Credit To: 20th Century Fox
All Credit To: Hughes Entertainment and 20th Century Studios Credit To: 20th Century Fox

10/10

Truly the ultimate Christmas classic. What better movie is there than “Home Alone”? If you like the first don’t worry, there is the second which is just as good. After that, every other “Home Alone” movie is pretty terrible and the new “Home Alone” movie that came out recently in 2021 was almost as bad as “Elf”.

2. “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”
Credit To: Warner Bros. Studios
Credit To: Warner Bros. Studios

10/10

Again, a Christmas classic that shows a family and a hectic but funny story. Teacher Mrs. Worhtington said, “It’s hilarious and I didn’t watch it growing up but when I got older, my husband and I studied the movie to win a trivia game with my friends.” This just goes to show that even adults who didn’t watch the movie until later in life can enjoy this movie and love the humor this movie has. 

3. “Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmas”
Credit to: Walt Disney Television Animation
Credit to: Walt Disney Television Animation

10/10

What more can be said about this movie? Other than that this is the best movie whether it’s a toddler watching it or me, a seventeen-year-old who thinks that is still an amazing Christmas movie that dapples back into my childhood. This and the second movie, “Mickey’s Twice Upon A Christmas” are amazing movies that have such a touch of childhood Christmas magic. Maybe it’s the early 2000’s Christmas nostalgia for the plot. Either way, these are cute movies that my family watches every year no matter how old we are.

4. “Daddy’s Home 2”
Credit To: Paramount Pictures
Credit To: Paramount Pictures

9/10

The movie was great. As a sequel and Christmas movie, this movie truly was full of laughs that families of children and adults can sit and enjoy together. I genuinely believe that this should be considered a Christmas classic in the future due to its comedy and popularity. The movie also had a cameo of pilot Chelsey Sullenberger. I will say, that John Cena’s role could have been filled by anyone, and having him act in this movie took some light from the actual plot for some people. Overall, I think this movie is amazing and really a great family Christmas movie.

5. “Die Hard”
Credit To: 20th Century Fox
Credit To: “20th Century Fox”

“Now I have a machine gun. Ho ho ho” – “Die Hard”

9/10

This action-packed Christmas movie gives just enough Christmas for the family to watch but little enough that even Christmas haters can enjoy it. “Die Hard” is even better when looking for a Christmas movie that isn’t completely sappy or dare I say idiotic. As SRA parent, Michael Horak said, “This is the best Christmas movie ever made.” While this may be a bit extreme, it is a great Christmas movie.

6. “The Santa Clause”
Credit To: Walt Disney Pictures
Credit To: Walt Disney Pictures

8.5/10

Tim Allen outdid himself with this movie. A cute movie with a less traditional Santa Claus who takes on the role wonderfully. I really loved this movie as well as the other two that later came out. I also think the show was good considering it was a spinoff that was trying hard to compete with its original movies.

7. “Violent Night”
Credit To: 87 North Productions and Universal Pictures
Credit To: 87 North Productions and Universal Pictures

8.5/10

While new to the Christmas world, this movie is a close second to Die Hard as an Action-filled Christmas movie with funny scenes and thrill. Watching Santa Claus in a different light than usual but still saving Christmas makes for a new twist in the Christmas Genre. As senior, Dryden Strauser said, “It was a fun spin on classic holiday movies. It combines tropes of more gritty and gruesome action movies with the care and love that goes into a Christmas film.” “Violent Night” was an exciting start to what I hope is a new category of Christmas movies.

8. “Jingle All The Way”
Credit To: 20th Century Fox
Credit To: 20th Century Fox

8/10

“Jingle All The Way” is another classic movie that is cute and shows how far a parent’s love will truly go to make their child happy. It really does show how much parents go through to get their kids even the smallest or most popular toy. I love watching this with my family and it never fails to be a cute family movie.

9. “A Christmas Story”
Credit To: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Credit To: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

7.75/10

“Oh Fudge” – “A Christmas Story”

While I can’t say much about this movie because I haven’t watched it recently, this movie was a great movie when I was a child and I enjoyed the silly lines, especially when Peter Billingsley’s character Ralphie said “Oh Fudge” which is the best takeaway from this movie even though as a whole it is a great movie.

10.
Credit To: Illumination
Credit To: Illumination

7.5/10

Jim Carrey is honestly a hilarious guy and his role in the Grinch is funny and unique compared to his role in movies like “Dumb and Dumber”. The plot of this movie is a classic making the movie as a whole a wonderful movie filled with Jim Carrey banter and one-liners.

 

11. “Christmas With The Kranks”
Credit To: Columbia Pictures
Credit To: Columbia Pictures

7/10

While I may be biased, I love that this movie was based on the book “Skipping Christmas” by John Grisham. I love the idea that sometimes Christmas traditions are tiring and hectic but it all pays off to be with your loved ones. I love the community in the movie and will never forget how each house had to have its snowman on the roof.

12. “The Polar Express”
Credit To: Castle Rock Entertainment Shangri-La Entertainment Playtone Image Movers Golden Mean Productions
Credit To: Castle Rock Entertainment Shangri-La Entertainment Playtone Image Movers Golden Mean Productions

7/10

This movie isn’t that old but is the only movie about the North Pole that isn’t too cheesy. The soundtrack is beautiful and just as magical as Christmas. As a senior, Sofia Falsetto said, “It’s a Christmas Classic.” This movie is such a cute movie for many to enjoy and I love everything about it, I also think that there are simply better movies to watch.

 

13. “A Charlie Brown Christmas”
Credit To: Lee Mendelson Film Productions Bill Melendez Productions
Credit To: Lee Mendelson Film Productions Bill Melendez Productions

7/10

Christmas Nostalgia once more. This movie reminds me of preschool during Christmas when it was pajama day and all we did was watch this movie. I loved the feeling I got when I watched this movie and how it reminded me of movie days in school.

14. “The Christmas Chronicles”
Credit To: 1492 Pictures and Wonder Worldwide
Credit To: 1492 Pictures and Wonder Worldwide

6.5/10

“The Christmas Chronicles” is not a bad movie, it’s not. It’s good and you get to see siblings bonding over Christmas cheer and happy times with of course Santa Claus. I just think that I have watched this movie way too many times to enjoy the movie as I would any other Christmas movie. 

15.
Credit To: MPCA
Credit To: MPCA

6/10

Similarly to “The Princess Switch”, Netflix’s original Christmas movies have a nice touch of cheesiness that can take away from the irrationally crazy plot. I am a sucker for Rom-Coms and do enjoy this movie, I just wish that if Netflix wants to create Christmas Rom-Coms that they are a bit more realistic than this movie. If Rose McIver’s character snuck into a palace in real life and created a fake identity that fooled a royal family, I am pretty sure she would have been in jail, not getting married to the soon-to-be king of the country.

16.
Credit To: Studio Canal Working Title Films DNA Films
Credit To: Studio Canal Working Title Films DNA Films

6/10

Romance and Comedy, “Love Actually” is a perfect Rom-Com for those looking for a more sappy and cute movie that is also perfect for Christmas. It might not be appropriate for children but not every is meant to be watched by kids. 

17. “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer” (1963)
Credit To: Videocraft International, Ltd.
Credit To: Videocraft International, Ltd.

5/10

“Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer” will always be a classic because it genuinely is a classic movie from 1963. While I cannot say that I felt the complete Christmas magic when watching this movie it is still a cute movie that allows for kids to see the magic of Santa’s reindeer. As senior Alina Abbott stated, “This movie reminds me of my childhood. To me it was a classic, I watched it during Christmas time every year.” This movie is cute, I just don’t feel that warm feeling when I watch it. I would definitely say there are movies I would choose around this but it is still a cute movie.

18. “The Princess Switch”
Credit To: Videocraft International, Ltd.
Credit To: Motion Picture Corporation of America
Credit To: Videocraft International, Ltd. Credit To: Motion Picture Corporation of America

5/10

Having Vanessa Hudgens play two characters in one movie for Rom-Com content really just feels like watching “The Parent Trap”. I really don’t see much of a difference between the plots of the two movies because in both there is a switch between two characters who look identical and then eventually they get caught and have the happily ever after. The movie is a very predictable plot with to very obvious love interest for the Hudgen’s two characters. There is also the fact this movie has an impossible and irrational plot that is more make belief than Santa Claus. I think this is still a cute movie, I just think that it is a Christmas version of the Parent Trap.

19.
Credit To: Columbia Pictures
Credit To: Columbia Pictures

4/10

Basic. The movie, sure, has big names like Jack Black and Kate Winslet but the plot is very predictable and the Rom-Com aspect was stereotypical, done too much before, and poorly executed. As a lover of Rom-Coms, especially during the Christmas season, this movie was kind of a letdown.

20. “Elf”
Credit To: New Line Cinema Guy Walks Into a Bar
Credit To: New Line Cinema Guy Walks Into a Bar

2/10

The movie “Elf” is just a disappointment to the entire Christmas genre. As the teacher, Ms. Cairns said, “I dislike ‘Elf’ because it is incredibly obnoxious and I spend my day with sophomores and I go home to a four-year-old. I don’t want to go home and watch a grown man act like a child. I’m not a Grinch, I just can’t watch Will Ferrel act as a five-year-old.” It’s almost embarrassing that this movie is as popular as it is. To act like a child is Will Ferrel’s persona in the Hollywood world but this was simply too much. 

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    MichaelDec 6, 2023 at 9:01 pm

    Great holiday read!!! Other than Die Hard being ranked as low on the that it was, it is a very fairly ranked list. I also completely agree with your opinions on Elf.

    Reply