REVIEW: VIOLENT NIGHT

 

3.5/5

'Tis The Season To Be Stranger.

112 Mins. Starring: David Harbour, John Leguizamo, Alex Hassell, Alexis Louder, Edi Patterson, Cam Gigandet, Leah Brady & Beverly D'Angelo. Director: Tommy Wirkola. 

Silent night. Holy f###. All is not calm. All is set alight with violence. And we aren't just talking about the Boxing Day sales. It may be beginning to look a lot less like Christmas, as trees begin to come down like when your prized pup looks for his present under Douglas Fir. But 'tis the season to still get it in the jollies. Especially whipped by the dogs of 'John Wick' (executive producer David Leitch stunting) and some other 'Nobody' producers (Kelly McCormick and Guy Danella anything but the title of the Bob Odenkirk movie, instead absolutely everything) truly making 'Violent Night' something. A Yuletide hit with an egg nog twist. This Santa, breaking bad's baubles, proves 'Die Hard' is a Christmas movie. All whilst paying pointed homage to 'Home Alone'. Get ready to clap those cheeks like you were under the mistletoe with the one you hold dear.

Richard Attenborough. Billy Bob Thornton. Kurt Russell. Tim Allen with more 'Santa Clauses' (and a new six streamer series on Disney + for the holidays) than a golden tinsel handcuff deal. They've all played Santa like the beard pulled from your local grotto. But the thing is, it's time to get stranger like a Joker bank job. As Hopper himself David Harbour plays this St. John Nick. A whole new hero, fresh off dad bod' flexing as the Red Guardian Russian version of Captain America in the solo 'Black Widow' movie. Harbouring one of his beat best roles yet, Saint David is perfect. Packing festive one-liners for your stockings with plenty of punch. Delivering "seasons beatings" to your fireplace porch. Choking goons out with what you wrap around your tree, turning candy sticks to stakes and sticking some coal like dynamite right up your chimney. Decking their halls, it's clear Harbour and dynamic 'Dead Snow' director Tommy Wirkola ('Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters') are having a blast. And so in turn do we under the tree. 

Playing naughty to Harbour's forever nice as he vows to give us "the worst Christmas ever", we DO need to talk about Bruno, unlike Trevor Noah "attacking" a Silk Sonic Mars at the Grammys. 'Encanto' and 'John Wick' star (and our favourite) John Leguizamo has already played it bad in the legendary 'Carlito's Way' scene stealing and in the iconic grand opera, petrol station owning opening to Baz Luhrmann's 'Romeo + Juliet'. But the 'Chef' star fresh off 'The Menu' of basing his absolutely abhorrent character on Steven Seagal ("the worst person (he's) ever met"), he's one of the best things here this holidays as the big bad. All he wants for Christmas isn't Mariah Carey, but instead the millions of 'The Coal Miner's Daughter', in 'A Streetcar Named Desire' and 'Hair' legend Beverly D'Angelo. No stranger to the 'National Lampoon Vacation's' of holiday movies. 

As do the rest of her pigs in blankets and mince pie greedy list family led by Alex Hassell and his estranged wife Alexis Louder, taking it up a notch as they try to do right by their own immediate family. And a cast of true characters featuring Edi Patterson and Cam Gigandet, who are gloriously entitled decoration like the many mercs who are about to get a star on top of their trees. Thank Santa for festive feeling of next child star Leah Brady with a direct walkie-talkie line to the best Kris Kringle in reindeer years. This is the real deal and with rumors of a Charlize Theron 'Atomic Ms. Claus' (if they will) sequel, you can best believe there will be blood...and too much mulled wine. Throwing more than presents up out the sleigh. Ho, ho, huuuuuuh! TIM DAVID HARVEY. 

Further Tinseling: 'Bad Santa', 'Home Alone', 'Die Hard'.