CHRISTMAS EVE

(director/writer: Mitch Davis; screenwriter: Tyler McKellar; cinematographer: Ty Arnold; editors: Danny Ramirez/Steven Ramirez; music: Christian Davis; cast: Patrick Stewart (Harris), Jon Heder (James), James Roday (B), Cheryl Hines (Dawn), Max Casella (Randy), Julianna Guill (Ann), Shawn King (Nurse Byrnes), Gary Cole (Dr. Roberts), Juliet Aubrey (Maria), Roxanne Cook (Molly), Margaret Clunie (Sherry), Taylor James (Nick), Lex Shrapnel (Tim), Christina Chong (Karen), Steve John Shepherd (Glen), Kendra, Martyn Ellis (Jacob), Simon Chadwick (Evan), Jenny Oaks Baker (Mandy), David Bamber (Walt); Runtime: 95; MPAA Rating: PG; producers: Larry King/Shawn King/Mitch Davis/Ken Bretschneider; KEB Entertainment; 2015)

“A Christmas comedy that needs more holiday cheer.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

A Christmas comedy that needs more holiday cheer. Mitch Davis (“Stuck”/”A House Divided”) awkwardly directs some 20, or more, mostly unlikable characters, in this joyless Christmas tale. Davis co-writes this dreck with Tyler McKellar. Former CNN talk-show host Larry King and his seventh wife Shawn King are among the many producers bringing us another bad Christmas movie. Thanks Larry!

On Christmas Eve, a deliveryman smashes his van into a generator in Central Park that causes a power outage in the area, thereby various people get stuck in Manhattan elevators for a few hours. The sites of the six elevators featured include a construction elevator with a nasty real-estate developer tycoon (Patrick Stewart) spouting verbal abuses at his workers. A nerdy tech support worker (Jon Heder) stuck in the office elevator with his cold boss (Max Casella) who just fired him. In an apartment building elevator an aggressive photographer (James Roday) harshly comes on to a shy paralegal (Julianna Guill) resident he never met before. In a hospital elevator an atheist doctor (Gary Cole) is challenged by a nurse (Shawn King, Larry’s wife) to pray for a patient (Christina Chong) before her heart operation. Stuck in a theater elevator are seven squabbling orchestra musicians going to their performance, including one (Cheryl Hines) who keeps a handgun in her bra. And, finally in a department store elevator, there is a diverse group that includes two obnoxious ditzy young women (Roxanne Cook, Margaret Clunie), a clean-freak art curator (Steve John Shepherd), an annoying brainy guy (Lex Shrapnel) and a musclebound hunk (Taylor James) in a skimpy Santa costume.

Sofia, Bulgaria, subs for the Big Apple, but fails to come close to resembling the city.

REVIEWED ON 3/27/2017 GRADE: C-