Alex B Cann Film Column - 11th December 2025

Christmas Karma seemed to arrive early ahead of the festive season, and I only just managed to catch it on the big screen before it vanished, a bit like a Christmas tree bought in November and threadbare by the time turkey is served. I was told by many reviewers that I was going to hate it, but in all honesty, it was quite a wholesome retelling of 'A Christmas Carol', with a Bollywood twist and some original music from Gary Barlow, randomly. Businessman Mr Sood is forced to confront painful memories from his past, in a bid to understand how he's got so miserly and mean-spirited.

Those who gnash their teeth about Tesco selling Christmas trees that don't explicitly have the 'C word' on their packaging will no doubt hate the multi-cultural spin given to a tale that dates back to 1843, but whilst a lot of the acting is pretty hammy, I can't fault its originality. The ghost of Christmas future is represented by Boy George, who isn't really given much to do, but I liked the Day of the Dead Mexican look sported by the ghost of Christmas past (Eva Longoria) and the soundtrack is pretty decent. I wouldn't suggest taking kids to watch it though. It's incredibly sad in places, and no I don't mean the dodgy outfits, or Danny Dyer as a gurning taxi driver. It deals with some pretty heavy themes, so I'd probably stick to the Grinch or Home Alone for a family film this festive season.

Eternity sees Joan (Elizabeth Olsen) faced with an impossible choice in the afterlife, as both of her husbands compete for her affections in the hope of spending the rest of time with her. One has been waiting for over 60 years, having been killed in conflict, and taken a job as a barman whilst he waits for her to arrive. The other chokes on a pretzel at a gender reveal party. So far, so daft.

Whilst it's a fun and original idea, sadly the laughs fell pretty flat for me, the script wasn't particularly sharp, and I found the whole thing dragged on for what felt like an eternity (sorry!). I liked some of the 'worlds' on offer to those in the transitional zone between life and death, but the chemistry wasn't convincing enough between the lead characters to make me think either choice was worth making for Joan.

And it's five stars for Zootropolis 2, which was super fun in 4DX. I loved Gary de'Snake in particular, alongside Nibbles Maplestick, the friendly beaver. Nice story, a positive message for kids, gorgeous animation, visual gags galore, and loads of fun (plus the biggest waterslide ride ever!). A sequel well worth seeing on the biggest screen you can. Good to see Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, the unlikely bunny and fox team, back on the trail of the miscreants again. The best film Disney has made in ages, and I'll definitely be catching this one again.