How sad is this?

As Good As It Gets

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 400 Christmas MOVIES. SO BEWARE OF BOGUS REVIEWS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW. WHEN ITS A POSITIVE REVIEW THAT TELLS ME THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE PRODUCTION. NOW I HAVE NO AGENDA! I AM HONEST! I REVIEW MOVIES AS A WAY TO KEEP TRACK OF WHAT I HAVE SEEN!When Santa Claus decides to retire, his daughter (Jenny McCarthy) must choose between taking over the reindeer reins or continuing with her fast-paced life in the outside world.The film works okay but it is not the greatest. As of this writing I have not seen the first film. What does work works well. The film however drags a little and some of the scenes just don't work. If your a fan of the original you might like this but again I have not seen it. This film does have charm and some Christmas magic.

Well first of all, for whatever reason they replaced Gpeeorge Wendt (a really great Santa)as Santa Claus with Paul Sorvino. Not sure I like it but what the heck. Santa is apparently running around the country with a band or playing golf (in the snow)?. Why? I don't know unless he is having an 800 year old mid-life crisis. Kelly Stables as Teri (a hot elf in her own right)is the elf in charge until Santa's daughter, Jenny McCarthy, (Mary) shows up. Teri suborns the elves to go on strike for benefits they don't even understand in her bid to undermine her. Mary gets disgusted and goes back to the big city. When Teri finds out she ends the strike by manipulation and the elves go back to work, though they are now behind. Teri has now taken over the production and is a martinet. Sorvino finally gets his act together and returns as Santa but Teri, thinking she would be Santa, way lays him and tries to fill in. Mary sees an old VHS and recognizes Teri in the old tape. So Mary comes home and exposes Teri and frees her dad from a Christmas present box, a big one of course. Teri steals Santa's sleigh and tries to run away but she gets stopped. At the face off Teri/Phoebe lets Santa's magical bag drop in the water. Turns out it was only filled with cookies. After they learn about the cookie bag Mary and Santa go out to cover the world with presents.

Teri (Kelly Stables) should have been the heroine. Mary Class (Jenny McCarthy) is just a headache.She's back. Still a corporate suit; nothing in her demeanor has changed as a result from the previous episode. Still obnoxious to elves, her dad Santa, etc. Oh, she has some gratingly stereotyped people working for her in "The City," too. The City scenes are too over stated and over done to be cute. But now Santa's going through some mid-life crisis (a few centuries late), and wants Mary to take over again. Mary doesn't want to, again.Enter Teri, a go-getter who does all the work. She's depicted as an evil interloper who wants to seize control, but if you see the movie, and actually want some toys under the tree Dec. 25th, you'd root for her instead of the other two. The actress playing the role is very likable, and plays the role expertly. The other elves are pretty funny, too. The Union trade negotiations were pretty funny, but Mary comes off as stone hearted; it's annoying after a while to listen to her belittle everyone constantly. And that guy playing Mary's boyfriend? He plays the role like Beavis.OK in places, but could have been better, though.