Okay, it's not exactly outstanding. Most of the leading actors playing people don't really show that much talent. Christian Kerr is quite appealing as the boy who realizes he must save Christmas for the Woodsleys and their animals, and hopefully get his parents back together.
The movie sticks with the tried and true formula. Sometimes this is just plain silly. There are obstacles and villains, and sometimes it appears the problems will not be solved. But then things happen that would only be possible in the movies.
Several actors playing people stand out. Keith Cooper, who wrote the movie, does a great job as an overly optimistic and somewhat childlike elf-type who supports charities and then believes he is a ghost. Cooper is also one of the animals, but more about that in a minute.
Peggy Calvert makes the most of a brief role as Mrs. Woodsley, who loves animals.
And Michael Rubinstein has just enough nastiness about him in a very brief role as the previous year's play director who hopes Heather will fail.
I should also mention Daniel Solokhine as a bully who is much like Eddie Haskell, very polite to parents and a bully to other kids. But he has a change of heart which is quite entertaining.
Eva Greig is simply adorable as the very young sister. Not talented in the usual sense, but quite realistic. But stay around for the blooper reel at the end. She really shows her personality there, and that makes me wonder if she didn't have more potential.
The actors doing animal voices, on the other hand, are very talented for the most part. Joe Marth as Clark the Dog sounds like Wallace Shawn and has quite an attitude. He is friendly enough but he takes his job quite seriously and has high expectations of people.
Charles Shaughnessy is Judge the Goat and has an important role to play as well.
Bonnie Wright I don't know but she is Connie the Bunny.
And Jon Heder. Is a rat with a real attitude. He's just nasty, but he also has an important role.
Is it family friendly? I see nothing wrong here, and don't know why a TV-PG V-chip rating was given. The entire family can watch this. I doubt most adults would want to.
It's not a great classic, but it should be on your list and you want a warm and fuzzy comic holiday adventure.
