I thought the movie was put together well for the most fun effect.
Really like the opening montage that explained the family origins and the plot of the movie. Done very well.
Love the very well known black cast that fills the film. The only people who I never seen before were the actors playing the children. Although I cannot recall if these actors have worked together before (With the exception of Romany Malco, Nicole Ari Parker and J B Smooth all being cast members of Kevin Hart's show Real House Husbands of Atlanta), I did see some good chemistry among the cast.
Yes, a lot of it was cliché with typical family archetypes like Kimberly Elise as Cheryl, the older sister who has got her life together (on the surface anyway) and judges her little sister Rachel, played by Gabrielle Union for not having hers together, and Jesse T. Usher as Evan, the young bratty baby brother whose the most emotional and it sends him down a dark path.
But the cast is amazing, made up of seasoned players who are experts in the roles they play. I really liked Danny Glover as the center of the household force to keep it together as the family celebrate their 1st Christmas without his wife, the real backbone of the family. JB Smooth was real funny, but Mon'Niqe was really killing it as Aunt May. Every laugh out loud joke in it, she was a part of.
It's a well played hand. The clichés are just that, but the cast is good at bringing life to them enough to take you off your guard with laughter and get you all choked up about celebrating the holiday season with your family.
