This movie had a number of fun aspects, but some downers that ruined it all for me.
First, the good parts: Ashley Williams was very good, as usual, but I especially liked the way they toned her down for a change. Her character comes off as a bit of a plain Jane, which is refreshing in my opinion. She interacts well with her co-star, and they had a number of very clever lines and banter; she was quite believable as a teacher. The Christmas spirit was represented by good sportsmanship and sharing near the end of the film, but unfortunately not much else. But the interactions and situations were entertaining and fun.
Drawbacks: Walker played his role well, but his transformation from conceited jock to a sensitive, giving individual was quite sudden and hard to follow. Williams' character was supposed to be a crossword puzzle expert, but that surprisingly did not give her much of an edge during that part of the competition. That's probably a small point, but for someone who's been around crossword people a lot, it didn't seem very realistic.
The whole switch from a wallflower teacher to a competitive athlete also strained credibility for me. I would have expected the sudden physical training to make her too sore to get out of bed after a few days, much less compete in the trials. But they did complement each other well during the competition, I must give credit for that.
However, the worst part was one of the competing teams, a couple of guys who discovered they both loved cooking, and subsequently, each other. The two of them locking lips near the end of the film grossed out my wife and me. Because of that scene, I would not have my children watching this movie, nor will I see it again.
