IMDbeans

There were some wonderful things to enjoy about this film: some of the casting and especially the scenery was wonderful. However, too many scenes didn't fit in with the Christmas spirit, seemingly pushing a political agenda rather than creating a cohesive Christmas movie. And the mouse character seemed to try to capture the spirit of Donkey in Shrek but had some awkward lines and ultimately failed to add much to the movie. Finally, a few of the scenes featuring the head elf woman and the pixie were clumsy and childish. Disappointing overall. Could have been so much better.

From a visual point of view, this was beautiful to watch, thanks to the Lithuanian locations, sets, actors and wardrobe. The life experience of the main characters was depicted in a dark yet still somewhat sanitized way, and I think the film was fairly success in that respect with regards to immersing the viewer in this (allegedly true) story which beggars belief at times.

However, there were some misguided attempts at light relief which fell flat, and as with most war-set stories the opposing sides were depicted as far too black and white, with the Germans portrayed as brutal, faceless killing machines. If you can overlook that simplistic bias and a few other flaws, it's a very enjoyable film.