Godmothered is Disney's latest Christmas film. It tries to be cheesy and predictable in a good way, as these films always do, but it fails miserably. There wasn't a single thing that I actually liked. Everything was either unfunny or felt like it was trying way too hard.
Making movies like Godmothered isn't hard. But making them good is. These movies rely on being cheesy and predictable but making us forget about all that because they are heartwarming and make us feel happy. The line where all these things happen is surprisingly thin, and for the film to work, it has to be exactly on that line. Not over or under even by a tiny bit. The movies that manage to stay on the line, while not masterpieces, end up being more enjoyable than they have any right to be. While they are cheesy and predictable, they are so in a good way. And then there are films like Godmothered, that find themselves way over that line. The end result, then, ends up being a near unbearable mess. Instead of being pleasantly cheesy and making us laugh at it, the whole movie ends up being nothing but one cheesy moment after another. And when a film does that, it loses any charm it might have. It becomes a chore rather than a source of enjoyment.
The story in Godmothered is exactly what you'd expect. In fact, it's awfully familiar. There is nothing new in it. We get to join Eleanor on her journey to becoming a fairy godmother. But as it turns out, the need for fairy godmothers has vanished, and the academy where they are trained is closing down. Eleanor must find a wish to fulfil, not only to keep the academy open but also to fulfil her own dream. While the story sounds very fitting for a movie like this on paper, the way it's carried out, made me lose all interest. The better movies of this genre, while often predictable, usually offer something new to set themselves apart. This one, however, is the most basic story that you could ever dare to expect. I could've accepted that had there at least been some twist in it, but alas, there isn't. As soon as the film starts, you know exactly what it's going to be like. You also know exactly what is going to happen in it. There isn't a single moment that made me go, 'Oh, wasn't expecting that'. And I get it, these types of movies tend to be like that, which is fine, as long as the film is funny, and makes me feel happy. Godmothered did neither.
Whenever I watch movies like this, meaning cheesy holiday comedies, I try to take them less seriously. I acknowledge that they aren't trying to be masterpieces or even particularly good. Their only goal is to make us feel happy and comfortable and warm and safe. It doesn't matter how bad the film might otherwise be. If it manages to do those things, I have no reason not to enjoy it. But it must manage to do them. They are the only thing keeping it afloat. Godmothered is a prime example of what happens when a movie fails to do so. During the near two hour runtime, I didn't laugh once. The scenes that were supposed to be funny were way over the top and overly cheesy, a theme that ended up defining the whole movie. Another thing that Godmothered failed miserably was making me feel Christmasy. If these movies rely on being just the right amount of predictable and cheesy, they rely just as much on creating and sustaining the holiday mood. While Godmothered takes place during Christmas and tries it's hardest to make it feel like it, it never gets there. For some reason, and I'm still unsure as to what that reason is, it doesn't feel Christmasy at all. The certain cosiness and warmth that I associate with good Christmas films, is nowhere to be found. And it certainly doesn't help the films cause.
Godmothered was a letdown in every way imaginable. Everything it tried to do, it failed at. It was too predictable for its own good. It was cheesy to the point where it lost all its charm. And it completely missed one of its most important tasks, putting me in the holiday mood. I wish I could say that there was some redeeming factor, but unfortunately, there isn't. And as one would expect, the final result isn't pretty.
Making movies like Godmothered isn't hard. But making them good is. These movies rely on being cheesy and predictable but making us forget about all that because they are heartwarming and make us feel happy. The line where all these things happen is surprisingly thin, and for the film to work, it has to be exactly on that line. Not over or under even by a tiny bit. The movies that manage to stay on the line, while not masterpieces, end up being more enjoyable than they have any right to be. While they are cheesy and predictable, they are so in a good way. And then there are films like Godmothered, that find themselves way over that line. The end result, then, ends up being a near unbearable mess. Instead of being pleasantly cheesy and making us laugh at it, the whole movie ends up being nothing but one cheesy moment after another. And when a film does that, it loses any charm it might have. It becomes a chore rather than a source of enjoyment.
The story in Godmothered is exactly what you'd expect. In fact, it's awfully familiar. There is nothing new in it. We get to join Eleanor on her journey to becoming a fairy godmother. But as it turns out, the need for fairy godmothers has vanished, and the academy where they are trained is closing down. Eleanor must find a wish to fulfil, not only to keep the academy open but also to fulfil her own dream. While the story sounds very fitting for a movie like this on paper, the way it's carried out, made me lose all interest. The better movies of this genre, while often predictable, usually offer something new to set themselves apart. This one, however, is the most basic story that you could ever dare to expect. I could've accepted that had there at least been some twist in it, but alas, there isn't. As soon as the film starts, you know exactly what it's going to be like. You also know exactly what is going to happen in it. There isn't a single moment that made me go, 'Oh, wasn't expecting that'. And I get it, these types of movies tend to be like that, which is fine, as long as the film is funny, and makes me feel happy. Godmothered did neither.
Whenever I watch movies like this, meaning cheesy holiday comedies, I try to take them less seriously. I acknowledge that they aren't trying to be masterpieces or even particularly good. Their only goal is to make us feel happy and comfortable and warm and safe. It doesn't matter how bad the film might otherwise be. If it manages to do those things, I have no reason not to enjoy it. But it must manage to do them. They are the only thing keeping it afloat. Godmothered is a prime example of what happens when a movie fails to do so. During the near two hour runtime, I didn't laugh once. The scenes that were supposed to be funny were way over the top and overly cheesy, a theme that ended up defining the whole movie. Another thing that Godmothered failed miserably was making me feel Christmasy. If these movies rely on being just the right amount of predictable and cheesy, they rely just as much on creating and sustaining the holiday mood. While Godmothered takes place during Christmas and tries it's hardest to make it feel like it, it never gets there. For some reason, and I'm still unsure as to what that reason is, it doesn't feel Christmasy at all. The certain cosiness and warmth that I associate with good Christmas films, is nowhere to be found. And it certainly doesn't help the films cause.
Godmothered was a letdown in every way imaginable. Everything it tried to do, it failed at. It was too predictable for its own good. It was cheesy to the point where it lost all its charm. And it completely missed one of its most important tasks, putting me in the holiday mood. I wish I could say that there was some redeeming factor, but unfortunately, there isn't. And as one would expect, the final result isn't pretty.