Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up

This movie was an utter disappointment The first movie was awesome, you saw the personal growth in the characters, they managed it very well, this one is just chaos and competition They manage to get you annoyed from the get go at everything that goes on, feels like a bad attempt at showing HOAs in a good light(There is a reason they are slowly dying off) but at the same time it makes you so angry at the "famous"(Nowadays everyone is famous if they post the right thing online) people that are really only inconsiderate bullies that want to make other people feel bad Usually in all of these movies(Battle of the bulbs, the christmas house. Deck the halls, etc) you see them realizing their mistakes and correcting them on the last leg of the movie, but this movie literally gives you a very lazy move from jerks to kind in the last 5 minutes, not 15, not 20, but 5. The acting is all over the place, the main characters(Lacey, Wes, and the main HOA members) are as good as before(I mean, as good as can be expected for a Hallmark christmas movies, which are traditional but not top notch) but the rest is just bad and feels off All in all it is just good to see as a continuation and in case there is a third one, but it does not hold on fine against the og nor other movies of its kind.

Wow, what a huge disappointment. I loved the first movie, it was cute and whimsical, a real joy to watch. But this one? Not so much. The new neighbors on Evergreen Lane are bullies, plain and simple. There is just no Christmas Joy or Spirit to any of their behavior. I found myself cringing at their obnoxious take-over of the movie. Even Lacey & Wes couldn't save this one. I'm sure it had a happy ending, but I just couldn't stand another minute. And I'm not sure what the issue was, but I had a terrible time understanding Wes Brown's dialog. Most of what he said was rushed and muffled. The marriage proposal could have been more front and center, and maybe even saved the movie. It's too bad the focus was on the bully new neighbors. They were just horrible, and I couldn't watch it past about 40 minutes.

Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up is one that can be skipped. I like the first movie so when I saw they did a sequel I was excited to see it. This movie is by far the worst movie of the Christmas season. It is so cringy. The Johnson's are the new family in the circle and the are "reality" tv famous. They are rude, obnoxious, and not funny. The acting was over-the-top by them. I didn't like that Ned sided with the Johnson's. They were bully's and everyone should have boycotted them. I love Melissa Peterman and her comedic timing is always on. The ending came together too quick. Tis the season to forgive. The side storyline of Jared proposing was sort of a miss. I felt like engagement was just thrown in and expected.

I don't usually give up on movies...I didn't give up on this, though it give the original a run for terrible and it won...and I didn't give up on it. The Johnson's were annoying, over bearing, mean, contriving, and...... I could go on and on. I rated the original a 4 and I quit maybe half way through. I couldn't justify giving this any thing other than a 1. I'm not going to make a political statement out of this movie but the competiveness of The Johnson's was so political in nature. I saw from the outset how this was going and at first I thought I was watching the original. Everything was the same. Then I found Haul out the Holly and thought here we go again...and it was worse. I made it through to the end.......ugh!

Admittedly I didn't love the first movie. I rated it a 5. And after reading the reviews for this sequel I almost skipped it. I'm glad I didn't. I'm not one that laughs out loud often at films/shows, but I literally laughed out loud several times during this movie. There were a couple of throwback lines to Groundhog Day that I enjoyed. Wes Brown is at his comedic best. Based on reviews, I thought the new neighbors would be triggering for me, but I found them very tongue-in-cheek. I could tell the cast had a blast making this movie. No, it's not your typical tender, sentimental Hallmark Christmas movie, but tune in if you're in the mood to have fun watching a Christmas movie. It does end on a heartfelt note. I'm actually hoping we get another sequel.

I absolutely loved the original Haul Out the Holly. I watched it a zillion times last year, and was really looking forward to seeing this sequel. However, they completely changed the tone this time. The original was light and funny, any tension was minor, and you knew everything would be fine. This one introduced major tension right away with the very unpleasant new neighbors. I gave it about half an hour, couldn't find anything to like about it (other than the stellar performances from last year's cast), and then just fast-forwarded to the end, which was fine. They really missed the boat on this sequel.

6.2 stars. Take the original film and imagine it continued for another 2 hours and the logical continuation would in fact be "lit up". However, the first was already headed for a crash and burn and saved by the fact that it ended. Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate the first one, I actually thought it had some redeeming qualities, but it ended on a high note, thus it was a decent standalone story. There was something about the originality and all the cool neighborhood competitions and the undermining and the HOA rules fiasco. Neighbors being frantic with decorating and games and the whole weirdness of it was interesting. Now take all of that originality and multiply it by ten, but instead of adding some variety and a new spin, take the original theme pound it into the ground, i.e. Beat on a dead horse for two more hours. The ending seems to lend itself to yet another sequel, dollars to doughnuts it won't happen. This film cannot rest upon its laurels sufficiently enough to survive the gestation and birthing of a third.

Many reviewers here seem disappointed that the film isn't a typical Hallmark film. You know...perfect people overcoming odds to find love during the holidays...stories that have more sap than the Christmas tree. Instead, we get a "Christmas Vacation"-like satire of the season. The leading man is a obsessive architect enforcing far too serious neighborhood HOA holiday rules. Everyone is on board, albeit with an underlying current of passive aggression. All is set for another perfect season until a new family moves in....and they have a reputation for creating over the top holiday displays. Unlike most Hallmark films, here you have to actually listen to the dialog, or you'll be likely to miss a fun line. It has a great cast... unlike many of these films, you may recognize some of the actors from other projects. Lacey Chabert, the queen of Hallmark films, gets to expand her repertoire, stepping away from her usual ernest virgin role, to being a spectator to the suburban insanity. She probably has fewer lines than the rest of her co-stars. Like the Chevy Chase Christmas classic (only without the swearing and Danny Kaye reference) it's about well meaning people's desire to create a memorable holiday....which gets out of hand. It it possible the best Hallmark comedy ever.

I am an avid Christmas movie junkie. Have not missed one in years. However, I started to waych this one and could not finish it I was so disappointed. I thought the first one was strange but at least I was able to watch the whole movie. This time I just cannot. It is not funny in the areas where you think you should be laughing. I just don't feel any Christmas spirit coming through. The first few minutes I just want to have the new neighbors just put in their van and sent on their way! Just cannot sit through this one. I think they could have thought up a much better movie for the cast . Also will be researching Hallmark movies more closely.

I was hoping to enjoy this movie as much as Haul Out The Holly, but unfortunately I didn't. What made the first one funny, quirky and sort of charming was the easy chemistry of the cast. Lacey Chabert, Wes Brown, Stephen Tobolowsky, Melissa Peterman, Ellen Travolta, etc., all returned, which was great, but the addition of three new neighbors (a family who's made it big via a reality TV Xmas decoration contest, which sets up the premise of this movie) made me want to get in my car and drive away from Evergreen Lane. It wasn't the actors; it was the way they were written, over the top, self-absorbed and annoying. There was nothing endearing about any of the newbies and there needed to be in order for this movie to be semi-enjoyable, at least in my opinion. Hallmark just might be able to redeem itself next year if it comes up with another sequel to this, one with much better dialogue and a return to the fun, whimsical feeling the first one brought. In contrast, I wasn't expecting too much from Holiday Road, another 2023 Hallmark holiday offering, but it's one of the best TV holiday movies this year. Skip HOTH: Lit Up and watch that one instead.

The quirky, funny cast from Haul out the Holly is back in this sequel, only this time Emily and Jared are dating and the drama doesn't come from the Evergreen Lane neighbors lighting a fire of Christmas enthusiasm under a reluctant reveler...but rather from the competition with the new neighbors the Johnsons. In fact the competition with these over the top Johnsons adds a frantic (and decidedly non-Christmas) energy to this story...which eventually is brought back home to our fun, quirky, neighborly neighbors...who excel at helping one another and sharing their Christmas spirit with others. Just as funny as the first and just as much character development with our quirky neighborhood favorites like Ned, Pamela and Mary Louise. There is one more secret Christmas project that Jared is working on...with a little help from their friends, the romantic story is progressed. I am loving this cast...there isn't a weak member and I can't wait to see them again next year for Christmas. (I also want to know where Mary Louise got that adorable quilted Christmas coat.... I want one!) I highly recommend this fun Hallmark holiday film to anyone who enjoys Christmas and Christmas decorations.