James Proclaims!

2011’s The Big Year boasts an impressive cast but it is still about birdwatching, which is not the most exciting of subject matters on paper. It is more entertaining than the premise might suggest but not as entertaining as you might hope a film starring Jack black, Steve Martin and Owen Wilson would be.

It probably should be funnier, but it’s warm-hearted and likeable enough in the main, if not particularly memorable.

Score for Christmasishness

As the title suggests, the narrative takes place over the course of a calendar year, and is therefore bookended by two Christmases. Both Christmases are afforded a decent amount of screen time so the movie definitely deserves a place in my annual festive countdown. Neither Christmas helps to make the film any more interesting though unfortunately.