There’s a new early Christmas movie out this week called Love the Coopers… why a Christmas movie not in December, I can only assume is because December is full of big movies and this can’t compete. Well, if that’s the thinking, they were right.

Love the Coopers (or possibly Love, The Coopers) is a pretty traditional “home for the holidays” movie that only kind of distinguishes itself with a startlingly impressive cast… Diane Keaton, John Goodman, Ed Helms, Amanda Seyfried, Alan Arkin, Marisa Tomei, Olivia Wilde, and Anthony Mackie (and some lesser known but maybe recognizable actors)… plus the voice of Steve Martin as the narrator.

That’s a lot of talent for a basic and harmless little Christmas comedy. It’s not a disaster but there’s very little to recommend other than it being pretty predictable. There are some edgy and interesting things that happen occasionally… things that surprised me and were clever… but mostly the movie is just a pretty by-the-numbers “will the family members get to dinner on time and will they survive that dinner with all the family drama” movies. I feel like this movie comes out every couple of years.

So, yeah, if you need another one of this movie, this one serviceable but pretty average. If you like the cast, it might be worth checking out too…

Score: 74