Rowena “Ro” is a high-spirited teenager who is experiencing a lackluster Christmas. Ro isn’t handling her parents’ divorce well. She wants her life back the way it was—her parents back together, her dad’s new girlfriend and son out of the picture, and their family traditions to remain the same. After a disappointing celebration with her family, including her sister Gabriela “Gabby,” Abuela Sofia and Abuelo Hector, she makes a wish to a neighborhood Santa for a “do-over” and unexpectedly finds herself reliving Christmas day over and over … and over again. Now, in order to break the strange magical loop, Ro must learn to appreciate her loving family as it is, as well as the true meaning of Christmas.
KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Tiana S. comments, “Christmas Again is full of so much comedy, action and seasonal fun. Imagine your craziest and/or most memorable Christmas and having to live it over and over again! Well that’s exactly what you will get from this new holiday film.” See her review and interview below.
Christmas Again
By Tiana Sirmans, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 11
Christmas Again is full of so much comedy, action and seasonal fun. Imagine your craziest and/or most memorable Christmas and having to live it over and over again! Well that’s exactly what you will get from this new holiday film. It’s sure to go on your list of movies to watch every year with your family.
Christmas Again follows Rowena “Ro” (Scarlett Estevez) who wakes up on Christmas Day looking forward to another amazing Christmas with her family, but everything is different. While her family is fine with the new way of life and traditions, Rowena struggles with accepting her parents’ divorce, her father’s new girlfriend and new traditions. Ro wants everything to go back to how it was before so she makes a wish to the neighborhood Santa Claus to re-do Christmas in hopes that it will make things go back to normal, but things just get worse. She repeatedly re-lives Christmas Day over and over again. In order to break the loop, Ro has to learn to love her family, but also discover the true meaning of Christmas.
The main character, Rowena, is a teenager that just really loves Christmas and her family’s long standing traditions. One of my favorite parts is when Rowena and her family are playing a game and she knows all the answers because she has played it over and over again each day in the magical loop. It is funny watching her family’s reaction as they try to figure out how she knows everything. I enjoyed seeing all the traditions Rowena and her family had and watch as Rowena tries to figure out how to break the loop. Even though the movie shows the same day over and over again, you will be entertained as Ro learns more and more about the true meaning of Christmas each day.
The message in Christmas Again is that the true meaning of Christmas is about spending time with family and embracing new traditions together with the old ones. Ro must learn to appreciate her family as they are now and realize the true meaning of Christmas. Changes are going to happen in life and you have to be ready to accept them.
I rate Christmas Again 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for kids ages 6 to 18, plus adults. Christmas Again premieres Friday, December 3, 2021 on Disney Channel.
