‘Your Christmas Or Mine 2’ Review – Familiar But Still Very Festive And Joyful

It’s that time of the year again! The time during which it’s acceptable to stay in pyjamas all day, drink (boozy) hot chocolate, and watch one Christmas movie after the other. Whether you put Die-Hard on your ‘To-watch list during Christmas’ is up to you, but one of the films that should be up there is Your Christmas or Mine 2. While this latest movie by director Jim O’Hanlon (Coronation Street) offers nothing new – Tom Parry’s (Don Rodolfo) writing is just too generic – it’s still full of Christmas spirit and fun.

During the 2022 original movie, the young love birds James (Asa Butterfield) and Hayley (Cora Kirk) accidentally spend Christmas apart. They each spend the festive period with the other one’s family. This year, they will not make the same mistakes as last year. Or that’s the plan anyway. To ensure that James, Hayley, and their families can be together this Christmas, they book a trip to the Austrian Alps. It’s also the perfect chance for the families to mingle and get to know each other. They, after all, come from very different backgrounds. James’s upper-class family is all about money, luxury, and wealth, while Hayley’s working-class household from Macclesfield is much more down-to-earth.

When the whole gang boards the plane without any holdups or problems, it seems like this holiday is going to be smooth sailing. However, that is until they land at their destination and discover a mix-up with the hotel. If they only booked the same lodging, right? The poshos end up in a remote, rundown, desolate shack in the mountains with no cell service. At the same time, the family from the North of England checks itself into a five-star hotel with a stunning suite, a superb swimming pool, sauna and wellness retreats, and a very luxurious and vibrant sky bar.

From then on, the movie becomes more about class differences and culture clashes and less about love, but there’s still room for genuine romance, hilarious gags, and bittersweet moments. That is because, unlike during the previous movie, the cast members now get to roam around much more and show us what they can do with the typical Hallmark poignant film. Butterfield (Sex Education) and Kirk (Prey for the Devil) certainly grab that chance with both hands as they’re now the power couple the first movie so desperately needed. Their chemistry and on-screen relationship are impeccable, and each of their characters has much more depth and layers. They show us the importance of family traditions and creating your own with the person you love. If that’s not the perfect Christmas message, we don’t know what is.

The duo is surrounded by great talents, such as the comical Daniel Mays (Rogue One), who is such a joy as Hayley’s dad, Alex Jennings (This Is Going to Hurt) as James’s snobby father Hamplarey, and the perfectly cast Jane Krakowski (Dickinson) as the stereotypical, posh, bestselling author and Hamplarey’s girlfriend Diane who looks down on Hayley’s family.

While there might be some problems with Parry’s script as it’s pretty predictable, heavily relies on stereotypical characters, and not every storyline is as well explored as it should have been – we certainly would have love to know a bit more about the passing of James’ mother – it never feels rushed. That’s quite an achievement, knowing that the first Your Christmas or Mine feature was released only a year ago. On top of that, we didn’t see that big, bittersweet twist at the end coming, so there are certainly enough surprises to keep you on your toes during the 101-minute runtime.

Now that we’re familiar with James, Hayley, and their different but loving families, watching their adventures around Christmas time might be the beginning of a new tradition. There’s undoubtedly a wonderful setup for another sequel, and if it’s as festive, heartwarming, and sentimental as Your Christmas or Mine 2, then we’ll certainly accept that gift with open arms.

Your Christmas or Mine 2 is currently available to stream on Prime Video

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