Overrated

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

More of the out-of-control six-year-old who lives in the Plaza Hotel. It's hard to view "Eloise at Christmastime" as anything more than silly entertainment for the tykes. One might say that the title character suffers from affluenza, meaning that her privilege deprive her of the ability to be responsible (an infamous incident was the boy in Texas who was drinking and driving and accidentally killed some people, but his lawyer used the affluenza defense, and the boy got off).Naturally, the movie's cast caught my eye more than anything. Julie Andrews and Jeffrey Tambor we all know. Christine Baranski plays Leonard's overly analytical mom on "The Big Bang Theory" (she also appeared as the absentee mom in "The Birdcage" and the stepmother in "Into the Woods"). Jason Jones later became a correspondent on "The Daily Show" (he notably interviewed Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari, the result of which was the plot of Jon Stewart's "Rosewater").And then there's the movie that Nanny and Sir Wilkes watch. It's "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians", nowadays known only because it got riffed on "Mystery Science Theater 3000".Basically, it'll be hard for anyone over the age of ten to authentically enjoy this.

Eloise at Christmastime is a Christmas movie my family watches every year, and it's one of the cutest movies. Just like Eloise, "I absolutely love Christmas!". Eloise is a six year old girl who lives at the Plaza Hotel in New York City with her Nanny. In this movie, we get to see Eloise and Nanny prepare for Christmas, a wedding, and Eloise's movie star mother's return home. Many times, people refer to Eloise as a brat, but this movie reveals that Eloise is kinder and more insightful than people give her credit for. As a six year old, she is better at noticing true love, and true heartbreak (in its many forms), before even the adults do. She realizes that not everything is as it seems, as in the case of a grumpy neighbor, and that Christmas should be spent with the people you care about. The scenery and costumes make this movie charming and innocent, just as Christmas for a child should be. Costumes are bright and colorful, the Plaza is decked out with skyscraper sized Christmas trees and twinkle lights galore, and everything is just a bit exaggerated (such as Eloise's wish list and shopping spree), making the movie just as fun and dramatic as Eloise herself.

I happened to come across this movie by accident. I had a bad cold and nothing looked good enough for me to watch. So I gave this movie a chance and all I can say is, I'm glad I did. It took my mind off me feeling bad and sucked me into Eloises world.I don't know why anybody would call her a spoiled brat. She is a very sweet loving girl that happens to live in the Plaza as her (rich) mom is never there for her. All she has is her Nanny (wonderful Julie Andrews) and all the guests and staff at the Plaza. Yes, in the beginning you might be tempted to find her annoying, but this will change real quick and you will fall in love with her. I know I did.Kudos to the girl who played Eloise, wonderful job, hope to see her again in another movie.So anyway, I think it teaches us that money might help but is not the most important thing.

Rachel (Sara Topham), the daughter of Plaza owner Mr. Peabody (Victor A.Young), is supposed to marry Brooks Oliver (Rick Roberts), but she used to like Bill, a waiter (which may be one reason she was sent away to college). Eloise, the spoiled brat kid who lives on the top floor, is a good friend of Bill, and she thinks something is just not right about Brooks. Meanwhile, Mrs. Thornton has threatened to turn Eloise's turtle into soup. But when she hears bad news about the cranky old lady, Eloise shows her compassionate side.As in the first 'Eloise' movie, Sofia Vassilieva is wonderful as Eloise, at her best when she is getting on everyone's nerves or using her talent to solve problems, but also capable of being a quiet, decent and thoughtful child. Julie Andrews is good again as her patient Nanny, who takes care of Eloise when her mother is gone (which is often). And the actress playing Mrs. Thornton gave us a nice change of pace in a poignant dramatic performance when she talked about her son--this is not merely a comedy. Christine Baranski played a bigger part this time as the nasty event planner Prunella Stickler, and she overacted very nicely, in a way certain to appeal to kids. Gavin Creel is great as Bill, especially when Bill and Rachel sing together. Creel and Topham are both quite talented musically.This movie was another winner. Great for kids of all ages.