Really,such bad acting. The dogs were adorable (that's why it's not a one star) and you could tell they tried. They're the reason I kept watching. The humans were ridiculous. How does that even happen? It's like the script was written the night before and the high school drama club would have done a much better job. It could have been a wonderful movie and I hope someone rewrites it and either gives the actors more time to learn the lines...extra takes when they screw up and let them/hope they can...get into their characters more. I'm not all the way through it yet and I certainly hope everything works out perfectly at the end...that IS protocol for these movies after all.
23 Reviews
too many negatives
Farfallarelate17 December 2020
Love the dogs, the actors not so much.
kidconte-18 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Let's start off by saying if you are even watching this movie you should not be expecting Oscar worthy performances, but the young man they choose for the lead role left a lot to be desired. I will say that the plot was cute, and it could have been a great one... alas the movie just fell flat. There were a few things that really annoyed me, such as why would his foster parents not allow animals? And what ever happened with his mom? And did he ever make amends with the store owner? There was a lot that could have been done that just wasn't. It was cute to watch once, (If you can get over some horrible acting) but definitely not one I will be rewatching come the holidays.
Terrible Acting
booya_achieved27 July 2019
Awful acting
cherylcarella19 December 2014
My daughter absolutely loves animal movies, especially with dogs. The story seemed very interesting when me and my daughter read the info on the TV before watching. I was very unimpressed. From the very first five minutes of the movie, I wanted to change the station because of how unengaged I was. I made the dumb decision to keep watching, hoping it would get better. Dumb idea. It seemed to do nothing but get worse and worse! The acting completely ruined the movie. The actors sounded like they were just reading the lines off the script. There was no emotion what so ever, which is very strange considering the story line is very dramatic and emotional. The whole thing felt scripted and fake. I feel like I completely wasted 90 minutes of my life. I would not recommend this to anyone.
HAHAHA
Braidlance23 December 2019
My wife and I had a blast watching this terrible movie. How did that kid get the main role? Who wrote this? The entire movie is 1000 "touching scenes" over and over. Can't believe I watched this entire movie. Holy crap it's bad!!!
Everybody's a critic.
christa-pelc22 September 2019
Terrible, just Terrible!
jmfitch6211 October 2020
I watch a lot of films and some are so bad they are quite good, this does not fall into that category. This is just horrendous. Poor, very very poor acting, script was not good and the director must think he's the new Ed Wood, because he obviously doesn't think the audience care about details, like acting, script and editing. If you find a good review they are either lying through their teeth or was involved in the film. Although I would guess anyone involved in this film are probably doing other careers, because acting and film making is not their calling.
Good story, poor execution
shadows-1788715 December 2023
The plot of the movie was actually so good! Really cute and heartwarming, telling the story of a troubled teen that gets a new perspective through court ordered juvenile probation and community service.
However, the script, the production, and much of the acting was really bad. B rating at best. A lot of the blocking was off, the angle the scenes were filmed felt homemade, and some of the lines were truly cringe. I feel the story would do very well remake and a higher budget to get experienced director and production team.
I would watch again for the story but I will definitely be cringing through some of it.
However, the script, the production, and much of the acting was really bad. B rating at best. A lot of the blocking was off, the angle the scenes were filmed felt homemade, and some of the lines were truly cringe. I feel the story would do very well remake and a higher budget to get experienced director and production team.
I would watch again for the story but I will definitely be cringing through some of it.
Save the dogs, get rid of the actors
hachmom-129 November 2019
The good news first, the dogs are adorable (and I'm a cat person). That's where the good news ends. Even by the high held standards of made for TV Christmas movies this is pretty bad. Just concentrate on the dogs. They're adorable.
So bad it's good
jakerchief28 November 2021
Clearly this has basically nothing to do with Christmas but they really want to use that as a rope to pull you in. The plot and writing felt like it was written on a hungover Sunday and the cinematography was so bad that I'm pretty sure they didn't even check the footage to see if it was in focus or even level. The acting was The Room levels of amazing. It was stiffer than a corpse.
With all that being said, watch it with a group of friends and make a drinking game out of all the cliches. Have fun with it.
With all that being said, watch it with a group of friends and make a drinking game out of all the cliches. Have fun with it.
Bad acting ruins cute plot
abogada3629 November 2014
The cast looks like it's full of a bunch of relatives of the casting agent. I love Christmas movies, but this is just B-A-D enough to compel me to write this review.
The main boy is a "lovable" foster kid, Jack, assigned to community service at a pet shelter run by 3 young girls -- not sure where the adults are. He has "anger" issues and a crush on the older sister of an equally angry redhead names Ryan. Jack is not only a terrible actor, he is clearly gay which wouldn't matter if they weren't trying to make a heterosexual love connection. To be clear, he isn't the only bad actor. The whole cast is terrible except for the probation officer. I'm not sure if is just the acting or the directing as well.
The movie is about 2 dysfunctional teens working together to get a bunch of misfit dogs adopted before Christmas. The "misfit" dogs are actually quite cute. If you can put up with the bad acting and you like dogs, maybe it's worth a look.
The main boy is a "lovable" foster kid, Jack, assigned to community service at a pet shelter run by 3 young girls -- not sure where the adults are. He has "anger" issues and a crush on the older sister of an equally angry redhead names Ryan. Jack is not only a terrible actor, he is clearly gay which wouldn't matter if they weren't trying to make a heterosexual love connection. To be clear, he isn't the only bad actor. The whole cast is terrible except for the probation officer. I'm not sure if is just the acting or the directing as well.
The movie is about 2 dysfunctional teens working together to get a bunch of misfit dogs adopted before Christmas. The "misfit" dogs are actually quite cute. If you can put up with the bad acting and you like dogs, maybe it's worth a look.
Truly Awful
shawnsaddress-194-97639324 December 2014
Seriously terrible acting! The guy from Family Matters aside, and a couple others with small parts no one in this movie can act. The movie seriously has value to teach actors how not to "Act". The "Acting" at times was comical when it shouldn't be. Exaggerated forced emotion, exaggerated forced facial expressions, and then at other times the opposite virtually no emotion. It was just odd, and makes you feel embarrassed for them. I recommend this movie as an example of "acting". Acting is what you never want in a movie. You want natural, smooth, fluid human speech/reactions/expressions. This movie contains very little of that, and only gets worse as the movie proceeds. Enjoy!
Foster Children and Ugly Dogs
Christmas-Reviewer20 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
BEWARE OF BOGUS REVIEWS & REVIEWERS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW. WHEN ITS A POSITIVE REVIEW THAT TELLS ME THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE PRODUCTION. TRUST ME THIS FILM IS TERRIBLE. NOW I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 400 Christmas MOVIES. I HAVE NO AGENDA. I AM FARE
The budget of this film was almost non existent. One scene that was suppose to be a fancy restaurant you can tell it was someones home. The acting and dialog was terrible HOWEVER the message of home and family still come through. Most of all it is about how everyone wants a loving home, that includes not only dogs but people too. It also makes you look beyond the surface of everything because there is ALWAYS something to love in everything.
In this film A troubled foster teen ends up having to work at an no kill animal shelter. When he finds out the shelter is closing, he will have 12 days and a Christmas Miracle to find homes for the unwanted dogs. He does that but, a better ending a new "NO KILL SHELTER" opening. That is not the case.
The film will be enjoyable for the under 12 set. It is family safe.
The budget of this film was almost non existent. One scene that was suppose to be a fancy restaurant you can tell it was someones home. The acting and dialog was terrible HOWEVER the message of home and family still come through. Most of all it is about how everyone wants a loving home, that includes not only dogs but people too. It also makes you look beyond the surface of everything because there is ALWAYS something to love in everything.
In this film A troubled foster teen ends up having to work at an no kill animal shelter. When he finds out the shelter is closing, he will have 12 days and a Christmas Miracle to find homes for the unwanted dogs. He does that but, a better ending a new "NO KILL SHELTER" opening. That is not the case.
The film will be enjoyable for the under 12 set. It is family safe.
not nearly as good as sky high(2005)
elizabeth_77715 December 2021
Not a "feel good" Christmas movie
ranchofiesta24 November 2022
"The 12 Dog Days of Christmas" movie is on, in the other room while I'm in the kitchen. I'm hearing the dialog, thinking to myself "developmentally challenged kid hanging out at the local animal shelter story". Then it goes to commercial for Humane Society of the US with pictures of tragically neglected and abused dogs.
Then I remembered HSUS is known for more euthanasia of animals than actually rescuing and re-homing animals.
Then I remembered San Diego State University showing this movie as a Humane Society fundraiser in 2014.
This is actor Vincent Giovagnoli's translation of "a troubled teen"?
Sorry, but this movie has no redeeming qualities.
Que the Sarah McLachlan...
Then I remembered HSUS is known for more euthanasia of animals than actually rescuing and re-homing animals.
Then I remembered San Diego State University showing this movie as a Humane Society fundraiser in 2014.
This is actor Vincent Giovagnoli's translation of "a troubled teen"?
Sorry, but this movie has no redeeming qualities.
Que the Sarah McLachlan...
Good Rainy Day Flick
rbwzensaint29 December 2014
This is a good movie for a rainy day, or unwinding after a stressful holiday familial free-for-all. It's a gentle, amiable family film, so the kids and grandma will all enjoy it, and teenage boys will dig the chicks - especially the lovable redhead. Plus, there are plenty of dogs in it, which is a good thing, because everyone knows dogs are better people than people are. Reginald Veljohnson is an old pro, and the kids are fine. It has a "Southern" feel to it (I think it was actually shot in the Carolinas), which adds to the genteel charm. It has a warmth to it, and the writing is appropriately lean and unostentatious. I've watched it more than once this season. It's definitely worth watching.
Cute movie
Elizabeth-248818 December 2016
Warning: Spoilers
I enjoyed the film. A lot of haters and mean people who write reviews, but it was very touching and enjoyable to me. Fun Holiday film that my friends and I enjoyed watching. This touching film is about a foster kid and a shelter dog. Jack is the kid who has been a foster kid in the system for years and he is about ready to turn 18 with no family. He ends up having to do community service and starts to connect with the dogs in the shelter, since they are in the same situation. Both of them want to have a family and home. Loved the story and it has a theme of having faith. It has a Christian type of theme, which not all people will appreciate, but we did. It is a good message for all kids and people. A feel good film! I personally dealt with a difficult childhood and I really enjoy positive films. Therefore, I would recommend this film.
A Heart-Warming Story About a 17-Year-Old Finding The True Meaning of Christmas
lannypetersong3 December 2017
Jack Whitley is a troubled, but talented foster kid. He doesn't have much hope for this Christmas, until he begins his community service at a no-kill animal shelter. Jack meets 3 lovely young women there. Blair, Hillary, and Ryan. Just a few days after he begins working there he gets the most terrible news. The shelter is going to close by Christmas. Which means all of the dogs there are going to be hauled off to the city pound, where most of them will be put down. Will they get all of the dogs adopted within the short deadline of 12 days? You'll have to watch it to find out! 12 Dog Days Till Christmas is a touching story of hope, friendship, and family. It's a new Christmas classic!
Feel good movie of the year
mountainmikescoffeehouse8 December 2020
Can somebody explain all those hateful reviews....
tarwaterthomas31 December 2023
Warning: Spoilers
....because I don't understand. This is a feel-good movie and it's different from all those superhero movies that are all the rage. Vincent Giovagnoli takes center stage as foster teenager Jack Whitley who gets in some trouble and has to do some serious community service courtesy of probation officer Art Stephenson (played by Reginald VelJohnson from the first two DIE HARD movies), and it consists of working at a no-kill animal shelter for all those homeless dogs and puppies. Our boy has twelve days to find loving homes for those mangy mutts, because as it turns out the shelter is going to be closed permanently. Budget cuts, you see. And whatever bowsers are left behind at the shelter will be taken to other shelters and put down. The news hits Jack the wrong way, as he's changed out by the spirit of Christmas. Of course, his ne'er-do-well mother shows up out of the blue and exclaims that she's three days sober, but thinks nothing of crawling into a can of malt liquor. Does this movie end on a happy note? Watch 12 DOG DAYS OF CHRISTMAS and find out. And ignore those hateful reviews. I had nothing to do with the film's production, just got through watching it on a local TV station.
I liked this movie!
martinpaul-3890014 December 2020
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