There is a very specific genre in film known as the holiday movie. While this is a very broad category the vast majority of these flicks are concerned with Christmas. Even within this section of this type of film there is a vast amount of variety. Christmas has been used for drama, comedy, romance and even horror and bawdy humor. More typically films of this sort are combined comedy dramas targeted towards the family. One such film is ‘Christmas Caper’. It was originally made to air on the ABC Family network so you know there will not be anything too intense or inappropriate for even the younger members of your household. As with the large majority of Christmas theme flicks this one is a re-writing of a classic; ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ by renowned children’s author Dr. Seuss. Unless you were raised by bats in a remote dark cave you know the basic story. It is a variation of one aspect of Charles Dicken’s ‘A Christmas Carole’ where someone who hates the cheer and joy of the holiday is much more extreme than Mr. Scrooge. The Grinch would set out to steal the trappings and presents of the holiday from everyone in town. For this variation the writers just replaced a lonely green monster with well known TV actress Shannen Doherty. This is harmless and light hearted fun but it will never come close to reaching the heights set by the perennial classics of the genre. It may be more acceptable to the young ones than the aged animated stories that abound towards the end of every year. For adults it is completely predictable in every aspect of the story and production. While not bad for a made for television flick it is unable to break away from the pack in any significant fashion. The DVD release was made through First Look Studios who usually specialize in independent films.

The movie was written by April Blair. This is her only script to date but she has worked for several years as a production assistant for films. The story is by the book every step of the way. Doherty plays Kate Dove who recently was part of a major robbery in the big city. She wants to hide out so we goes back home for a holiday family reunion. Since everyone on the block will be at the big party the homes will be empty and filled with nice presents that she can steal. It should come as a surprise to no one that the little kids that she initially finds so annoying finally get to her. Love is found and the thief reformed; roll end credits. Some of the cornier moments for the Dr. Seuss classic are modernized here. The famous scene where the Grinch finds his heart growing in size is replaced with a little girl giving Kate a heart since the girl heard that she doesn’t have one; pass around the tissues now folks. The side plots include Kate reconnecting with her former boyfriend who is now a police officer and her cohort in crime from the city coming to town to look for her. One of the only positive thing here is originality is not a strict requirement for a family Christmas based tale. There is almost a level of comfort in knowing what is going to happen. It is sort of like unwrapping that present from your grandmother and knowing it is socks before the paper is torn open. This is tradition not innovation.

Directing this flick is David Winkler. He has a few other made for television flicks ranging from dramas to thrillers. The film before this was ‘How I Married My High School Crush’ which was the closest to preparing Winkler for this opus. It was a dramatic comedy with elements of romance and fantasy. There is always a touch of magic and whimsy in any Christmas movie so he was one the right track after finishing that film for the one here. The style that Winkler utilizes here is pretty standard with a hint of some flair. This is a standard holiday flick but it is fun enough for keep the kids engaged and something that the adults will not flee from the room when it is on. That may sound harsh but considering some of the selections in this category it is actually praise.

The film opens in New York City. In a large closet a figure all in black slides down a rope. It does something to the video monitor making it repeat on a loop and summons a partner. The black clad pair goes through the home which is nicely decorated for the coming holiday. They remove the masks revealing Kate and Clive Henry (Conrad Coates). Kate opens the safe and they make off with a fortune in jewelry, specifically Cleopatra’s eye, a stunning gem. The both of them are incredibly well trained and prepared for the heist. Clive has set up Kat to take the blame for the robbery; he flees with the loot just as the owners come back. Kat manages to get away but now her full description is all over the news. Meanwhile in the Bahamas Kat’s sister Savannah (Sonya Salomaa) and her husband Brain (David Lewis) are stuck. It is pouring rain and their flight out has been delayed. In desperation Savannah calls Kat and begs her to go back to their home town and watch her kids. Normally Kat would outright reject this idea but feels that it may be safer there than in New York at this moment. When she gets there she finds the house in disarray. Her nephew Parker (Josh Hayden)is a practical joker who likes to put sparklers in the over to make it seem that it is on fire. Her nice Annie (Natasha Calis) is sugary sweet and loving but often goes along with her big brother. She is also the responsible one doing most of the cooking. Aunt Kat hates Christmas along with most aspects of family life. When she hears about a big holiday party she figures she can make a quick score to help make up for the gem she lost. She reunites with an old flame which naturally complicates matters and actually starts to love her family.

Okay, this is corny but it makes for fairly good family holiday entertainment. First Look Studios usually releases little Indy gems but they are getting into a broader range of titles. This is not the best they have to offer but for the genre it is passable.