Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 22, 2017

Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You earned some of its buzz ahead of release not for any positive or negative word-of-mouth but rather for an awkward interview featuring the pop diva whose name is in the title nonchalantly reclining on a sofa, against a backdrop decorated to the nines for Christmas, during which she was supposed to promote the film but was instead asked to comment on the then-recent mass shooting in Las Vegas. It left Carey looking understandably flustered and host Piers Morgan under Twitter attack. It also dominated any talk of the movie, which it turns out isn't all that special, but does deliver a serviceably spirited Christmastime film about a girl who learns about responsibility as she pines for a dog to call her own.

So close...yet so far.

Young Mariah (voiced by Breanna Yde) wants nothing more than a dog to call her own. She's long loved the four-legged companions her friends tote around, but once again this year it's not looking good. Her father is allergic to dogs and her mother is something of a clean freak; needless to say, a dog wouldn't be a welcome addition around the house. When she is offered a spot at a fashion show with a couple of popular girls from school -- Vicky and Grace -- she is told she must absolutely have a dog to participate. She promises she'll have one by Christmas morning and even finds the perfect one at a local shop: a fluffy little Poochon pooch named Princess. But she knows it's a long shot at best and that it'll require more than a sprinkling of Christmas magic to make her dreams come true. In the meantime, Mariah is charged with temporarily caring for Jack, a little dog who proves himself to be quite a handful.

Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You does well enough to straddle that fine line between cute and innocent and predictably dull. For more mature audiences, the film's narrative will pose no challenge. It's never in doubt how the story will go once its core pieces have all been set in motion, but even then, and as the film can slow down a bit as a result, it maintains an agreeable charm thanks to its simple values and approach to both storytelling and narrative purpose. Little ones will learn the value not of empty wishes for a gift but rather the values of hard work, perseverance, and decision making. Mariah is a little girl with big eyes and a big heart, but throughout the film she is forced to become a more responsible person in her care of the little dog. She learns that having a dog isn't just cuddles and a cute face but requires constant attention, perseverance, and patience. It's a solid enough little lesson that's presented in an agreeable manner.

The film is well made, certainly a far cry from the best of the best but also a step above lower-tier digital entertainment like the Barbie films, with which potential audiences for this movie may very well be familiar. Characters are simple but well developed and voice work is strong; Mariah Carey lends her talents not only musically, but also in the position of narrator, a task she performs commendably, adding a little heart and tangible sense of sincerity and wonder to the project. This is hardly destined to become a Christmastime classic, but chances are it'll make the yearly rotation for many families raising little ones around the holidays.

Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You delivers a solid 1080p presentation. The Blu-ray is in good working order, with the digital animation impressing at every turn. The image is limited to its inherent constraints, its relative lack of complexity compared to the most expensive animated features, but the image presents well with what the movie has on tap. Hair lacks complexity and reveals some aliasing on straight locks, but environments -- cabinets and tables in the house, building façades around town, Christmas decorations, doggie fur, and the like -- manage a tangible, satisfying level of complexity from beginning to end. Likewise, colors are rich and robust, varied and impressively saturated. What the image lacks in nuance it more than makes up for with diversity and punch. Pinks, blues, Christmas reds and greens, every color on display earns a pleasant, accurate appearance. Beyond that trace aliasing evident on Mariah's hair, there are no serious source or encode issues to report. This is a fine presentation from Universal.

Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You features an active DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The track never wants for more surround information. Music regularly pushes into the rears, often with more or less the same balance heard across the front. Music is never super aggressive, though, even playing with all of that rear side content, seeming to lack that last little bit off punch and vigor at reference volume. Clarity is fine, however, both musical and lyrical. Environments spring to life with, again, plenty of surround support that welcomes the listener into the film's small town environments, such as around an ice skating pond or other key locations around the house. A few action effects further take advantage of the rearward speakers, like gusts of wind and other seasonal sound effects. Dialogue is clear and precise, well prioritized, and firmly positioned in the front-center channel.

Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You contains one extra. A Wish Come True: Making 'Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You' (1080p, 4:43) takes a look at the song on which the movie is based, Carey's narration and additional voice work, character qualities, story, and more. A DVD copy of the film and a voucher for a UV/iTunes digital copy are included with purchase.

Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You is a sweet little movie, hardly a new classic or anything of the sort but one that has its heart in the right place. It's certainly aimed at little ones. Older audiences may find it a bit slow, repetitive, and predictable but it does offer some invaluable life lessons in an agreeable, family-friendly manner. Universal's Blu-ray features very good video and audio. Supplements are limited to a brief featurette. Recommended.