Hiya!

We come to another end to Holiday-Palooza and, if I am being honest, I was kind of stuck on what movie I should end it with. I could’ve gone for a Christmas classic or try some out-there Holiday film. In the end, I decided to not wrack my brain and just boot up my Disney+ account and see what new Christmas movies they had, if any. They had a bunch but there was one film that caught my eye because I haven’t heard anything about it. This is how I came across the Naughty Nine.

There was virtually no buzz regarding its release, which does make sort of sense as this wasn’t released in theaters. However, it still struck me as odd how no one has even reviewed this movie! There are a few videos discussing the movie floating around on YouTube but no one major has given a proper review for it. This is either good or bad as maybe no one wants to talk about it or maybe it’s just not getting the proper attention it deserves.

Well, I did go about watching the Naughty Nine and, to be frank, I do think it’s a fun enough movie but doesn’t exactly hit it out of the park.

As the Naughty Nine isn’t really being talked about all that much, this will be a SPOILER FREE review. I’m assuming because, there is hardly any buzz from this film, more people have decided to skip it rather than sit down and watch it. So I will be avoiding any major plot points for this SPOILER FREE review.

The premise of the Naughty Nine is pretty neat. A boy named Andy Steele wakes up Christmas morning, only to discover Santa Claus did not give him any presents. This shouldn’t have been a surprise as he has been rather naughtyas he always pulls off heist-like capers all year long. He discovers one of his nerdy friends has managed to locate Santa Claus’ workshop in the North Pole. Figuring out Santa Claus is still holding on to his and other naughty children’s presents there, he works up a plan to create the ultimate kid’s heist: break into Santa Claus’ workshop and get the presents they asked for. He then assembles a team of kids (and one adult) to execute this plan.

Right from the start, I really dug the atmosphere of the Naughty Nine. Yes, it’s a silly idea but that’s what makes it so brilliant! It’s kind of like Ocean’s Eleven but with kids. It’s very whimsical for the most part and you do feel the Disney magic in the entire experience as, while it’s definitely made with children in mind, those who are young at heart can appreciate the imagination of it all.

I do have to commend the acting as most of the kid actors do a great job here. Some of them, like the kid with the “cute” face and the techie kid, do come off as stilted. However, the rest of the child cast more than make up for it. I have to give a ton of props to Winslow Fegley, who plays Andy Steele, the mastermind of the entire heist, as he does manage to convey a lot of charm, which is important to making you believe he gets away with a lot of stuff. I also enjoyed Camila Rodriguez, who plays Andy’s best friend and partner in crime, Dulce, as she also pulls off a really convincing performance as a kid who’s always getting lost in the shuffle as she’s the middle child of a big family. Oh, I can’t forget Madilyn Kellam, Andy’s goody-two-shoes sister Laurel, as she’s pretty good here, too.

I will say the overall pacing of the Naughty Nine is rather mixed as it doesn’t really make the most of its brief 83-minute runtime efficiently. There are some major plot points and character development which is just glossed over in a conversation or two instead of devoting a full scene to show and not rush through it. There’s also a portion of the actual heist which just grinds the pace to a halt as they don’t really do anything of importance and feels like it’s there to pad out the time. I also got weirded out by the film’s ending as it doesn’t really give a proper conclusion to what happened to all the kids.

On the other hand, the writing is actually pretty good. Okay, there are going to be some times when you really have to suspend your disbelief and there are some moments of absurd silliness here and there but that’s kind of par for the course for a Disney movie. However, most of the characters are fleshed out really well and their motivations, even the kids who are good who join the Naughty Nine, are understandable.

However, the best thing about the Naughty Nine is it’s very charming. You do root for these “naughty” kids as, while their goal is not all that nice, it’s not mean spirited. They are still kids and do come across as trying to figure out how to be nice when the stuff they want to do is considered naughty. I could have done without Santa Claus hammering the message on how to be naughty or nice near the end. However, that’s because I’m a kid at heart and not a kid anymore. Children will probably take the moral and get a deeper meaning from it as it is delivered pretty well by Donald Glover, who plays Santa Claus.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with the Naughty Nine. For a movie which just seemed to come out without any fanfare whatsoever, I found it to be a fun enough watch. I’m not sure if really young kids will get the premise but kids who are a little older than preschool should have an enjoyable enough time with the Naughty Nine. Not a bad way to close out this year’s Holiday-Palooza, if you ask me.

Byee!

Have you seen Disney’s the Naughty Nine? What did you think of it? Let me know in the comments section below!