User Reviews

This movie is absolutely terrible. I disliked it in many ways. The animation style is lazy, and boring. The girl doesn't even let her dog halfway in the movie have proper care. I don't even want to see it.

Basing a movie on a novelty song is always a gamble but one directed at children and of this caliber... that's a bad idea. Sure, the protagonist will inevitably go through her heel-face turn but on the way there, she's an obnoxious, entitled, selfish spoiled brat.

The narration provided by Mariah Carey herself condescends and boosts her ego in every way possible. Other characters aren't without fault either. Mariah's father sets the plot forward via lies and deceit, her grandfather trespasses on and terrorizes a neighbor's property out of spite, her younger siblings seem to take every remotely negative comment out of Mariah's mouth as the world's biggest insult. But of course, as mentioned above, Mariah, our main character, is the worst.

She abandons her friends for popularity, she treats the puppy with an obscene amount of contempt (constantly talking about the dog she'd rather have; she only gives him any proper care in the climax), and she's rude to her family on a regular basis.

You owe your young better than this. There are infinitely better Christmas cartoons out there. Watch anything but this.

Ok..let's begin

1. Dog abuse

I believe that there were several clues that abuse was included in this crappy movie.

Mariah not properly taking care of the dog, yelling at him, etc

Jack didn't deserve that because y'all know what you're doing.

This is basic abuse- and can you believe the fact..this is for younger children. You get what this means, right? I can't even process that it's that disturbing. Just no.

She is too perfect all the time, it's so weird.

It took 26 years for it to happen, but fans of the popstar sometimes referred to as the "Queen of Christmas" were delighted when her most recognisable (Christmas) song finally reached Number One in the UK, two weeks before Christmas Day. To celebrate this achievement, I naturally listened to the song, and I found out about this straight-to-DVD computer-animated movie based on it. Basically, Mariah Carey narrates her own story of when she finally had her wish granted at Christmas. Little Mariah (Breanna Yde) year after year wished for a puppy for Christmas (and birthdays) from her parents. But they always refused, as her father Bud (Phil Morris) is allergic to dogs, and her mother Penelope (Lacey Chabert) wants to keep the house clean. During her childhood, with Christmas approaching, Mariah is given the opportunity to experience owning a dog when Bud brings one home to "babysit". Jack is a puppy Bud says belongs to her uncle, and she is to be responsible for looking after him, and if she does so well, her parents may reconsider their constant refusal. Mariah dreams of owning a dog she calls "Princess" from the local pet shop, and the parents have reserved the dog ready to potentially buy her, if Mariah proves she can look after Jack. But Jack is a very mischievous naughty dog who cannot control himself, be ordered, behave, and constantly causes accidents and mishaps for Mariah and her family. This includes ruining Christmas decorations in the house, biting and pulling things, and ruining a public choir performance. Eventually, Jack does something that angers Mariah to the point when she tells him that she hates him, causing him to run away. After Jack has disappeared, Mariah's father confesses that the dog is not her uncle's dog, he was a stray that he happened to find, and he brought him home, being an uncontrollable dog, so that Mariah would change her mind about wanting to own a dog. Bud accepts that Mariah, although unable to control Jack's naughty behaviour, has been responsible for cleaning up after him, and allows her to buy Princess from the pet shop. She witnesses a little boy keen to buy Princess for himself, and initially Bud assumes that Mariah still wants her "dream dog". But Mariah realises she truly loves Jack, having spent so much time with him, and allows the little boy to buy Princess if he wants to. Mariah sits on her bed and wishes for her puppy to come home ("All I Want for Christmas for You"), and she, her family, many children and neighbours go looking for Jack. In the end, Jack accepts Mariah's apology and wanting to bring him home, he becomes part of the family, and they celebrate Christmas together. The end credits feature the full original 1994 version and music video of Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You". Also starring Henry Winkler as Grandpa Bill, Connie Jackson as Grandma Lucy, Dee Bradley Baker as Jack, Charlie Adler as Santa / Mr. Ingersoll / Dougie's Dad, and Michelle C. Bonilla as Principal Reyes. The voice cast are okay, with Yde as young Mariah, and Mariah herself narrating, the animation is rather simple, the story is predictable, the attempts at jokes fall flat, and the new Mariah songs among the action are mixed. To be honest, the only really good bit is the end credits with the original iconic song, overall, this is a silly seasonal animated comedy. Adequate!

It has a concept I could have gotten behind but at the end of the day it missed the mark.

I understand where the parents were coming from with showing her how hard a dog can be to take care of. I'm not even mad about that. I'm flustered that when the story ends the dog wasn't bonded with her, she had already decided on a different puppy ergo pupster was used for a gaslighting purpose. Then when she learns she will be allowed her puppy of choice she is met by an adult who has allowed another child to get excited about the same dog with the statement, "oh! I didn't know if you were going to come back!" Like...woman! They left a deposit on this dog! Did it occur to you to check with them?!

Then two adults and a child lay a level of guilt on this little girl so if she takes the dog she wants she's a jerk. Teaching kids, "it doesn't matter if you want something, if someone else wants it you need to give it to them" woof! And she gives up what she wants and songs about how all she wants is this other dog which... she has expressed through the whole movie she doesn't like.

She apologizes to the dog for being obsessed with the other dog....the other dog she had been promised! "I'm sorry for treating you like a temporary dog, even though that is exactly how you were presented to me!"

Had the movie never included the other dog and instead she fell in love with this pain in the butt mutt then it could have had something. Instead it just teaches toxic principles to kids.

Gave it 3 stars only cause my kids were shocked I didn't like it so... as long as you let your kids know she didn't have to give up her desired dog just because of the guilt trip she didn't pack for... then it's a fine fluffy movie.

How could such a horrific movie be tagged as Christmas for children?!?! Mariah & her father are horrible! First, Mariah wants a puppy for Christmas. Fair enough. Then the father brings home a stray he found & lies to everyone about it belonging to his brother. If she could care for it, she's ready for a puppy. He does it with the intention she will fail, & he can take this innocent baby to the pound, after the rough start it already had, thinking he finally found a safe place to call home. Then she treats him poorly & yells at him bc he's not the puppy she wants. She goes through the motions of having a puppy, but not showing him love. He finds the bed she got for her "real" puppy, thinking he finally found a bed to call his own, & she yells at him, telling him he's just practice & not worthy of this bed. In different words, but that's what she said. Thankfully, the mother & grandmother weren't aware of the plan, & were horrified when they found out. What kind of a children's Christmas movie celebrates animal neglect & emotional abuse? Yes, she learns her lesson in the end, but that's no excuse for the treatment she gives him the entire rest of the movie. A sensitive child will be traumatized! Skip this one. I wish I could give it negative stars go back & I watch this!

Perfect movie for little children. It is a non threatening, nothing scary movie for little children. Minimal drama. Ideal for little children and watchable for adults. Nothing you have to pause or fast forward. I don't understand the negative reviews, it's a movie for young children. There are minimal non scary choices out there for children and this is definitely one of them. I highly recommend it for a child under 5y especially if they are sensitive to scary over dramatic films. It is soft and gentle the only upsetting thing: spoiler, is that the dog runs off, it is eventually found safe and well. Additionally there are some big emotions along the way. This could cause some angst in very little ones but it is far more gentle than most movies aimed at young children. Finally, the animation is fine/perfect for little children, not over complicated and nothing unrealistic.