Either you're in the mood for a sweet and simple Christmas movie or you're not. If you are, then Perfect Holiday should fit the bill nicely.

Why throw in a bizarre device involving Queen Latifah as a narrating angel and a creepy, sallow Terrence Howard as her adversary? Their A-list names may be a draw, but it's too bad no one thought the endearing performances in this charming (if cliché) family romance would be enough.

There's not much original about the film, but it's played with high spirits and good cheer, there are lots of musical interludes, and it's pitched straight at families.

Strives to be nothing more than easygoing and heartwarming.

An inoffensive piece of seasonal movie-muzak.

There's almost no such thing as an entertaining holiday trifle anymore -- the kind of casual, cheerful little picture that you might see on a whim and end up enjoying, even beyond the breadth of your modest expectations. The Perfect Holiday is an attempt, at least, to resurrect the idea of the trifle

May be far from perfect, but the big question is why you're sitting in a movie theater watching it instead of cuddling up at home with the remote in one hand and a steaming toddy in the other.

If "This Christmas" served up a crowd-pleasing portion of yuletide "Soul Food," then The Perfect Holiday offers dried-out leftovers.

Neither perfect nor much of a holiday, more like a fruitcake passed around from arthritic aunt to demented uncle -- stale, predictable and made with fossilized ingredients.

If you're really hoping for a perfect holiday, steer clear of this stale fruitcake of a comedy.

For a family-friendly holiday comedy, it's still coarse, formulaic and occasionally just plain weird.

It's a measure of the film's lack of imagination that Morris Chestnut, as an aspiring songwriter logging time as a mall Santa, can't even think of a good fake occupation.

A piece of holiday cheese that even Harry & David wouldn't touch.

Watching the movie is like reaching into a Christmas stocking and pulling out handfuls of cheap plastic toys that are broken.