By Geno McGahee
Just in time for the holiday season, Lionsgate has just released ACE AND THE CHRISTMAS MIRACLE and nothing says a family holiday movie like festivities and an animal. Jon Lovitz does the voice of Ace, the horse, and it’s hard to lose with him. Lovitz has a very distinct voice and delivery and is able to take the dialogue and make it work.
Big Freddie (James Chalke) and Tony (Steve Chase) aren’t the smartest people in the world and they are up to their elbows in debt. They meet up with Amanda (Brande Roderick) and she has a problem and sees potential in Tony. She wants him to kidnap Ace, her brother’s horse, and hold it for ransom, but things go crazy when Tony and Ace collide and he can now talk to the horse.
The film begins slowly and some of the humor is forced, but it finds its footing and starts gaining ground, especially when Ace comes into play and Lovitz is able to use his distinct delivery to lighten things up. The motives behind Amanda are understandable as she attempts to bring her young son a good Christmas after a nasty divorce. If all goes well, she will have the money to make everything right and save the holiday.
There are a lot of life lessons to be learned in this for all three of the main characters and Ace is the driving force. Big Freddie and Tony both realize what they’ve been doing wrong and so does Amanda and it gets wrapped up in a holiday happy ending.
ACE AND THE CHRISTMAS MIRACLE checks the boxes and having Jon Lovitz as the voice of the horse is worth the watch alone. Some of the acting is overdone and some clunky but it comes together and turns out to be a decent family film when all is said and done. I recommend it.
