'A Loud House Christmas' Review: The First Knowledge Of The Really Loud
Image Source: Nickelodeon/Paramount
On Thursday, November 3, The Really Loud House, a live-action series based on the Nicktoon The Loud House, premiered on Nickelodeon. In 2021, The Loud House went feature-length twice, first with August's The Loud House Movie, released to Netflix, and then a live-action television movie A Loud House Christmas, which premiered November 26 on Nickelodeon and Paramount+. The premiere was a success on both platforms, and for Nickelodeon, that’s impressive in a world of cratering cable ratings. That success led the streaming service to order what would become The Really Loud House, but by the time they were ready to announce a premiere date, its destination changed to the cable channel. Most of the cast was retained for the series, however, Leni, Lily, and Rita the mother were the only recast roles. Lynn Loud Sr. is played by Brian Stepanek across all appearances in the franchise, and Clyde’s actor, Jahzir Bruno would go on to voice the character for a stretch in the sixth season. Let’s take a look back at the Christmas movie that started this live-action endeavor.
The film opens with the "Loud Christmas" variation of the theme song, and Lincoln (played by Wolfgang Schaeffer) is in his room talking to the audience. Does he even do that anymore in the main series? He's finally gotten his brand new toboggan that can fit the entire family at once, after accruing money from all sorts of chores and chore-related favors. Each member of the family gets shown off one by one, though the twins and parents are together. Lori has decided to go to her boyfriend Bobby Santiago's for Christmas because it's closer to campus. Lincoln starts freaking out because he won't get the full family toboggan experience. It gets worse when Luna revealed Sam invited her to go skiing with her family, which means she's gone. Luan and a perfectly-recreated Mr. Coconuts (he’s a ventriloquist dummy) have a gig at the Sunset Canyon retirement home where Pop Pop is so that takes her out of the running. Rita and Lynn Sr., the parents, decide to take everyone else to Miami. Even Lily is excited because she's an easily distracted toddler who can quickly forget excitement about one thing, like doing the tree lighting at the Royal Woods Mall, in favor of something else entirely, like the trip. A trip where Lincoln definitely can't use the toboggan.
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Lincoln starts scheming with Clyde, sending Lori their dad's figgy pudding to cause her to reverse her decision, while they concoct a hoax known as the sharkodile (a shark-crocodile hybrid of course) to scare the family off from going to Miami. Amusingly, the components come from Clyde's dad's productions of musical versions of Jaws and Lake Placid. But then, here's where the plan starts crossing lines. The boys impersonate Mick Swagger over the phone to pry Luna away from her ski trip with Sam and steal a mannequin from the department store where Leni works to play the sharkodile's victim. It's a mannequin she befriends and calls Tonya, but that's Leni for ya. The boys then infiltrate Sunset Canyon to tank her reputation by setting up pranks. A final pie in the face of Pop Pop, who was willing to stand up for her, seals the deal. Both of these were especially cruel and out of character for Lincoln because the extent he went would be lasting and damaging. The attack is then filmed, and somehow, the local news picks it up, and can't seem to realize how fake it is. No one does. Everyone just falls for it, quickly dismissing the breeding mechanics, after Rip Hardcore spreads his narrative and hawks his book of alleged expertise. I don't think any of them were this dumb on the show. None of them believe in "trust but verify", Lincoln begins acting with conspicuous avoidance to hide his involvement and it's incredibly obnoxious.
Lori and Bobby also get stranded out in the cold, already freezing, because the moped runs out of gas, another cruelty caused by Lincoln's selfishness. Oh, and Bobby is played by a Caucasian dude for some reason, which feels incredibly wrong. He and his family had an entire (animated) spinoff that ran for three seasons and celebrated their Mexican heritage. Back at home, Lincoln tours the house to find just how miserable everyone is. Luna has lost her musical muse, having betrayed Sam for Mick Swagger. Leni got fired for losing Tonya. Lynn Jr. is depressed because she can't see a Dolphins game. Even Hops, Lana's frog, is in a funk. Luan considers quitting comedy. Nobody's happy because Lincoln wanted to be happy. Dad gets sprayed with Lisa's sharkodile immobilizing solution, which admittedly was pretty funny and a great use of Stepanek's comedic talents. He's kind of in a dazed and confused state for much of the rest of the film. Mom has to go rescue Bobby and Lori after they call.
All this chaos and then footage surfaces of the sharkodile's "arrival", when Lincoln and Clyde were transporting it for storage. So the mall tree lighting they were back to doing gets canceled because the town is whipped up in fear yet again! Katherine Mulligan, the reporter, is played by Cat Taber, who is not only the voice of Lori in the animated series but originated this character there too. Christmas is ruined, so Lincoln tries to turn himself in. Mulligan doesn't believe him. So he's driving the sharkodile through town, in a chase by Hardcore, just to prove it to her. He even destroys the mall! So much trouble and he finally confesses to the family, it's all because he fears growing apart, and just wants to be together? All this damage and he's so easily forgiven, it just didn't sit right. He didn't earn getting to be part of the festivities. Growing up and change are both hard, but it's not an excuse. He even gets his toboggan fixed as everyone gathers for Christmas Day. All the things that were planned before Lincoln's sabotage took place will happen once the presents are opened. At least Lincoln didn't get completely absolved. He has 300 hours of community service, which is at least something satisfying. Lisa makes a snow day so the toboggan, which has fourteen riders with Clyde, could have its use and be ridden. Guess it was bigger once rebuilt.
Yes, A Loud House Christmas feels like a regular Loud House event, but too much rubbed the wrong way. The credits with the animated and live-action counterparts are a pretty nice treat. The casting here in general is exquisite, everyone does well, even Charlotte Anne Tucker and Lainey Jane Knowles, who turn Lily into a slightly older toddler than she is on the show at this point. The costume and set design mimic the show perfectly, it's really beautiful in that way. While still not technically a pilot, it was very much the right thing to do to keep as much as this cast together for the series. How necessary is it for a live-action adaptation to run alongside what it’s adapting while it’s still in production? Who knows, but there’s no need to dismiss it solely based on that. So give both the movie and The Really Loud House a shot or even the original The Loud House series if you haven’t yet.
Score: 6/10
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