Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Painfully bad Christmas comedy has language, pratfalls.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
How the Gringo Stole Christmas
What's the Story?
In HOW THE GRINGO STOLE CHRISTMAS, nerdy video game maker Leif (Jack Kilmer) plans a romantic island getaway for himself and his girlfriend, Claudia (Emily Tosta). Unfortunately, before he can tell her, her aggressive father, Bennie (George Lopez,) announces his own plans: Claudia will be coming home to East L.A. for Christmas. Claudia decides to surprise her family with Leif, who's White, which doesn't go over well. What follows is several days of chaos, including attempts to cook a chicken and a dangerous soccer game. It starts to look like Leif might not get a chance to spring his own surprise: a marriage proposal.
Is It Any Good?
A surefire contender for one of the worst Christmas movies ever made, this painfully unfunny comedy is filled with characters and behaviors so thoughtless and misguided that it's flat-out insulting. The set-up is pretty stale (see everything from Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? to Meet the Parents), and the filmmakers have nothing to add to it. Bennie acts irrationally throughout, and Leif makes all the usual rookie mistakes. The humor, if it can be called that, includes a few typical slapstick moments, but the rest of it is beyond stupid. And it's actually worse than stupid -- it's ignorant. The movie tries to create laughs with characters who pay no attention to anything going on around them, as if each character existed only in their own void. Perhaps most perplexing is the decision to include a Greek Chorus of three vatos who hang around near a car parked across the street, watching all the action, dancing, and throwing out their own nonsensical one-liners. Certainly Latino audiences hoping for culturally specific holiday cheer can do better than How the Gringo Stole Christmas; the far superior Nothing Like the Holidays is recommended instead.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about How the Gringo Stole Christmas deals with sex. Is it portrayed positively? What values are shown?
Did you notice positive diverse representations? What about stereotypes?
How well do characters communicate? What steps do they take to better improve communication in the family?
What is a Greek Chorus? How is that idea used here? What's the purpose of the three vatos across the street commenting on the action?
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 1, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : December 1, 2023
- Cast : George Lopez , Mariana Treviño , Emily Tosta , Jack Kilmer
- Director : Angel Gracia
- Inclusion Information : Latino Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Lionsgate
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Activism , Adventures , Holidays ( Christmas ) , Faith , Family Stories , Friendship , Travel
- Run time : 81 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : some suggestive material and language
- Last updated : September 8, 2025
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