Brilliant, really... All the ingredients are there: a nice nuclear family with the usual problems (including a moderately rebellious teenager), some foggy problem in the community always already confronted in the very beginning by the image of a fantastically harmonious family; some puppy love in the making - and breaking, inconclusively (not sure who the young lady fancied but someone died); then, there's the hero! He rushed boldly into the volcano - that had not shown any sign of existing prior to that - and bravely dumped the mysterious Xmas toy that had arrived at his doorstep out of nowhere. Oh come on... If you get a weird package on your doorstep, you'd call the police, no?

The only thing I can think of when it comes to Christmas movies that could be better than ones about killers dressed in Santa Claus outfits are disaster films centered around the holiday. I don't know if it's just coincidence or if Anchor Bay Home Entertainment is trying to start a new tradition, but last Christmas they gave us "Ice Quake" and now this year we get the gift of "Snowmageddon." SyFy Channel does deserve some of the credit for these entertaining low-budget time-wasters since they originally aired there first.Christmas Eve in Normal, Alaska is anything but its namesake when a string of seemingly natural disasters occur. The tiny town's residents find themselves running for their lives from bizarre earthquakes, fiery explosions, meteoric ice, and protruding underground spikes. Could a mysterious cursed snow globe be the cause of all the mayhem?"Snowmageddon" is glorious disaster-film fun for everyone who enjoys B- movies made on a one-shoestring budget. This has everything you could ever want in this sort of film and more. The CGI and special effects are maybe two steps above what we've come to expect from C-grade Asylum movies.Filmmakers definitely know what they need to do to attract a good mix of genre fans for projects like these. Magda Apanowicz ("Caprica") does an incredible job of running around while screaming and crying. Michael Hogan ("Battlestar Galactica") trades in his eye-patch for a tool smock in the role of a wise old antique dealer. Laura Harris ("Dead Like Me") and David Cubitt ("Medium") play the parents of the little boy (Dylan Matzke, "Criminal Minds") who finds the mysterious snow globe.One thing I find interesting about these particular SyFy Channel movies is their family-oriented tone. Both "ice Quake" and "Snowmageddon" are aimed at an "all ages" audience. Besides a few scenes with blood, there's nothing too gory about it. They also center around families trying to save each other while staying united during incredible events."Snowmageddon" gives disaster film enthusiasts something to watch over the Christmas holidays. The "cursed snow globe" is a unique fantasy element we don't get often with these types of movies. The lack of any real gore and graphic violence also makes it easier to watch with family and friends when you run out of other seasonal activities or just need a little downtime.http://contributor.yahoo.com/user/849014/eric_shirey.html

Let's admit it, most SyFy Channel original offerings are rubbish. However, without going into the plot, 'Snowmageddon' is slightly above their usual fare with a cast that is better than average and a story line that, for the most part, holds your attention.No improvement on the CGI though and the town of 'Normal,' where 50% of the action takes place is more reminiscent of a cluster of buildings you would find on your average farm property, than Main Street, North America, even though the story is supposed to take place in the foothills of Alaska.All in all though, the best of a usually bad SyFy crop.

There are movies that are so bad they're good, and movies that are just bad. This one is in between. As quirky Christmas movies go, this is kind of fun, but it truly needs to be seen to be believed. A family discovers that the snow globe they've received as a gift is causing big troubles in their peaceful town. It takes a while for the main characters to believe in an evil snow globe (heck, I"m still having trouble believing it) but once they get on board they have to figure out a way to return the gift and stop the SNOWMAGEDDON!And then it's time for eggnog!!