Not your ordinary Christmas movie fare. It's a reworking of the Nativity done sorta mob style, out of Las Vegas and in the Nevada desert, but in a Made-for-TV way, lightened up without the swearing and such for the American television USA Network. Good cast with Judd Nelson, Tom Arnold, Katey Sagal and others. Judd was underused and Arnold didn't have a big enough part. The Angel Boreanz wannabe (Eddie McClintock) was the real star. I never even heard of the dude before this! He does a great job, fake accent and all, and it all comes together nicely. Not exceptional but some light entertainment value to be sure.5.6 / 10 stars--Zoooma, a Kat Pirate Screener

I watched this movie because I was stuck in the hospital, got out 12/22/06, and needed something not-too-involved to do while waiting for discharge orders and paperwork, and blah blah blah. So, I got pulled into this movie by Joey, who (I thought to myself...) really wants to be David Boreanez. Then I realized that *that* is very uncharitable to Eddie McClintock. It's not his fault that the wardrobe people dressed him like a pulp-fiction gangster with Angel's hairstyle and leather jacket. One character I found exceptionally likable was Katey Sagal's "Mrs. C." She somehow managed to pull off a sweetly devoted wife while sending off the vibe that she could be one dangerous woman if the situation called for it.Anyway, I got sucked in, and found myself really enjoying this film. Many of the tongue-in-cheek references to the Christmas story of Jesus's birth with a healthy dash of pop culture were very clever, and I chuckled to myself frequently (that might have been the pain meds, though...see above reference to my hospital stay). It wasn't until the end that I "got" Boy and Girl were Joey/Joseph and Mary, and that it was a stable of sorts they were in, not a farm outbuilding (I realize, of course, that's what a stable is, but...oh, you know what I mean).Three Wise Guys moved along at a pleasant pace, not so fast as to seem unrealistic in its timing or too quickly to miss the jokes, and not so slow that you lose sight of where the plot must be going.If I had to pick a couple of elements that I just didn't like, the first would be...how many women who are THAT pregnant are so un-swollen that they could wear boots like that? How many 9-months pregnant women could *walk* in boots like that? For that matter, how many massively-pregnant women could run, crouch, pee behind a bush, and basically out-think and out-maneuver 3 professional hit men? It shouldn't have been much of a competition, if one at all...especially with her in those boots, and all.Secondly, there were a few Biblical references that were just out-and-out over the top. While some were cute (I particularly liked the fact that the Drummer's name was Jake Marley, and the name of the town where they finally caught up with him was named Pahrump), some were foppish and awkward (the pan of the sign for the city of Nazareth, for example, was just overtly obvious, and the doling out of presents after the birth of Baby was a mite bit clichéd).All in all, I think this was a light, cute, entertaining piece of holiday fluff. Probably not destined to become the classics that The Christmas Story (how that became a holiday standard, I'll never understand) and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation have become (in regards to modern classics, that is; nothing holds a candle to the old stand-bys Miracle on 34th Street and It's a Wonderful Life), but a fun piece of entertainment nonetheless.

Despite the reviews of the more popular critics I found this movie to be a "fun" movie to watch. For relaxing entertainment I like a movie that is slightly predictable with a "corny" plot, that is not particularly thought provoking, or full of nail-biting suspense or emotion evoking drama yet is still entertaining and this movie was perfect. I love Nicholas Turturro, Katey Sagal, and Jodi Lyn O'Keefe and I think Katey Sagal was just perfect in her role and Nick Turturro, he is awesome and he really must be a "wise guy"! I must confess, I've watched it twice and recorded it on TiVo. With so much drama, violence and way too many reality shows this movie was really refreshing. Absolutely loved it!

I just finished watching this movie and I must say that I loved it! I am NOT a TV watcher, I just do not have the time but I happened to pass by the channel it was on and it instantly caught my eye. It's a feel good movie and is great for the family to watch! The chemistry between the actors was great and it was so much fun to watch. The three wise guys were funny and likable, all of whom did a great job. I just love Judd Nelson and have always found him funny..but the other two I didn't recognize. They were awesome! And the actress who played Mary definitely has a talent for comedy. I thought it was a well done movie, with an excellent message...the story of Christmas!