A Gift From Bob

It's hard not to smile at a film that says it's a good thing to care for other creatures...my film critic faculties went out the wall, because yeah, I agree with that.

Bob's gift will almost certainly be embraced by a Covid-captive audience.

It's an undemanding, telly-ish film, with as many surprises as the Queen's speech. But like I say, a hot water bottle of a story.

A sweet, charming and heartwarming movie for the whole family.

Likely to please any family audience that understands how the cheeriest stories need a bit of well-fashioned gloom to really shine.

No, even I wasn't expecting A Streetcat Named Bob to spawn a sequel. And yet, A Christmas Gift From Bob (I can't believe I'm typing this either) isn't too awful a film.

A tear-jerker to fill all our hearts with a little festive spirit and to remind us all of the power of human kindness

There's Christmas spirit in this movie, sure, but it comes with the cold chill of necessary truth-telling.

Director Charles Martin Smith makes sure Bob and his not-quite-as-gorgeous stand-ins are given plenty of lingering close-ups. Which is a smart move as the plot is even thinner than the first one.

Too-sentimental sequel has drug references, mild violence.