Look, this is a perfectly safe holiday special that checks all the wholesome boxes, but let's be real: it's basically an hour-long Mariah Carey infomercial from 2015. The critics gave it 86% on Rotten Tomatoes (probably feeling generous during the holidays), but actual viewers landed at 5.1/10 on IMDb, which feels about right.
Your kids won't be traumatized by it, but they probably won't be entertained either unless they're in that sweet spot of 5-8 years old and already hyped on Christmas vibes. It's the kind of thing you put on while decorating the tree and no one really watches, which is honestly its best use case.
The performances are fine, Mariah sounds great, but there's no story, minimal creativity, and it feels more like a promotional vehicle than genuine entertainment. If you're looking for quality holiday content, there are dozens of better options. This one's skippable unless you're a die-hard Mariah fan or desperately need G-rated background noise in December.