Three Wisest Men (2025)
The Brenner boys are back for one last hurrah
Albeit a muted hurrah, in this case.
After the disappointment that was the second instalment of the “Three Wise Men” franchise, the final installment aims to close out the storylines of the three brothers (and their mother!) once and for all. They’re all suffering from some sort of immaturity complex impacting their decision-making abilities, but not to worry, they each come to their senses by the close of the movie.
The triggering plot point is the boys’ mother’s decision to sell the family home, meaning they have one last opportunity to do all their family traditions in their home before it’s gone for good. Cue some Christmassy montages and - my fave - cartoonish Christmas suits. Beyond that, it’s a fair bit of grown men acting like they’re a solid 15-20 years younger than they are, to a decently entertaining degree and in a way only brothers could get away with. Tyler Hynes as a ruggledly handsome video game designer; Paul Campbell as a bumbling professorial type stressed about his wedding and father-in-law-to-be’s surprise visit (sidenote: his fiancee character has so few redeeming qualities; an interesting twist might have been to see him move on alone); and Andrew Walker as a Fire Chief typically cool under pressure, but in a state of almost constant panic with the impending arrival of his new twins. Not to mention co-writer Kimberley Sustad in her second role as a doctor in 2025’s Countdown to Christmas.
A decent entry to the Countdown and moderately Christmassy, this tied up the loose ends of the story. We probably don’t need to go back and visit these characters, and this series definitely proved how hard it is to catch lighting in a bottle with a hit movie for a second time.
So while we close the loop on the Brenner brothers, which movie will form the basis of Hallmark’s next trilogy?
The Brenner family is back, and their lives are more chaotic than ever! As Luke (Walker) is expecting twins, Taylor (Hynes) is debating a monumental job opportunity out-of-state, and Stephan (Campbell) attempts to plan for his upcoming nuptials, everyone’s stress heightens when they learn their mom (Colin) has put their childhood home up for sale, marking their final Christmas in the Brenner house. With unexpected in-laws visiting, wild animals lurking in freshly cut Christmas trees and a hesitant mall Santa, the boys will have their work cut out for them as the holiday begins to loom. As they navigate adulting at a level they have yet to reach, they must learn to once again lean on one another to rise to the needs of their growing family, conquer the newest challenges in their lives and, most crucially, have the best Christmas EVER! Starring Paul Campbell,Tyler Hynes, Andrew Walker and Margaret Colin.
You’ll like this if…
You like your Christmas movies with a bit of slapstick and familiar characters.
