A Tinsel Touchdown

Dallas Cowboys kick off Christmas with a bang at The Star in Frisco

The Dallas Cowboys knows what North Texas wants: a return of the 7th annual Christmas at The Star (and a national championship, but we'll take this in the meantime).

These free, family-friendly events and experiences begin November 17 and run throughout the holiday season, all held at The Star in Frisco.

Cowboys Christmas Extravaganza
Powered by Reliant, this electrifying 20-minute show ignites The Star with a powerful mix of game-day excitement and Christmas cheer on Tostitos Championship Plaza. The show kicks off with a dazzling performance by the world-famous Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, followed by the lighting of The Star’s 67-foot LED Christmas tree.

A magical lineup of 65 game-day performers includes Dallas Cowboys Rhythm and Blue, Cowboys Rookie Squad, Rowdy, and a special appearance by Santa Claus. This event takes place every Friday and Saturday at 6 pm from November 17-December 16, outdoors on Tostitos Championship Plaza.

Special appearances by Dallas Cowboys football heroes include:

Friday, November 17: Tyron Smith & Family
Saturday, November 18: Darren Woodson & Family
Friday, November 24: Chad Hennings & Family
Saturday, November 25: Drew Pearson & Family
Friday, December 1: Bradie James & Family
Saturday, December 2: Tyrone Crawford & Family
Friday, December 8: TBA
Saturday, December 9: DeMarcus Ware & Family
Friday, December 15 :Gene & Jerry Jones
Saturday, December 16: Dat Nguyen & Family
And more to be announced soon (all appearances are subject to change).

Admission and parking for the event are free.

Santa at The Star
Monument Realty helps welcome Santa Claus to his Cowboys-themed set in the heart of The Star District, November 17-December 24. You can schedule an appointment to visit Santa inside his custom Dallas Cowboys cottage by visiting here. Walk-ins will also be welcome, but with limited availability.

Photo packages include a printed 5×7 photo and an exclusive Cowboys gift for each child. Save $5 when they book your appointment before December 9 using code STAR5. Santa’s cottage is located centrally in The Star District across from Ascension. Free parking is available in the Silver Parking Garage located off Gaylord Parkway.

Christmas Tours of The Star
Fans are invited to experience the magic of the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters during Christmastime Tours of The Star, presented by SeatGeek. Tours happen November 17-December 16.

Tickets are $65 and include VIP viewing of Cowboys Christmas Extravaganza, a 45-minute Christmas-themed guided tour of the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters, a takeaway Santa hat, and limited-edition Dallas Cowboys ornament.

Check-in will occur at 5:45 pm prior to the start of Cowboys Christmas Extravaganza. To book your tour for an individual or group, email TheStarTours@DallasCowboys.Net or call 972-497-4720.

Youth camps
Additional Cowboys-related holiday activities include Dallas Cowboys Holiday Youth Football and Dance Camps presented by Invisalign. These happen at AT&T Stadium on December 22 and December 23. To learn more and register visit here .

Feast for the fest
In addition to The Star’s marquee holiday events, The Star’s dining, shopping and entertainment district features 36-plus shops and restaurants which offer a a festive place to toast, break bread, and gift-shop throughout the holiday season.

To stay up to date on holiday menus, sales, events, and more, visit here.

Photo courtesy of The Star in Frisco

Are you ready for a Cowboys Christmas Extravaganza?

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Movie Review

Chris Pratt plays one man against the AI machine in thriller Mercy

Photo courtesy Amazon Content Services

Chris Pratt in Mercy.

It seems like every other movie set in modern times being released these days includes either a reference to or a plot revolving around artificial intelligence. In the real world, the benefits of the technology compete with its downsides, but when it comes to movies A.I. is almost always seen as a threat, including in the new film Mercy.

The audience is thrown headlong into the slightly futuristic story involving LAPD Detective Chris Raven (Chris Pratt), who finds himself strapped in a chair in a sparse room, being told that he is on trial for killing his wife. Turns out he’s in a court dubbed “Mercy,” which is overseen by an AI judge named Maddox (Rebecca Ferguson). By the rules of the court, Raven has 90 minutes to provide reasonable doubt of his guilt, or he will be executed on the spot.

Raven is in a multi-pronged quandary: Not only does he believe he’s innocent despite a trove of evidence pointing to his guilt, but he’s also the poster boy for the law enforcement side of the equation, having arrested the first man who went to Mercy. Anger and disbelief for Raven turn into acceptance, which then turns into him tapping into his detective skills, scrutinizing every shred of evidence the court provides him in a desperate attempt to save his own life.

Directed by Timur Bekmambetov and written by Marco van Belle, the film is a relatively propulsive thriller despite having a so-so story and even worse acting. The film is told in real time (with a few fudges here and there), so the concept alone of a man trying to prove his innocence in a short amount of time provides good intrigue. Bekmambetov’s use of digital elements as Raven scrolls through files or calls potentially exculpatory witnesses like his partner, Jaq Diallo (Kali Reis), keeps the film visually interesting.

On the other hand, the swift viewing of videos and documents by Raven, not to mention the high degree of cooperation by Judge Maddox, opens up more than a few plot holes. The filmmakers try to explain away a few leaps in logic by having Raven falling off the sobriety wagon the night before, but they can only use that excuse for so long. They also have the AI judge experience technical glitches along the way, errors that seem to point toward a wider conspiracy until they’re completely forgotten.

More than anything, it’s difficult to get over the wooden acting of Pratt and the misuse of other usually reliable actors. Pratt has no real presence, especially when he’s confined to a chair, so any emotion he tries to conjure up comes off as contrived. Ferguson is done no favors by a role that shows only her upper body and has her alternating between robotic and oddly sympathetic. Reis earned an Emmy nomination for True Detective: Night Country, but has little to do here, a fate that also takes out Chris Sullivan as Raven’s AA sponsor.

If you’re okay with turning off your brain for a little while, Mercy can be an enjoyable watch. But if you find yourself scrutinizing why characters make the odd decisions they do, or the wishy-washy way the film approaches AI in general, then you’re likely to find the whole thing lacking.

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Mercy is now playing in theaters.

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