John Lewis Christmas advert 2017 review: Beatles cover song reigns in humble effort inspired by Pixar

How does the retail giant's latest festive treat compare with previous years' efforts?

Hushed premieres, embargo dates and NDA forms is a bravado usually reserved for Star Wars films, Game of Thrones and Taylor Swift’s new record, but earlier this week journalists were ushered into a room to watch what many Brits would place above all three in the anticipation stakes:

The annual two-minute-long John Lewis Christmas advert.

Exactly how you feel about the festive treat depends somewhat on how you feel about Christmas in general but, as ever, fervour has been in self-perpetual overdrive. Would this year's ad tug at the heartstrings à la the Man on the Moon in 2015 or warm the cockles like Buster the Boxer last year? Not forgetting the mystery surrounding the accompanying cover track and performer, hotly tipped to be a tribute to George Michael who passed away last December.

Step forward Moz, the latest merchandise-friendly central character set to hijack your screens in the coming weeks. He's an imaginary seven-foot monster living under the bed of a young boy who struggles to sleep with the lights off. After keeping him company through sleepless nights, Moz realises he must end their burgeoning friendship if he’s to let the boy rest.

Gifting him a night light on Christmas morning, the advert ends with the boy looking under his bed that night. Moz has vanished - it turns out he only appears in darkness, a twist unwittingly reminiscent of 2016 horror smash Lights Out, not that there’s anything scary - nor, dare it be said, Christmassy - about 2017’s effort. John Lewis, clearly inspired by Pixar classic Monsters, Inc, have gone for the kid demo this year - perhaps why the services of parent favourite Elbow have been enlisted for the all-important cover song duty.

If the advert fails to deliver on the sentimentality usually associated with the retailer’s festive adverts, Guy Garvey crooning Beatles track "Golden Slumbers" - a sanguine Abbey Road gem - may do the trick. He follows in the footsteps of Ellie Goulding, Lily Allen and Tom Odell to deliver what could be the most inspired cover yet.

The credentials are impressive, even by John Lewis’ standards. Costing a rumoured £7m, the ad’s been directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). In a surprise to nobody, however, Gondry struggles to capitalise on the irreverence he so generously displays in his films - a cerebral mind-bender this is not.

It seems farcical that so much hoo-ha is placed on something that will ultimately be half-watched by people sprawled on their sofas on Sunday evenings. Still, it remains a testament to just how much the retail giant's festive trail has risen in stature since its first in 2007. This year's offer is a humble experiment that, while failing to pack as much heft as previous efforts, will succeed in keeping the kids quiet for 120 seconds.

In case you didn't get the memo, the countdown to Christmas has begun.

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