rdubz-23518 Reviews

Sense & Sensibility (2024 TV Movie)

Lovely

[6/10 · 13 April 2024]

This doesn't need to be compared to other versions, since it's Hallmark, that comes with a...hmm, stigma maybe? In other words, you know what you're getting.

As someone who loves Austen, I really liked this. The leads were great, particularly Elinor and Edward; some of the dialogue felt a bit modern if that makes sense, in that I didn't feel like it came directly from that era. But I feel like in general, most period pieces don't get it right 100% of the time.

Bottom line is, don't pay attention to the reviews or the ratings, whether you're a newbie or an Austen devotee. Just watch it for yourself and see what you think! Solid 6/10.

Sealed with a List (2023 TV Movie)

Utterly charming and frankly, perfect.

[9/10 · 26 December 2023]

First off, I need to say: put Katie Findlay and Evan Roderick in everything. The chemistry was off the charts and felt so natural. So much of their banter had me smiling and/or laughing out loud as a result, and I love movies that make me do that!

Hallmark has definitely stepped it up this year, and this is EASILY one of my favorite CTC '23 offerings. The story was unique, and the side characters gelled super well with the leads. I love a good friends to lovers vibe, and this just hit every single mark perfectly. I truly can't think of a critique, except maybe I would've wanted it to be longer just so we could get some more sweet and endearing moments between Carley and Wyatt!

Absolutely loved it!

Mystic Christmas (2023 TV Movie)

Endearing and adorable.

[8/10 · 25 December 2023]

I loved that this was filmed on location in Mystic; it made it all the more charming!

This movie was really good. Two thumbs up for awkward adult representation! Both Junie and Sawyer were so relatable to me, and watching them stumble along back in love was so heartwarming. The dual storyline with Peppermint the seal was really cute too. Jessy Schram is in her own way a Hallmark vet, and definitely an underrated one; Chandler Masssey portrayed Sawyer to perfection as well, and this was my first Hallmark movie of his, so I was definitely surprised in a good way!

I honestly went into this not expecting much, but I just can't get over how much this made me smile. Even the third act separation wasn't ridiculous, or really even a separation at all, but more so a reckoning of each of their insecurities and things that were hard to hear, but they needed to.

The ending with both Juniper deciding to stay in Mystic and Sawyer traveling was so perfect, and I like too that they'll be traveling together! I really can't even think of anything that I disliked. Hallmark, you've done it again :)

Where Are You, Christmas? (2023 TV Movie)

So freaking good!

[7/10 · 25 December 2023]

This being rated just a 6.4 average is so shocking, because I thought it was fantastic! Even by Hallmark standards, I thought everything was so well crafted, written, and acted. Addy was such a lovable protagonist as she tried to figure out what Christmas meant to her/what she really wanted. The supporting cast was quirky and funny, and those more emotional moments were hit near perfectly, in particular from the actor who played Addy's dad.

I thought the special effects of the black-and-white was super well done. This movie was super wholesome, too, and it didn't feel bogged down by the usual silliness that sometimes befalls Hallmark films. I was just super invested in how each character was going to be brought to remember Christmas, and I liked that it wasn't the same kind of memory or event that triggered it.

The chemistry between Lyndsy Fonseca and Michael Rady really sold it for me. As they fell in love, it felt real as Hunter opened up more, and Addy started to let go of expectations and doing what she thought was what she wanted. Since pretty much all of these movies feature some type of romance angle, if the leads aren't convincing, I tend to check out fairly quick, but Addy and Hunter's love story worked on all aspects for me tbh.

I don't know about anyone else, but I found this super endearing and engaging all the way through. This will definitely be one I rewatch over the years, and one of the best of the CTC '23 collection!

Joyeux Noel (2023 TV Movie)

DIdn't hate it, didn't love it.

[5/10 · 24 December 2023]

This is my first time watching either of the leads in a Hallmark movie. I have mixed feelings, hence the title of this review. So, first I'll go into what I enjoyed, then what I didn't.

I really liked Brent Daughtery in this. He played the grumpy half of the grumpy x sunshine trope very well. I think sometimes with these roles some of the actors can overdo it on the meanness, but he balanced it well.

I loved the scenery. It felt very Christmassy and very cozy overall, especially some of the aerial shots like the train they took.

What I didn't like/had mixed feelings about was the female lead. The actress (Jaicy I think her name is) played Leah...hmm, almost indifferently? I don't really feel like she embodied the sunshiny, positive vibes that people often described Leah as or even the type of romantic she was. Maybe someone like Jerrika Hinton or Meghan Ory would've been better suited, because at times her facial expressions just seemed like she was bored.

That said, I didn't think it was a terrible film. I actually love the trope subversion here, in that I thought we'd get a fairytale ending like Leah wanted, but it didn't turn out that way. And I liked that Leah learned to accept it, instead of being whiny about it.

5.5 is my final rating...I don't think I'd be inclined to rewatch, but again, it's not the worst I've ever seen.

A Not So Royal Christmas (2023 TV Movie)

Mixed feelings

[5/10 · 24 December 2023]

There were some parts of this that I liked, in that with royalty stories you can usually guess everything, and some things here I didn't. That said, while I enjoy Kemp and D'Orsay, the movie overall was just okay.

Adam being upset that Charlotte lied to him honestly makes no sense, and he even said why himself (paraphrasing here): "If I was the actual Count, I'd feel betrayed". Precisely! But since you're not, you actually being offended in some way just reads as odd. Sure, Charlotte shouldn't have lied, but his lie (and everyone else's to keep the ruse going) was far more "egregious" in my opinion.

That being the major conflict in the end sort of dampened my enjoyment because the more and more you think about it, the less it makes sense. Skip unless you like the lead actors, because their chemistry is pretty good.

Heaven Down Here (2023 TV Movie)

Pleasantly surprised

[7/10 · 23 December 2023]

This movie was better than I thought! Just based off the preview (and my love of Mickey Guyton's music) I was intrigued. I'm actually loving that Krystal Joy Brown is getting a chance to do Hallmark films, she's a really good theatre actress and such is the case here as Imani. Of course we know that there's no way a movie like this is going to shirk its cliche responsibilities, but I thought the writers handled a familiar plotline in a unique way. Bonus points for the flashbacks for each character's backstory prior to them being at the diner.

I think my only critique would be that I wished the romance between Felix and Imani had been a little more overt. The hints were there, but it felt more like a wink and a nudge rather than a clear display of them having feelings. I mean, we've all seen Hallmark movies, so I just expected more on that front. But it wasn't a drawback to my enjoyment overall!

Good job, HM&M!

Christmas with a Kiss (2023 TV Movie)

No substance

[3/10 · 23 December 2023]

While I appreciate Hallmark's increasing initiative to feature more diverse leads, this didn't land for me at all. As a Black person, I feel as though they just slapped together an all-Black cast and called it a day, but they forgot to add substance to the story.

I honestly didn't understand why Fletcher was a bad choice for Mona...she had more chemistry with him than with Dez. And even then, there was absolutely no development between her and Dez in the romance department. It felt like nothing really happened, and then bam, by the end we're supposed to believe that they'd fallen in love? Even by Hallmark standards, it was rough.

It overall fell super flat and unfortunately nothing else that happened compelled me to enjoy this film otherwise. Disappointed!

Flipping for Christmas (2023 TV Movie)

Nothing to write home about

[5/10 · 21 December 2023]

I liked the chemistry between the leads! It was a cute little rival-to-lovers type vibe, although for the most part it was silly and childish. I had a feeling Abby would give in to Bo's B&B idea by the end, and so she did.

I honestly thought it was odd that they gave Abby's sister a whole family but we barely saw them throughout until the end. And, for a movie entitled Flipping For Christmas, we didn't get to see much of the renovation process at all. Unless you count the little paint fight that Bo and Abby had early on. That was sort of an odd choice there.

It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great, either. I think the writers intended it to be a simple carefree and heartfelt offering, but some of those more emotional beats were hit or miss. The dialogue was pretty fun, at least between Bo and Abby. I'd say watch this if you enjoy Marcus Rosner, because he's fairly decent in this one, but otherwise skip it.

Holiday Hotline (2023 TV Movie)

The formula worked!

[6/10 · 21 December 2023]

While the idea of a holiday turkey hotline is sort of silly, the evergreen rehashing of The Shop Around The Corner/You've Got Mail as a trope in many ways never gets old. While this isn't on par with those films naturally, I think this was pretty well done! Niall Matter sure loves to play widowed single dads, lol, and this was another good performance from him.

I'm not British, but when I Googled the actress that played Abby and found out she was Canadian, I wasn't surprised. At times the accent slipped, but it wasn't too shabby.

The most unique aspect of this film was the juxtaposition of the calls. Seeing Abby and Jack fall in love over the phone while visually it looking like they're in the same room was very clever! I liked it.

I think the quirky side characters really enhanced the storyline overall. Nobody felt like they were overdoing it, which can sometimes happen in these types of movies. Since we can't input half-star ratings, I'm going with 6.5 overall. Good job Hallmark!

Letters to Santa (2023 TV Movie)

Flimsy plot, poor acting...and poor Enrique.

[4/10 · 21 December 2023]

I should've paid attention to the ratings/reviews on this one, but I went ahead and watched it anyway as I'm working through the '23 CTC catalogue. First, let me list what I enjoyed:

1. Rafael de la Fuente.

...That's it.

Now, I thought Rafael did a great job as Enrique. I felt the emotion, and he came across well as the heartsick dad just wanting his family whole. But even his performance couldn't salvage this.

I understand what the plot was trying to do: show that both Enrique and Rebecca had their issues and had things to work on as the reason for their separation. But the deeper and deeper we got into the film, I found myself siding with him ultimately. I don't even understand WHY he married Rebecca in the first place. She's downright awful. No hate to the actress of course, she did the best with what she was given script wise, but my God. She (Rebecca) was so short, snippy and rude for a majority of the film. Even her happy moments had me waiting for the other shoe to drop, in that she'd get mad AGAIN for some unknown reason.

It felt like she was antagonizing Enrique all the time, but never had any self-reflection to acknowledge her own shortcomings. A scene I really disliked was when Candy, as sweet as she was (and I suppose another small highlight of the film), offered to pick the kids up and Rebecca jumped to conclusions, thinking that her husband was cheating on her. As if he'd ever shown any indication of anything other than wanting to reconcile with his wife.

Plot wise, too, something that was simply ridiculous was the whole thing of Rebecca's book. There's no way she would've been working the DAYS leading up to Christmas on a novel ABOUT Christmas that would get published that soon. I'm not even in the literary field, and I know there's no turnaround that quick, lol. If she was a steady author with the publishing company, they would've been working on it months in advance to get ready for the holiday season.

Overall, the movie was just really bad. The kids weren't even acting cute, more so irritating, and don't even get me started on the grandma and sister stealing mail (aka a felony).

The premise seemed cool, but spoiling it by showing the audience that the wishes weren't really getting granted by Santa and the magic pen, well, ruined the magic.

The Liam angle was odd, too. Honestly, with the way Rebecca was acting, I would've preferred everyone went their separate ways, and Enrique pursued Candy. Liam and Rebecca had an odd vibe too, almost bordering on romantic interest, but not quite? I really don't understand the story direction there.

Skip this one. The plot was flimsy, the acting was bad except for Rafael (and even so, I had to skip past that singing number at the end, because...what?), and honestly...free Enrique at this point.

Catch Me If You Claus (2023 TV Movie)

Glad I stayed through to the end!

[6/10 · 20 December 2023]

At around the 59 minute mark, I was ready to give up on this movie. It was VERY slow to start, and honestly, Avery not believing Chris was who he said he was got annoying fast. But I'm glad I stuck with it, because it ended up being pretty cute in the end.

The plot and twists were so-so, and I honestly had to rewind a couple times to make sure I knew who they were referencing character wise, but all in all what made this good was (as per usual) Luke MacFarlane! He's a Hallmark staple for a reason, and this was no exception. Italia Ricci was alright; I feel like the first half was sort of rough, in that she was kind of dialing it in and/or overdoing it, but she mellowed out in the end.

The theater troupe was one of the best parts of the movie! I'm not exactly sure how Chris and Avery are going to work out the whole dating thing, given that he's Santa and all, but it's movie magic for a reason lol.

The Secret Gift of Christmas (2023 TV Movie)

And a little child shall lead them

[7/10 · 20 December 2023]

I adored this movie! I'll admit, the premise made me skeptical, but it was really good. Even more so than the chemistry between Bonnie and Patrick, Phoebe (and the kid actress who played her) are really the star of the show! A lot of the times child actors can overdo it depending on the scope of the role, especially in holiday movies, but she nailed it as Phoebe! The balance between being a little schemer to get her dad back in the dating scene again, to also being in tune with her grief and sharing that with Bonnie, really drove home why this movie was a hit for me.

Additionally, I liked that Bonnie's development felt realistic. Retail therapy being her outlet to avoid having tough conversations or making big decisions made sense for her character, and her deciding to donate a lot of what she'd bought felt like a full circle moment!

Of course, very few Hallmark films get away unscathed in terms of contrived scenarios, and there's nothing I dislike more than the miscommunication trope, especially when all Bonnie had to do at the dance was ask Patrick if he was dating anyone, but alas. It wouldn't be Hallmark without a third act separation of the leads.

Enjoyed it way more than I thought I would!

Christmas in Notting Hill (2023 TV Movie)

Lovely, but lacking.

[6/10 · 20 December 2023]

I actually enjoyed this movie! Haven't seen William Moseley in anything since the Narnia films of my childhood, so I was pleasantly surprised to see him in this. Graham was a sweet, well-rounded character. Georgia felt a bit childish at times, (and there were moments that Lizzie as the younger sis acted far more mature), but it wasn't a dealbreaker. Good chemistry and was super invested in both romance storylines. I loved how Georgia and Graham's connection was instant, but even so, they built a friendship first before it delved into romance.

That said, I think this film would've been much better had they not left out a big part...what happened with Georgia's career? We know she accepted the international job, but did she? Based off the epilogue, we never see her teaching again lol. I just thought it was odd to make that a recurring plot point but not go back to it in depth. Especially since it seemed at the bar that she felt like she rushed the decision and didn't think it through.

I also think the typical third act misunderstanding between the couple could've had more to it. Georgia being upset about the tabloid was odd, because not only are they commonplace in the UK, but it's not like Graham himself wrote it lol. It would've been nice to have it where Graham found out about her taking the job and he also gets upset because she never told him about it just when their relationship was beginning.

All in all, I enjoyed this purely from the romance angle, not so much the storytelling angle!

The Christmas Promise (2021 TV Movie)

Ultimately, it was alright.

[5/10 · 16 December 2023]

Miracles of Christmas usually tackles subjects that go beyond romance, at least plot wise; TCP is no exception. Nicole's husband to be dies prematurely, and most of the events in this film are the aftermath of her working through her grief. Torrey DeVitto is a pretty good actress, but for some reason, it felt like the writers didn't give her a chance to express that talent. For instance, the scene where she gets the call that her fiancé has died is almost laughable in terms of her reaction. Everyone grieves differently, sure, but I'm fairly positive that most people would have a way more emotional reaction to getting terrible news like that.

Dylan Bruce was a decent lead, although I wish they'd given him more to work with here. You figure out pretty early on that he's the mystery man Nicole has been texting to work through her grief, so I thought it odd that we only really got one mention of his brother outside of this context.

I didn't really love how rushed the romance felt. They made the leap from friends to crushes pretty quick, and I know it's Hallmark, but still. They could've stretched it out a bit more and made that transition much smoother. And that said, I kind of felt like chemistry wise, Nicole would've been better suited with either Alan or Teddy if I'm being honest.

Something that made me laugh was Nicole decorating the 50ft Christmas tree. I was pretty confused as to how she managed to do all that by herself, or why she did it (I'm sure I missed dialogue of why she wanted to, but still).

Overall, this movie was just okay to me.

Under the Christmas Sky (2023 TV Movie)

The only real issue...

[6/10 · 14 December 2023]

I feel like this movie would've been better as the ones that Hallmark usually does during January (Winterfest I think? Can't recall) because it wasn't SUPER Christmassy. Definitely cute, but not super Christmassy. That said, I liked the chemistry between the leads and thought it also could've been even better if they'd written in some downtime for them to spend together. So like, outside of the project they were working on. But it didn't detract from the love story imo and I found their interactions super endearing.

The real charmer was Andy's character. Honestly, I wouldn't mind seeing the actor that played him as a Hallmark lead one day. He's funny, cute and charming! As was the subplot with his romance with the sweet redhead girl.

It was nice getting to see Jess Kennedy in something since she left The Flash. And I'll watch Ryan Paevey in pretty much anything. So, not the best HM I've ever seen, but not too shabby either!

Magic in Mistletoe (2023 TV Movie)

Super cute, but could've been better!

[6/10 · 12 December 2023]

I would've loved for this movie to have done something a little bolder in terms of conflict. What I mean is, Harrington's trauma about his parents being a barrier as to why he wanted to return to town, to celebrate Christmas in general, etc. Was believable enough, but I think the storyline would've benefitted if April's backstory played a role into her over-preparedness.

She could for example be that way because when her dad died, she really had no warning and wished there was more she could've done. So now in adulthood she goes above and beyond to prepare for every possible outcome that way there wouldn't be any unforeseen circumstances. And then that could've strengthened she and Harry's bond even more! But hey, that's just the aspiring writer in me talking.

Overall I found this movie cute. I think Paul and Lyndie had good chemistry as the leads, and I hope she's in more Hallmark movies. Really liked the fact that they only acknowledged they liked each other and not loved, lol, it made it feel more real! There could've been some more bonding opportunities between Harry and April to beef up their attraction to each other, but all in all, a fairly decent offering from 23' CTC!

A Biltmore Christmas (2023 TV Movie)

Hallmark...do more of this!

[9/10 · 8 December 2023]

As a Hallmark superfan, I've seen a LOT of their Christmas offerings. Some good, a lot mediocre, others bad, some I didn't even finish! But there are very few that I call masterpieces.

This. Is. A. Masterpiece.

The old Hollywood fan in me was so thrilled to see the little references here and there to the stars of the day, and even some recreations of scenes from popular films (Jack moving in sync with the elevator door once he sees Lucy again is an homage to the impeccable Cary Grant in My Favorite Wife!). I think what made this film so utterly sweet, charming and captivating, and miles above what we're usually treated to by Hallmark, is the amount of HEART it has.

Joy Lenz and Polaha have so much chemistry as Lucy and Jack; nothing feels forced. The supporting cast is funny and witty, and a perfect compliment to the leads. Above all, there are no gimmicks...no Christmas parades, no paper-thin reasons for giving up on the relationship, no overzealous, Christmas crazed townsfolk...just what feels like real people, fated to be together and deserving of a happy ending. The end made me weep openly, and I had no shame about it.

Thank you Hallmark for doing this film, and please do many more like this! Because you've got yourselves a hit.

The Wedding Cottage (2023 TV Movie)

Utterly charming.

[7/10 · 25 April 2023]

This is the kind of Hallmark movie I adore - simple plot, but brought together by charming, compelling actors with tons of chemistry.

Erin and Brendan are two of my favorites Hallmark has to offer. I loved this movie, because the progression of the romance felt natural and not rushed. Although I suppose my only gripe would be the typical "character A thinks character B betrayed them" trope. I know all Hallmark films have to have a temporary separation of the leads, but I think it could've done better, especially since Evan jumped to conclusions and didn't even bother asking Vanessa what really happened.

Overall, though, several parts made me smile, especially teaching the young couple how to do the first dance at their wedding. Would definitely watch again.