Four Christmases and a Wedding

When event planner Chloe is hired to plan the local Christmas Festival, she is beyond thrilled to embrace the challenge. Professionally, everything is going great, but much to the dismay of her mother, Chloe confesses she has given up on ever finding Mr. Right. That all changes the night of the opening of the festival when she meets Evan. The two begin a whirlwind romance, but as Christmas Day nears, Chloe learns that Evan is being transferred overseas for work. What follows is three more Christmases where Chloe and Evan cross paths at the annual festival, but each year something, or someone, stands in the way of true love. Will a touch of Santa's magic on their fourth Christmas Eve finally bring them together?

Our Two Cents:

Ugh. We hate writing negative reviews, but we gotta be honest... There wasn't much we liked about this. Poorly written. Poorly acted. No chemistry. Lots of large sheets of cotton polyester blankets laid down over fake bushes and sidewalks that we are supposed to believe is snow. We say skip it.

Ratings:
Storyline/Writing ★★★★★  •   Acting ★★★★★  •   Chemistry ★★★★★  •  Overall ★★★★★


Links:
IMDB  •  Official Site

Have you seen Four Christmases and a Wedding? Tell us what you thought of it!

A Very Merry Toy Store

Connie Forrester (Melissa Joan Hart, "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch"), a young single mom, and Will DiNova (Mario Lopez, "Holiday in Handcuffs") each run their small, family-owned toy stores in Connecticut. Similar to their families, Connie and Will have been business rivals for year, until both of their livelihoods fall into jeopardy when the big box toy store "Roy's Toys" has its grand opening right before Christmas. In order to save their businesses, Connie and Will band together to save the stores that have defined their families for generations, and in the process, might just find love in time for Christmas.

Our Two Cents: This was a HUGE disappointment! We generally love Melissa Joan Hart. And her first collaboration with Mario Lopez 10 years ago, Holiday in Handcuffs, was such a ridiculous and AWESOME movie that we had high expectations. This was just awkward and boring and lame. We wish we could list some redeeming qualities about this one, but the commercial with the squeaky dog toys creating the tune of Jingle Bells was more entertaining than this movie. 

Ratings:
Storyline/Writing ★★★★★  •   Acting ★★★★★  •   Chemistry ★★★★★  •  Overall ★★★★★

Links:
IMDB  •  Official Site



Have you seen A Very Merry Toy Store? Tell us what you thought about it!

The Sweetest Christmas

When struggling pastry chef Kylie Watson (Chabert) learns she’s made it to the finals of the American Gingerbread Competition, she thinks her competitive spirit has finally paid off and hopes the publicity will help her jumpstart her new café. There’s just one problem — the oven she’s supposed to use breaks down right before the contest. Determined to enter, she reaches out to Nick Mazannti (Coco), her old boyfriend from culinary school who gave up his dream of being a pastry chef to take over his family’s pizzeria. Nick allows her to use his industrial pizza oven at night to craft her ambitious gingerbread confections. As the two reminisce about the dreams of their youth, their romance is rekindled. But just as Kylie is on the cusp of taking the grand prize—and embracing true love—things get complicated when her ex-boyfriend takes drastic steps to win her back. Kylie realizes she must embrace the Christmas Spirit or risk losing both the contest and her new love.

Our Two Cents:

Oh, Lacey Chabert, Lacey Chabert. I hate to say it, but I do not care for Lacey Chabert. (If you pronouce Chabert the way I think it's pronounced "SHA-bear" then that should be a nice little Dr. Seuss rhyme for you from me. Merry Christmas and you're welcome.) Seriously, her acting is okay, but she has the same dry sugar toast personality in every movie--which is actually NO personality. Sadly, the same goes for her costar in this one and the love story fell flat. 

Ratings:
Storyline/Writing ★★★★★  •   Acting ★★★★★  •   Chemistry ★★★★★  •  Overall ★★★★★


Links:
IMDB  •  Official Site

Have you seen The Sweetest Christmas? Tell us what you thought of it!  

Miss Christmas

Nicknamed “Miss Christmas,” the official tree finder for Chicago’s renowned Radcliffe Tree lighting is left desperate to find the perfect tree. A letter from a young boy promising his tree is perfect sends her to a small town where she learns the young boy’s dad isn’t willing to part with his tree. While sparks fly, she’ll be forced to confront what she’s really been missing for Christmas.

Our Two Cents:

This has everything you want and expect. The Christmas fanatic meets the Scrooge, the sugar sweet love story that gets a brief dose of vinegar, and of course the “surprise” ending that you see coming a mile away.

Ratings:
Storyline/Writing ★★★★★  •   Acting ★★★★★  •   Chemistry ★★★★★  •  Overall ★★★★★


Links:
IMDB  •  Official Site

Have you seen MissChristmas? Tell us what you thought of it!  

Marry Me at Christmas

Organizing a Christmas wedding is a true treat for bridal boutique owner Madeline Krug. She loves the challenge of finding the perfect dress for the bride and orchestrating an exquisite event. What Madeline didn’t expect was to be swept off her feet by the bride’s gorgeous brother, movie star Jonny Blaze. Jonny came to the quirky town of Fool’s Gold to support his sister — not to fall in love. Yet Madeline is the most extraordinary woman he’s ever met. Planning the perfect wedding leads to candlelit dinners and strolls through snow-covered streets. Madeline finds the real Jonny even more captivating than her celebrity crush. Will the action star be brave enough to take on the role of a lifetime?

Our Two Cents:

So our biggest problem with this movie was hair. Her hair and the fake curls (thankfully at the end, she wore it straight and it suited her much better), and his fake Zach Morris blonde hair. You might think those are petty complaints. We agree. Our conclusion: a movie where the biggest complaint is about the hair, can't be all that bad! Marry Me at Christmas is definitely one that you don't want to miss!

Ratings:
Storyline/Writing ★★★★★  •   Acting ★★★★★  •   Chemistry ★★★★★  •  Overall ★★★★★


Links:
IMDB  •  Official Site

Have you seen Marry Me at Christmas? Tell us what you think!

Looks like Christmas

When two type-A single parents battle it out for control of the Christmas holiday at their kid’s middle school, they get more than they bargained for when they learn a little something about the true meaning of Christmas, while opening themselves up for the possibility of a new romance.

Our Two Cents:

Fairly typical in it's plot, however we can't help but like this one. Great movie to play to you in the mood for decorations and Christmas cookies.

Ratings:
Storyline/Writing ★★★★★  •   Acting ★★★★★  •   Chemistry ★★★★★  •  Overall ★★★★★


Links:
IMDB  •  Official Site

Have you seen Looks like Christmas? Tell us what you thought of it!  

Broadcasting Christmas

When her on-air partner decides to depart America’s favorite morning show, Veronika Daniels announces that she will be choosing her new co-host from a handful of candidates that includes Charlie Fisher, a local NY newscaster who is the son of a broadcasting legend. However, when Emily Morgan, a human interest reporter for the local Connecticut station, makes an impassioned on-air plea to be considered for the job, the game changes for everyone as video of Emily’s declaration goes viral and the network brass decide to put her in the running. Veronika delights in the healthy competition she sees brewing, and encourages the candidates to bring their A game in the segments and stories they do between now and the Christmas Day Telethon, when she will announce her choice. As the competition narrows, and it becomes clear that either Charlie or Emily are going to get the job, they begin to rediscover a spark between them that started long ago.

Our Two Cents:

While Dean Cain is notorious for bad Christmas movies, Melissa Joan Hart usually doesn't disappoint. Luckily her good vibe outweighed his bad! Cute and fun and totes predictable, this is one not too miss.

Ratings:
Storyline/Writing ★★★★★  •   Acting ★★★★★  •   Chemistry ★★★★★  •  Overall ★★★★★


Links:
IMDB  •  Official Site

Have you seen Broadcasting Christmas? Tell us what you thought of it!  

The Mistletoe Promise

This is the story of two unlucky people who both have negative views of Christmas. Elise Donner (Jaime King) is the creator, founder, and co-owner of a travel agency known as World Bright Travel Agency. He co-owner is none other than her ex-husband, Dan (Lochlyn Munro), who switched up the Christmas presents one year and accidentally gave her a gift meant for his car show model mistress, Drew (Ashley Ross). Then there is Nick Derr (Luke Macfarlane), a divorce lawyer who is up for partner at his law firm and needs a longtime girlfriend by the end of the week in order to prove that he is a serious family man like all the other partners before him.

The two meet at a food court over their mutual hate for those treacherous Christmas carolers and create a mistletoe promise guaranteed to make him partner at his firm and give her an opportunity to get rid of the burden of her ex and his girlfriend. The promise is intended to be solely business but the spirit of the holidays and the amount of time spent pretending to be in love might just be enough to actually feel something for each other.

Our Two Cents:
So this movie was delightful enough, has everything you expect from holiday movies. As long as you realize it's one of these TV movies, (and of course, this goes for all these movies because there is always something in all of these movies that warrants a groan or a "come on" remark as you watch them), it might just end up a favorite.

Ratings:
Storyline/Writing ★★★★★  •   Acting ★★★★★  •   Chemistry ★★★★  •  Overall ★★★★★


Links:
IMDB  •  Official Site

Have you seen The Mistletoe Promise? Tell us what you thought of it!

The Flight Before Christmas

Stephanie is excited to take the next step in her relationship and move in with her boyfriend, but is then crushed when he drops the bombshell that he wants to break up. Faced with spending the holidays heartbroken and homeless, she decides to fly home to Connecticut. On a red-eye the day before Christmas, Stephanie finds herself seated next to Michael, who is planning to propose to his college girlfriend. The two get off to a rocky start but things get even worse when the pilot announces that a huge, unexpected snowstorm is crossing the country. Their flight is diverted to a small town in Montana where Stephanie snags the last available room at the town’s bed and breakfast. Despite their differences, she offers to share the room with Michael and try their best to get along.

Our Two Cents:

First, we have to say love the casting of Mayim Bialik. She's not the typical leading lady, i.e. she's not a supermodel. She gets an unfair wrap in the Hollywood scene about being "unattractive". Truth be told this causes a little blood boiling because she's not unattractive, she is just an ordinary looking girl and there's nothing wrong with that. But that isn't the thing that we love about her casting. It's that it wasn't part of the story. She wasn't cast to play the unattractive girl that the hot guy gets to know and realizes there's a heart of gold inside. Her looks weren't an issue--as they shouldn't be. So this movie gets props for that.

When first writing this review, we were thinking the ending fell a little flat but in after writing, we thought, we haven't actually watched this in a while. After watching it again, we'll say that the ending is cute and understated in a good way. Two thumbs up.

Ratings:
Storyline/Writing ★★★★★  •   Acting ★★★★★  •   Chemistry ★★★★★  •  Overall ★★★★★


Links:
IMDB

Have you seen The Flight Before Christmas? Tell us what you thought of it!

A Gift Wrapped Christmas

Personal shopper Gwen's newest client, Charlie, is a high-rolling, workaholic, single father. When Gwen meets his 8-year-old son, Owen, during a package drop, she is saddened to see just how little time Charlie spends with him. Determined to get Charlie to appreciate his family, Gwen makes it her Christmas mission to get him into the festive spirit. As she gets closer to Charlie and Owen, she also discovers what she wants for the holidays.

Our Two Cents:

We watched this the next day after the disappointment of 12 Gifts of Christmas. The plot summary sounded basically the same. Instantly we could tell it was FAR better than the other one. The movie was more funny, the leads had far more personality and were likable. It’s really the little things that the actors to do to either create a cardboard reading of a dull script, or a real person that you want to be friends with. We definitely wanted to be friends with Gwen.

Ratings:
Storyline/Writing ★★★★★  •   Acting ★★★★★  •   Chemistry ★★★★★  •  Overall ★★★★★


Links:
IMDB  •  Official Site

Have you seen A Gift Wrapped Christmas? Tell us what you thought of it!

A Christmas Detour

Two New York City-bound travelers find themselves inextricably linked when a snowstorm reroutes them to an airport hotel in Buffalo. Ever the eternal optimist and hopeless romantic, Paige desperately needs to find a way back home to meet her fiancee’s parents before her forthcoming wedding. And it’s somehow up to fellow passenger Dylan MacKenzie, who is permanently soured on romance following a recent heartbreak. Yet Dylan somehow rises to the occasion to become Paige’s chivalrous helpmate. The pair are joined on this misadventure by a married couple named Frank and Maxine trying to get to Connecticut. As their madcap journey ensues, our foursome will find plenty of surprises in store.

Our Two Cents:

We didn’t dislike this one, but did find it a bit mediocre. We were glad it wasn’t Candace Camerone Bure’s typical plot—a goal oriented work obsessed woman who gets sent to a small town and learns the true meaning of life (see Mistletoe & Moonlight, Let It Snow, Christmas Under Wraps, Finding Normal…). Fully predictable and full of your classic Christmas movie cliches, but, isn’t that the charm?

So… here’s our problem with it. The male lead had a weird personality. Weird might not be the right word, but it just didn't seem to all fit together. Half cynical, half happy-go-lucky, and has the same back story that all male leads seems to have—he got dumped in a big way. They could have had more cute moments in building the romance. It felt a bit forced at times. We might have liked Frank and Maxine's side story even more than Paige and Dylan's.

But that being said, it’s worth watching. Not the best, but CERTAINLY not the worst.

Ratings:
Storyline/Writing ★★★★★  •   Acting ★★★★★  •   Chemistry ★★★★★  •  Overall ★★★★★


Links:
IMDB  •  Buy DVD on Amazon  •  Official Site

Have you seen A Christmas Detour? Tell us what you thought of it!

Christmas Incorporated

Sometimes, life just seems to hand you exactly what you need – particularly at Christmastime. In this new yuletide tale, Riley is scraping bottom when she miraculously lands a job with a wealthy New York City entrepreneur. He’s a bad-boy socialite type who is poised to play Scrooge by closing one of his factories just before Christmas, which would devastate and entire town. It’s left to Riley to talk him out of it and turn him into a man of virtue rather than shame. But will a case of mistaken identity ruin the whole plan?

Our Two Cents:

Three times we tried to record this. Though the schedule said Christmas Incorporated, it played a different movie two times! But third time was the charm. And it was worth the wait. Great banter and chemistry between Riley and William.

The end was a little rushed and abrupt, but… we can forgive that. Overall, thumbs up!

Ratings:
Storyline/Writing ★★★★★  •   Acting ★★★★★  •   Chemistry ★★★★★  •  Overall ★★★★★


Links:
IMDB  •  Official Site

Have you seen Christmas Incorporated? Tell us what you thought of it! 

Back to Christmas

Interior designer Laura returns to Utah to spearhead the renovation of an old hotel in time for the annual Christmas Eve show run by Ricardo, her ex-boyfriend and dance partner. When Laura steps in to dance in the finale with Ricardo, she is pulled between her job, her family, and her reawakened feelings for Ricardo.

Our Two Cents:

You know we love the dancing movies! The chemistry in this movie better be good because it stars real life husband and wife Carlos PenaVega and Alexa PenaVega. Of course it's predictable, but aren't they all?

Ratings:
Storyline/Writing ★★★★★  •   Acting ★★★★★  •   Chemistry ★★★★★  •  Overall ★★★★★


Links:
IMDB  •  Official Site

Have you seen Back to Christmas? Tell us what you thought of it!  

Back to Christmas

After meeting a woman named Ginny and telling her the story of her failed engagement, Ali wakes up to find herself transported back to that Christmas before her planned wedding. While she sets out to avoid the mistakes of her past, she learns that changing the course of history is no easy task.

Our Two Cents:

You can find this on Netflix as Back to Christmas, though it's also known as Correcting Christmas. We've seen the time traveling Christmas movies before, but other than the basic formula of meeting an unconventional "Christmas Angel", it doesn't follow quite the same formula as it's movie siblings. By the way, you may recognize the "Christmas Angel", named Ginny in this movie. She played Jan Brady in The Brady Bunch Movie, and frankly, she's hilarious, one of the best parts of the movie. Anyway, hopefully this will be on TV for those of you without Netflix. Find it! It was a good one.

Ratings:
Storyline/Writing ★★★★★  •   Acting ★★★★★  •   Chemistry ★★★★★  •  Overall ★★★★★


Links:
IMDB  •  Official Site

Have you seen Back to Christmas? Tell us what you thought of it!  

The Nine Lives of Christmas

Fireman Zachary Stone (Brandon Routh) is a confirmed bachelor who doesn’t believe in love or commitment. When a stray tabby cat named Ambrose shows up at his door, Zachary takes him in and slowly starts to see that a little companionship might not be so bad after all. Zachary’s commitment to solitude is further challenged when he meets Marilee (Kimberly Sustad), an animal lover and veterinary student who teaches Zachary how to care for his new feline roommate. Chemistry immediately develops between the two, but will they find a way together despite themselves?

Our Two Cents:

I don't mean to make our reviews so often based on the attractiveness of the male lead, but... who are we kidding here? This has Brandon Routh and he is highly attractive. We don't really like the pet movies, and we are NOT cat people, but our adoration of this movie goes beyond Superman's good looks. The female lead is very likable and you'll love this movie's take on the mistletoe scenario. Only criticism is the end, which got a little too hokey and awkward for our tastes. But well worth watching (and owning). If we could put an 11th movie in our top 10, this might make the cut.

Side note, we aren't really sure why it's called the Nine Lives of Christmas. No characters in this movie, including any cats or other animals, have anything close to a death or near death experience. It's a little misleading. Not that it matters, just left us scratching our heads.

Ratings:
Storyline/Writing ★★★★★  •   Acting ★★★★★  •   Chemistry ★★★★★  •  Overall ★★★★★
Links:
IMDB  •  Official Site  •  
DVD

Trailer:

Have you seen The Nine Lives of Christmas? Tell us what you thought of it!

Christmas on the Bayou

Emotionally scarred by a failed marriage, Katherine has plunged into her successful career as a NYC marketing executive, but her workaholic ways are taking a toll on her 8 year old son, Zack. Concerned over Zack's increasing disaffection, Katherine decides they will spend Christmas in her home town in Louisiana's bayou country, where her mother, Lilly, is soon match-making with a vengeance. When Caleb, Katherine's old admirer, tries to rekindle a childhood romance and convince her to move home, Katherine is torn between the bright lights of the big city and the quiet, gentler rhythms of her Southern roots. But a small Christmas miracle, orchestrated by the mysterious Papa Noel, convinces Katherine that her heart belongs back in the bayou where she was raised.

(Summary from Lifetime)




Our Two Cents:

Many of these movies have a major motion picture counterpart, and this one is a holiday Hope Floats. This movie (and Tyler Hilton) will win you over with it's southern charm and you might just start considering making a trip to the bayou yourself. 

Ratings:
Storyline/Writing ★★★★★  •   Acting ★★★★★  •   Chemistry ★★★★★  •  Overall ★★★★★


Links:
IMDB  •  Official Site


Trailer:


Have you seen Christmas on the Bayou? Tell us what you thought of it!

A Christmas Wedding Date

After being fired from her high-powered job, Rebecca heads back home to see her mom, Shirley, and attend her friends small-town wedding on Christmas Eve. Initially convinced that the trip is a terrible mistake, especially her botched romantic conversation with former beau, Chad, Rebecca soon learns that, indeed, you can go home again, and, again--until you get it right.

Our Two Cents:

Yikes. I mean, I can appreciate a good guilty pleasure like the next girl, but this movie was a chore to get through. The main character's transformation was erratic and made little sense. In fact, the whole plot was erratic and made little sense.

Ratings:
Storyline/Writing ★★★★★  •   Acting ★★★★★  •   Chemistry ★★★★★  •  Overall ★★★★★


Links:
IMDB  •   Official Site

Trailer:

Have you seen A Christmas Wedding Date? Tell us what you thought of it!

Hitched for the Holidays

When commitment-phobe Rob Marino (Joey Lawrence) breaks up with his girlfriend before Thanksgiving, he is criticized by his big Italian family about his inability to keep a relationship through the holidays. Wanting to prove them wrong and fulfill his dying grandmother's (Paula Shaw) wish to see him happy in love, Rob goes online and finds Julie (Emily Hampshire), another single New Yorker who's meddling Jewish mom (Marilu Henner), has driven her to seek a temporary boyfriend. Rob and Julie agree to pose as a couple through the holidays to get their families off their backs. But things get complicated when Rob's Catholic clan and Julie's Jewish family get involved. With Christmas coming and Hanukkah around the corner, they double their efforts to keep the charade going, only to discover their fake feelings may be a little too real.

Our Two Cents:

We love this movie, as is apparent by the ratings. Definitely in our top three. This a must-see, and frankly worth owning.

Ratings:
Storyline/Writing ★★★★★  •   Acting ★★★★★  •   Chemistry ★★★★★  •  Overall ★★★★★
Links:
IMDB  •  Buy DVD on Amazon  •   Official Site

Trailer:

Have you seen Hitched for the Holidays? Tell us what you thought of it!

The March Sisters at Christmas

A modern retelling of Louisa Mae Alcott’s Little Women. Sisters Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy March are shocked to learn that their mother is planning to sell their family home, Orchard House after she returns with their father who was injured in Afghanistan where he was working as a war correspondent.

Resolute to find a way to keep their house, Jo talks her sisters into helping her to do the necessary repairs themselves. She figures if they can repair it in time, the family can afford to stay under the same roof.

On top of that, the celebrity that Jo ghost tweets for offers her a big opportunity–ghost writing her biography! As the sisters work to fix the house on a limited income, manage the holidays on their own, and work on their projects and work assignments, they find they may have bitten off more than they can chew and tempers begin to run high.

Meanwhile family friends Teddy Lawrence and John Brooke, who each harbor feelings for Jo and Meg respectively, are challenged by Mr. Lawrence to woo their ladyloves and get a genuine kiss by Christmas. Jo, however, begins to have her eye on Max Baer, her editor, and the teasing between Amy and Teddy may becoming more than just casual flirtation.

What should be a house full of Christmas cheer has become a hostile home front, and as the tension in the house reaches a breaking point, the sisters have a falling out. Now, with the house unfinished and their romantic lives unresolved, can the March Sisters come together to save the house–and their family–before Christmas is ruined?

Our Two Cents:

We are of two minds on this one: I like this one, Marisa kind of likes it. It says fairly true to the basic framework of Little Women, it has to take some liberties to modernize the story. I don't love the direction they took with Amy, they made her a little too trampy (for lack of a better word), which makes it a little hard to root for her with Teddy. Beth's character also doesn't make as much sense in this retelling and I think they could have done a little better with it. But overall, I think it's pretty cute and has some pretty witty dialogue.

Ratings:
Storyline/Writing ★★★★★  •   Acting ★★★★★  •   Chemistry ★★★★★  •  Overall ★★★★★

Links:
IMDB  •  Buy DVD on Amazon  •   Official Site


Trailer:

Have you seen The March Sisters at Christmas? Tell us what you thought of it!

A Golden Christmas 3

Love for Christmas is the story of two people who have a long history of picking the wrong person. Heather is a charming free spirit whose self absorbed fiancé Roger never seems to hear a word that comes out of her mouth. Bobby is a naval officer who comes home from serving overseas looking to start a new chapter in his life. Both Heather and Bobby long to meet someone who makes them feel like they are at home in this world, but they are starting to doubt that person exists. 

Thanks to two golden retrievers, Bobby’s spirited 11-year-old niece, Myra, and a fun filled theater production of A Christmas Carol, these two unlucky and unlikely people end up falling in love at Christmas. But can they overcome the issues of their past and present in order to build a future together? A heartwarming Christmas romance about love, loss, hope… and how a golden puppy can turn even the most unlikely Scrooge into a true believer.

Our Two Cents:

A Golden Christmas 3??? As in GOLDEN retriever??? YIKES!! ABORT ABORT ABORT!!! Sorry folks, we have a severe abhorrence for the Christmas dog movies. The trailer was painful enough. Watch at your own risk. We wash our hands of it.

Ratings:
Storyline/Writing ★★★★★  •   Acting ★★★★★  •   Chemistry ★★★★★  •  Overall ★★★★★


Links:
IMDB  •  Official Site

Have you seen Love for Christmas? Tell us what you thought of it!