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!

Enchanted 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 Enchanted Christmas? Tell us what you thought of 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!  

Christmas in the Air

Lydia, a successful professional organizer, is constantly trying to grow her business, but even her ambition takes a back seat to love when she meets Robert, a frazzled widower with two young children. A toy inventor, Robert is asked to present his new Christmas toy line to a superstore. His challenge is he only has 12 days to get his life and his business in order. Talk about a Christmas rush! Lydia shows Robert that this task goes way deeper than messy junk drawers and encompasses every aspect of his life. While she’s intent on helping him straighten out details he had long ignored, Robert teaches the buttoned-up Lydia that messiness can be a delightful part of life.

Our Two Cents:

This one did not meet our approval. We can forgive a lot of plot and continuity problems and even bad acting, but if there’s no chemistry… no bueno. It wasn’t the worst, but it was a bit of a chore to finish. I think I'll only remember it because of the reality-defying toys.

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


Links:
IMDB  •  Official Site

Have you seen Christmas in the Air? 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!  

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!  

Falling for Christmas

When champion figure skater Claire becomes injured she is sent to a rehabilitation center in the snowy mountains where she meets and falls for a local ice fisherman who shows her there is more to life than competition.

Our Two Cents:

Ok. Here's the truth. We just couldn't finish this one. We're no super feminists, but the lead girl was so flighty and helpless and the male just happened to show up when she got into these stupid and sometimes life threatening situations... Felt the writing was a bit unfair to women.

Aaaand that's just in the first 10 minutes. We didn't even get to the part where it turns into The Cutting Edge, which is the whole premise of the movie.

Plus, the thing that made The Cutting Edge great is that they hated each other and had to learn to work with each other and overcome those differences. In this movie they seem to be twitterpated from the start. Hhhhh...

It may not be as bad as this review makes it seem. Maybe we'll give it another chance.

Note: This is also known as A Snow Capped Christmas.

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


Links:
IMDB  •  Official Site

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

Last Chance for Christmas

When Prancer injures his hoof, Santa's stable hand John must find a fill in to ensure Christmas deliveries go off without a hitch. His mission gets complicated when he discovers that Frankie, the perfect substitute reindeer, belongs to a precocious 8-year-old girl and her mother Annie. As he races to get Frankie up to the North Pole, he realizes that he's actually falling in love with Annie and has to find a way to win her over and save Christmas at the same time.

Our Two Cents:

Usually movies with Santa and the North Pole and elves are… well, we don’t typically like them. Santa and Mrs. Claus usually get under our skin. There are exceptions to it, and this is definitely one of those exceptions. Mrs. Claus was sharp and sassy, and we kinda loved her! 

We like pretty much all of Hilarie Burton’s Christmas movies. The girl that plays her daughter was adorably precocious. And John’s awkwardness was pretty adorable too. Flowers and chocolates…

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


Links:
IMDB  •  Official Site
 
Have you seen Last Chance for 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!

Crown for Christmas

After getting fired from her job as a maid at a ritzy New York City hotel, Allie reluctantly accepts a temp gig as the governess to a young girl who is part of a powerful family in Europe that lives in an actual castle. After arriving, Allie learns the girl is named Princess Theodora and her father is Maximillian, the King of Winshire. The King informs Allie that the Princess has a tendency to terrorize authority figures, a predilection that has grown worse since her mother’s death. Yet governess and Princess wind up hitting it off while at the same time a spark forms between Allie and Max. However, Countess Celia is expecting to wed the King. Will Max take a stand for his feelings for Allie and make it truly a merry Christmas for all (or at least, most)?

Our Two Cents:

Classic tale of the governess and single dad falling in love with a Christmas twist. So far, this might be one of the best of the 2015 movies. Can't say that the, ahem, casting doesn't have anything to do with it. There's something about English men named Rupert. Look it up. They tend to be attractive.

Anyhoo, cute movie, great grand gesture at the end... Don't miss this one.

Side Note: We greatly appreciated the authentic English accents in this movie.

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


Links:
IMDB  •  Buy DVD on Amazon  •  Official Site

 

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

The Santa Con

Small-time con man Nick DeMarco (Barry Watson) is ordered by his parole officer to take a minimum-wage job as a department store Santa during the holidays...and he hates it. Near the end of his first shift, he hastily promises a young boy, Billy (Tucker Meeks), that Santa will bring his estranged parents back together by Christmas. When his sister Rosemary (Melissa Joan Hart) hears this, she is livid and can't believe he would break a little boy's heart with an empty promise. After a long night of soul searching--and with the help of an insightful female pastor (Wendy Williams)--Nick decides to make good on his promise to the child, somehow.

Our Two Cents:

This movie surprised us. We actually found ourselves not quite sure how the movie was going to end, and for these TV movies, that is rare. Usually, with in the first 15 minutes, you can make a pretty accurate guess on the plot of the entire movie. But as a whole, we enjoyed this one, especially the little nod to Ocean's Eleven (in which Barry Watson played himself) in the opening scenes.

Side Note: Hate that this is the only poster for the movie--featuring minor supporting cast rather than main characters.

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

Links:

IMDB  •  Official Site


Trailer: 

Have you seen The Santa Con? Tell us what you thought of it!

Christmas at Cartwright's

With the holiday season at hand, single mom Nicky Talbot is unemployed and struggling to afford a nice Christmas with her 8-year-old daughter. Hearing that Cartwright’s Department Store is hiring temporary holiday help, Nicky rushes in to apply, but is rejected by Senior VP Fiona Aldrich, who considers Nicky a threat to the relationship she hopes to have with Bill, a charming and handsome store manager. In a whimsical turn of events, Harry Osbourne, claiming to be a consultant from corporate headquarters, encourages Nicky to dress up and begin working as Cartwright’s store Santa Claus. With the magical help of Harry, Nicky keeps the job, but nobody knows Cartwright’s Santa Claus is a woman. Will she be able to keep her job if her secret gets out?

Our Two Cents:

Our only real complaint with this one, because it was pretty darn cute, is that we wished the main character had a little more backbone and didn't wilt under pressure from Fiona (who obviously has a vendetta against her) quite so easily. But otherwise it was a fun movie, and we recommend it!

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


Links:
IMDB  •  Buy DVD on Amazon  •  Official Site

Trailer:

Have you seen Christmas at Cartwright's? Tell us what you thought of it!

Grumpy Cat's Worst Christmas Ever

In "Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever," Grumpy Cat is a lonely cat living in a mall pet shop. Because she always gets passed over and never gets chosen by customers, this kitty develops a sour outlook on life until…one day during the holidays, a very special 12-year-old girl named Chyrstal enters the pet store and falls in love with Grumpy Cat. A unique friendship is formed between the two when Chyrstal finds she is the only person who can hear this unique feline talk. In the middle of the holiday rush, Grumpy reluctantly thwarts the kidnapping of an expensive exotic dog she can’t stand and rescues Chyrstal after the mall closes on Christmas Eve. Will Grumpy Cat learn the true meaning of Christmas, or will it be in Grumpy’s words, “Worst. Christmas. Ever?”

Our Two Cents:

We've been clear about our feelings about pet movies. If there is a pet reference in the title, we tend to avoid, avoid, avoid (especially when of the feline variety). But, the Grumpy Cat memes, with their dry acerbic wit, can't help but win us over. So when we saw that they were making a Grumpy Cat movie... we had to check it out. Our expectations were low, which is key to enjoying movies like this. Aubrey Plaza was delightful!--in a grumpy "leave me alone" kind of way, of course. And we really developed a soft spot for Chrystal too. The plot was a bit far fetched, but really, who cares!

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


Links:
IMDB  •  Buy DVD on Amazon  •   Official Site


Trailer:

Have you seen Grumpy Cat's Worst Christmas Ever? 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!

Christmas with Holly

Mark Nagle is the proprietor of a small town's local coffee shop but his number one priority is his six-year-old niece, Holly, whose mother has passed away, leaving him as her caregiver. When Mark returns to his hometown with Holly, his oldest brother allows them to stay along with their youngest brother. Holly hasn’t spoken a word since her mother died, and the three men try relentlessly to get her to speak. His brothers start to worry Mark may be in over his head as Holly's guardian.

Maggie Conway’s had it with big-city living, especially after her husband-to-be leaves her at the altar. She opens a toy store in Mark's town dedicated to expanding kids’ imaginations and it's enchantment goes to work on Holly. And just maybe Mark is a little enchanted as well!




Our Two Cents:

This one started out looking like just an another TV Christmas movie. But the magic in this movie starts to unveil itself. Mark and his brothers have a great dynamic together. Add cute little Holly and you have holiday magic.

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


Trailer:

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

Trading Christmas

Emily (Faith Ford) misses her daughter Heather (Emma Lahana), who is attending college in Boston. Since her father died, Heather is sensitive to her mom’s dependence on long-standing holiday traditions. This Christmas, Heather has planned a trip to Phoenix with her boyfriend, but tells her mother she is staying on campus to study.

After Emily arranges a house-swap with Charles (Tom Cavanagh), an English professor from Boston who wants Washington State’s solitude in order to finish his novel, Emily hops on a flight to Boston to surprise Heather for Christmas. Unaware of the house swap, Emily’s best friend, Faith (Gabrielle Miller) walks in on Charles at Emily’s house and in Boston, Ray, Charles’ brother (Gil Bellows) responds to a 911 call only to find Emily at Charles’ condo. Will Christmas travel calamities lead to cross-country romances? Or have there been one too many surprises already?




Our Two Cents:

So, we started this thinking, This is just a The Holiday rip off! But we ended up pretty much loving it. We could go into why, but just trust us and watch it.

Ratings:

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

Links:
IMDB  •  Buy DVD on Amazon  •   Official Site


Trailer:

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

Call Me Mrs. Miracle

No one celebrates the holidays like Emily Merkle (Doris Roberts)–or Mrs. Miracle as she is known by some – who is back to ensure that this Christmas is the most magical and meaningful of all. When Mrs. Miracle appears as a seasonal employee in the toy department at the financially troubled Finley’s Department Store, neither the store’s owners, nor the customers, have any idea of the events that are about to unfold. Just when it seemed Christmas might not come at all this year, Finley’s favorite employee proves they don’t call her Mrs. Miracle for nothing!

Our Two Cents:

It's hard to not have high expectations for this one after the first Mrs. Miracle, which is in our top 10. It didn't quite live up to those expectations, but that doesn't mean that this is a bad movie. Mrs. Miracle and her audacious meddling matchmaking is right as we remembered it, and SHE certainly does not disappoint. And as far as Christmas movies go, it's about average. So you won't be blown away, but I don't think you'll regret watching it either.

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

Links: IMDB  •  Buy DVD on Amazon  •   Official Site


Trailer:

Have you seen Call Me Mrs. Miracle? Tell us what you thought of it! 

Mrs. Miracle

Losing a spouse is always hard, and for Seth Webster (James Van Der Beek), playing single dad to two rambunctious six-year-olds doesn’t make it any easier. With the holidays approaching, finding a housekeeper has proven to be near-impossible, until Mrs. Emily Merkle (Doris Roberts) shows up at the Websters’ door, ready to turn their lives around. No sooner has “Mrs. Miracle,” as Seth’s boys call her, straightened up the house, than Seth meets Reba Maxwell (Erin Karpluk), best friend to the Webster kids’ first-grade teacher.

After just one date, Seth and Reba find they have a lot in common. Since the death of his music-loving wife, Seth has been unable to play a single chord on the piano, and, in the name of her career, Reba, once an avid actress, has avoided the theater. With a Christmas pageant to prepare for and a fresh romance on the horizon, Mrs. Miracle definitely has her work cut out for her and proves to be more than just a normal nanny.

Our Two Cents:
This one is a bit cheesy, as you would expect from a Hallmark Holiday movie, but we can't help but liking it. Maybe it has something to do with James Van Der Beek's deep brown eyes... and we are okay with that.

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

Trailer:

 

Have you seen Mrs. Miracle? Tell us what you thought of it!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Jennifer Cullen (Brooke Burns) is a single, working mom who has become somewhat of a Scrooge when it comes to the Holiday season. Even her six-year-old son Brian is having trouble believing in Santa Claus. When Jen’s Uncle Ralph (Henry Winkler), a retired police officer, comes to visit for Christmas, he brings along a new friend, a nomad and Jack-of-all-trades named Morgan Derby (Warren Christie). The two met on a flight, and Morgan’s plans to continue on to Denver are cancelled when he finds out the city is completely snowed in. Jen is wary of the stranger, but at Ralph’s request, agrees to let him stay the night. She warms up to Morgan, especially when she sees how he interacts with Brian. Uncle Ralph approves of Morgan, too, but Jen’s boyfriend Richard isn’t nearly as receptive. Meanwhile, Morgan has started to really like Jen, but if she can’t manage to make Christmas about anything more than business, Morgan will be on his way to Denver, and she’ll have missed the opportunity that was right in front of her. Uncle Ralph has done what he can to keep Morgan around, but it’s going to take something more than that to get him penciled into Jen’s long-term plans. Jen just needs to learn “how to do Christmas,” and it turns out Morgan is the perfect one to teach her.

Our Two Cents:

Jennifer starts out being a bit unlikeable, but don't let that turn you off. It takes a little while, but she does go through a bit of a transformation and by the end, hopefully, you will be rooting for her. Henry Winkler co-stars as our meddling matchmaker. It's a fairly predictable story (it seems to be a common Christmas movie plot) with a few odd moments and but some that we find effectively funny.

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

Links:
IMDB  •  Buy DVD on Amazon  •   Official Site



Trailer:

Have you seen The Most Wonderful Time of the Year? Tell us what you thought of it!

The Perfect Holiday

Benjamin (Morris Chestnut) is an aspiring songwriter who attempts to break into the music business by giving a copy of his recording track of a Christmas album to a rap artist named J-Jizzy (Charles Q. Murphy). Nancy (Gabrielle Union) is a divorced mother, who is too busy taking care of her three children to take care of herself. Her daughter Emily overhears her mother say that she wished for a compliment from a man, and the daughter tells the local mall's Santa Claus about her mother's wish.

The Santa Claus turns out to be Benjamin, who notices Nancy. Later, while sitting in a Starbucks after his shift as Santa, Benjamin and his friend Jamal (Faizon Love) see Nancy go into a dry cleaners. Benjamin borrows Jamal's jacket, pretends to drop it off at the cleaners, tells Nancy that she's a very attractive woman (granting her wish), and leaves. Eventually, the two start to date and end up falling in love—without Ben realizing that Nancy's ex-husband is J-Jizzy.

Things take a turn for the worse, however, because Nancy's oldest son, John-John is jealous of Benjamin going out with his mother and plots to break up the relationship. What follows is a series of funny and touching scenes that show viewers what "family" is really about.

Our Two Cents:

Mostly this movie wasn't that great, but it wasn't that bad either. It had a lot of annoying things about it. #1 Queen Latifa's character. What the heck is point of her? Nothing against the actress, but we found her character confusing and distracting. Maybe we missed something that happened in the beginning. But it would have been better without whatever she was. #2 We didn't find the romance very believable. They seemed like they were too perfect and in love too suddenly, especially considering that she has 3 kids.

It has a few redeeming qualities to it. #1 J-Jizzy. So basically he and his manager: Hilarious. #2 The kids. Sometimes the kids can kill the movie, sometimes they make the movie. This one is definitely the latter. #3 The premise that he, as the mall Santa, approached Nancy to grant her daughter's wish... Adorable.

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

Links: IMDB  •  Buy DVD on Amazon

Have you seen The Perfect Holiday? Tell us what you thought of it!