Some people like the 'Christmas in Evergreen' film series. Others don't. With me, the four films are a bit mixed, was conflicted on the original, didn't care for 'Letters to Santa' and sort of liked but not loved 'Tidings of Joy'. Despite mixed to negative reviews, 'Bells are Ringing' was still seen anyway for curiosity as Hallmark have made some well above average sequels and because of having liked Rukiya Bernard, Hollie Robinson Peete and Barbara Niven in other things.
'Christmas in Evergreen: Bells are Ringing' was for me rather underwhelming and my easy vote for the weakest of the series. It is not a complete loss and has its good things, it takes a lot for me to call a film etc irredeemable (which is usually reserved for SyFy and Asylum mockbusters). But 'Christmas in Evergreen: Bells are Ringing' just didn't come together for me and didn't work. 2020 was a very variable year for Hallmark, and this is among the weakest of the batch.
Am going to begin with the good things. The best thing about it is Bernard, who has a charming warmth and sass. Actually thought that most of the acting was quite good, if more from the female cast than the male. Robinson Peete and Marci House coming off best. Niven was quite convincing too, but she has had better written and less derivative characters elsewhere.
The producion values are lovely, all the Hallmark Christmas films from 2020 delivered on the scenery and the scenery is picture perfect beauty photographed with love. Low budget or rushed production is not obvious. Some pleasant moments in the soundtrack and the marriage delay subplot was quite nice and relatable, the only one that works properly.
However, Antonio Cayonne and Colin Lawrence have nowhere near the same amount of sparkle, Lawrence especially is a bland blank in a nothing role. Cayonne's character is underwritten and his chemistry with Bernard is barely low key and is practically lost by everything else going on in the story. Which really hampers 'Christmas in Evergreen: Bells are Ringing' severely, it tries to include too many plotlines and characters and does too little with most, both Hannah's subplots are badly under-explored. The bells subplot felt like needless padding. There could have been less time on the Scrooge character and that character is very one dimensional and not fleshed out enough.
Like a lot of Hallmark films, the film includes a major change of heart and again like too many of those films the film doesn't do a good job with it. It is much too rushed and too suddenly introduced with too little build up, which was the same with the also too pat ending. Absolutely agree that the first half an hour was forced and unintentionally surreal. The dialogue is very awkward and over the top in this part particularly and is nothing to write about throughout the film.
Overall, didn't come together. 4/10.
