Reviews
Junebug (2024)
Typical Hallmark movie with above average production values
This movie is overloaded with smiles and sweetness. You will probably have to watch some true crime after this to cleanse your palate. Nevertheless, the overarching premise of remembering your childhood dreams is a good one to explore.
The male love interest is honestly too perfect -- a common Hallmark issue. He is artsy, super-calm, incredibly forgiving, encouraging, ridiculously nice, remarkably available, and of course has rock-solid beefy arms. I think it would be great if Hallmark would take a risk and add some complexity to their lead characters -- especially the men.
The acting is fine and the production values are very good, even if it all feels a bit too easy, saccharine, and artificial. It's hard to relate to characters who so easily get everything that they want.
Cinderella in the Caribbean (2023)
Over the top
I know they were going for the Cinderella fairy tale vibe, but it was ridiculous to watch. People aren't like this. All of the good characters are flawless, while all of the bad characters are over the top wicked. It's essentially nonsense.
I'm not sure how someone could enjoy watching this. You spend most of the movie just wanting Cinderella to stand up for herself. It's frustrating.
Again, I know that they specifically wanted to copy Cinderella, but it could have been so much more interesting had they been more subtle (and human) with the character portrayals. Instead, this simply annoys and insults the audience with a relentless lack of realism.
Sweet Pecan Summer (2021)
Stop trying to get exes back together!
Hallmark needs to give up on the old partners getting back together storyline. It's awkward and not terribly interesting. Can we get characters falling in love who haven't already broken up with each other in the past?
As for specifics, this movie irritates more than it charms. The characters are directed to act silly for laughs, but no laughs occur. It's just unrealistically immature and awkward when they try to force this "comedy" on the audience.
If you can get through the first 15 minutes of this movie and want to keep watching then I think you can endure the worst Hallmark movies out there.
Romance in Hawaii (2023)
Too much about Hawaii, not enough about the characters
The best thing about this movie is the background setting. Whether or not it is actually Hawaii, it is beautiful. The actors do a decent job of.pushing the story forward, though the story is predictable and not particularly realistic. The dialogue wasn't the best, but it was serviceable for this genre of movie.
The key issue I have with the movie is that they overdid it on the cultural explanations. I felt like a cult recruit receiving a sales pitch. A little goes a long way, but the writers filled nearly every scene with another explanation of Hawaiian culture. They should have spent more time on the romance. As it was, they made Hawaii the main character, which meant everything else felt undeveloped.
Everything Christmas (2023)
Brutally bad
This movie lives in a fantasy world and repeatedly reminds the viewer by mentioning "magic" every chance it gets. Illogical magic drives every single plot point, which very quickly leaves you rolling your eyes. More than simply being illogical, though, the plot is also boring. There are a couple of plot exposition scenes that leave you looking for the fast forward button if you haven't already tuned out the movie.
If the ridiculous plot isn't enough to sink the movie then Cindy Busby's over the top portrayal of the unhinged lead character ensures viewer dissatisfaction. Another reviewer mentioned that they didn't know how her character functioned, and I have to agree. She is also a bad influence on her friend, trying to get her to dump her job because being a responsible adult is apparently terrible.
The two male love interests in this movie are cardboard cutouts with nothing substantial to say or do. The second lead female character is actually realistic (sorely needed in this mess) and moderately interesting. That's the reason I gave this movie a 2 instead of a 1.
My Norwegian Holiday (2023)
Watchable
I love how half the population of Norway has submitted low reviews about this movie. I would also be annoyed if I was Norwegian, but my review is going to rate the actual movie since I have no idea how authentic the Norwegian content is.
I liked the production value. The settings were nice, the feel was right, and it was unique enough to merit watching. I also really liked Rhiannon Fish's character. She had quirks to make her relatable but not so many quirks as to be annoying. I was neutral on her before this movie, but she is the best part of this one and now I'm a fan.
If I had to crticize the movie, I would say the setup for the plot was ridiculous. Rhiannon's character was WAY too trusting after this random dude tracked her down at her workplace (in a school, no less) and showed up to see her. That's when you call for help, not decide to travel with him to Norway. Then when she mentioned she should Google him, he begged her not to. Not alarming at all!
The More Love Grows (2023)
If you're not a dog person, don't even bother
The dog is in nearly every scene, which wouldn't necessarily bother a non-dog lover if the rest of the movie was any good -- but it wasn't. The writing was poor. The characters behaved in an unrealistic way. The topic of separation and either reconiciliation or moving on is an interesting one, but this movie was too focused on "cute" dog moments to bother digging deeper into the core human issues in its plot. Your husband just left you. I don't need to see you giggling with a stray dog.
I am a Rachel Boston fan, but her character was just off in this movie. The cluelessness about the separation, the.chiding of her friends who just wanted to support her, the desire to lie to her young adult daughter about the separation, and her lightning quick rebound dates all took me out of enjoying the movie.
Fourth Down and Love (2023)
Another second chance romance
Hallmark is making too many movies where the lead couple already knows each other from their romantic past. I don't find it compelling. I would like to see two people meet and learn about each other during the movie. It's a shame that all of that discovery process happened years ago so we don't see any of it. All we are left to do is wonder why they gave up on each other years ago, when their resentment will subside, and why they think the outcome will be different this time around.
The rest of the movie is fine -- typical Hallmark stuff really, which is probably what most viewers of this movie want. The actors were pretty good, and the football content was actually very good. I just think the movie would have been nicer if the leads were as new to each other as they are to us.
Making Waves (2023)
Another movie about high school exes
Hallmark seems to have this obsession lately with high school exes getting back together after many years apart. And in all of these movies, these couples broke up in high school after a weak misunderstanding rather than the far more obvious issue breaking up high school couples: They grew up and moved on. Why have none of these people moved on?
There isn't enough drama here. The main couple falls back together without any effort, which doesn't make for a good movie. I prefer the movies where there is a spark of excitement about meeting someone new rather than running over old ground.
I agree with other comments. If you are going to include the location as part of your storyline then you should film a good chunk of the movie on location.
Hijack (2023)
Flawed but entertaining
There was a lot wrong with this show, but I always wanted to keep watching.
The first half of the series was much better than the last half. I would rate the first few episodes either a 9 or a 10, and the last few episodes close to a 4 or 5. The plot started to veer away from the narrow scope of a hijacking, and that created a lot of problems for the plausibility of the script. I also thought they forced Idris Elba's character into too many events. He did a great job as an actor, but his character was somewhat farcical.
But I would watch another show just like this, despite the plot holes and eyeroll moments. It entertained.
The Undeclared War (2022)
Episode 3 was awful
Whoever decided to make Episode 3 entirely Russian-speaking with subtitles made a major mistake. The first two episodes were pretty good, but I felt victimized by a bait and switch with the all-Russian third episode. It really ground the series to a halt. The hour of backstory was not worth the detour from the main plot. It was neither entertaining nor interesting. If they wanted to provide some backstory, they could have limited it to a 5-minute scene and spared us the boredom.
I agree with reviewers saying that the lead character's first day on the job was a bit too outlandish to believe, but the overarching story was still intriguing. I think there is a good plot in here somewhere, but the writers sort of dropped the ball in presenting it to us.
Aloha Heart (2023)
More boring than usual
Hallmark movies are never exciting. I get that. I know what I signed up for with this movie, but this one was especially dull. The friend's wedding sequence was way too long. It was a big "Who cares?" moment. The rest of the movie didn't have much happen either. What should they have done instead? How about showing us how this lead couple falls for each other? That would have been so much more interesting. A couple looks here and there isn't enough.
The lead characters seemed like a ridiculous match, and not just because of the obvious age gap. I can accept age gaps as a thing that happens. What doesn't happen, though, is someone on vacation from the mainland US trying to date someone from Hawaii. Get real! In the real world, this would end up being a fling at best.
Yes, the scenery was excellent, but that's not enough to carry a movie. Realistic situations and better writing is what is needed. This movie looks like they spent about 3 days making it, and it just wasn't good enough.
A Playful Love (2022)
The chicken ad was an all-time low
This movie was awful. The supporting characters were annoying. They went for comedy with the over the top drama teacher and failed miserably. The work assistant seemed like she had a fake accent. Every line sounded awkward because of it.
The lead characters were slightly better, but they still spent too much of the movie interacting like snarky coworkers rather than potential romantic partners. Their kids had the most genuine interactions in the movie, so I give them credit for that.
The worst part of the movie, though, was the outstandingly obvious and insultingly out of place advertisment for chicken. The kid said the brand name, showed the package of the chicken, then put it on the table for the camera to zoom in on it. Then the four lead characters gathered around to sit and eat the chicken, while one of them described how convenient, high-quality, and healthy it was. Product placement can be acceptable, but they wrote an entire scene around this garbage. Brutal.
Love Amongst the Stars (2022)
Lead character is obnoxious
I don't know what the lead woman sees in the lead man. He is completely obnoxious! He rudely abandoned a dinner, cut her off when she would speak, and even booed her when she was explaining something. He booed her! This is not the behaviour of a rational adult. He was a petulant child through the first half of the movie.
The supporting cast is good. Actually, maybe the main cast is good too, but the rudeness of the male lead was a complete turn-off.
The pacing of the movie was good. While not exciting, you don't really expect that in this genre. The leads spend a good deal of time together, which was a good choice. All in all, it's watchable.
Beauty and the Billionaire (2022)
The lead male's character destroys the movie
The lead male is incredibly unrealistic. He's wealthy, but wealthy people don't act like he does. No one does. And this isn't just occasional bits of jerky behaviour -- it's every single word and interaction he has. He is completely awful. He is an irredeemable jerk, and for some reason, everyone is all too willing to put up with it. A bunch of sellouts acquiescing to the jerk. That's not a great setup for a movie.
Obviously the plot and characters evolve in ways you can probably predict, but the opening half hour destroys any hope of realism the movie hoped to attain.
The scenery, though, is spectacular. It kept me watching, despite the fact that the lead character was despicable.
Let Love Grow (2023)
Sparkless relationship
The lead male character is so boring! He was written to be dull, soft-spoken, unemotional, uninteresting, and unfunny. He has all of the charisma of a pet rock. His interactions with the rest of the characters almost feel unhuman -- like a robot with bad AI guiding its actions.
The lead female character was more interesting, but I just couldn't see what she saw in him. He is obviously good looking, but even the most shallow person needs more than that from a relationship. In real life, I think she would be bored by him halfway through the first date, though her best friend in the movie claimed they had sparks and chemistry. They sure kept those hidden from us.
And that's the problem with the movie. It's a relationship movie where the relationship has no fire to it.
Love's Greek to Me (2023)
Unpleasant
Unlike most Hallmark movies, the romantic couple is already together from the start. So the entire drama comes down to planning a wedding, which to me shouldn't be a drama at all. I know people get a bit crazy about weddings, but a lot of it comes down to planning and random errands being run. That's not much to sustain a movie, so of course the writers chose to make the bride's mother in law a terror. In between moments of her being terrible, we get to watch the lead couple tasting wine and forcing out the most cringeworthy lines.
Unfortunately, this movie was not funny enough to carry the weight of such an overbearing mother in law. Who would marry into this mess? It was unpleasant to watch and made me want to find a more conventional Hallmark "meet and fall in love" movie without the annoying inlaws.
North Shore (2023)
Imperfect, but very watchable
As long as you don't expect something amazing then you have a good shot at enjoying this show. There are enough characters to keep it from getting dull. The episodes don't feel too padded with filler. The subplots are fairly interesting, and the overarching main plot is pretty good.
The best aspect of the show, though, is the cast. While they weren't always given great dialogue to work with, I did like the range of characters they displayed. They somehow made most of the plot feel realistic. I didn't fully buy into the ending reveal, but it was good enough to avoid letting down the rest of the show.
All in all, I would rank this show ahead of most new miniseries I've seen lately. This isn't Mad Men, The Wire, or Breaking Bad, but it's worth a view.
Four Days in November (1964)
Excellent summary of what happened
I appreciated the chronological telling of the story. This documentary relied a lot on narration rather than interviews, but I still think it made for compelling viewing. Everything was tastefully done and reported with accuracy.
There are two reasons I can't give it above an 8 out of 10:
The coverage of the actual day of the shooting felt rushed. I think the existence of the Zapruder film, which the doc-makers would not have known about back then, has made this part of the doc seem lacking by comparison. I can't faul the filmmakers for that, but it's something that dates the documentary.
The other reason this film wasn't perfect was because too much time was given to the somber aftermath. Yes, it was important to include footage from the procession and the funeral, but devoting 30 minutes was too much.
The Detectives (2018)
Much better than the average true crime show
I like a lot about this series.
They got the actual detectives from the cases to talk through the investigations. I felt this gave the show a weightier impact than had a narrator presented everything.
The tone was very professional -- cases were neither sensationalized nor presented as entertainment. It's tricky to get the tone just right with a show like this, but they did.
The reenactments were appropriately presented and well-acted. Some similar shows would overdo it on the suspense and try to turn everything into a horror movie. This show resisted that temptation and merely stuck to what I assume are the facts.
I would love it if CBC produced more seasons. I raced through the first three seasons in less than a week.
Fleishman Is in Trouble (2022)
Get over yourselves
That's my feedback for all these characters.
This show would have been much better if they had used middle class characters, not upper-middle pretentious jerks who seek to extract more from the world than they give back in return. The biggest problem is that the characters are mostly not relatable, and that makes it very difficult to like any of them.
The narration was also annoying. A little bit of narration goes a long way. A lot of narration gets old in a hurry -- and that happens early in the first episode.
The subject matter could be really interesting with better characters who weren't so privileged. I mean, who really wants to cheer for the guy who gets unlimited matches on a dating app? Everyone hates that guy.
Fall Into Winter (2023)
Watch this for tips on how to make a movie boring
This movie was dull. The storyline was utilitarian. We've seen many similar stories before in this genre, so it shouldn't have sunk the movie on its own.
The actors weren't great. Loughlin still has her obvious beauty, but she gets more and more fake with her acting as the years go by. Her line delivery was so stilted. Tupper's wasn't great either. Tupper and Loughlin did a great job being awkward, but watching two leads be awkward for an entire movie isn't a great watch.
And the music...this was another fatal flaw. It seemed like it was designed to drive viewers crazy. If your script isn't conveying the emotion you want then fix the script. Don't layer on this awful non-music music to try to evoke a feeling.
Dull story, bad script, awkward leads, poor line delivery, and annoying backing music. It's a miracle I made it through this one.
When Love Springs (2023)
Annoyingly silly
They went way too heavy on the goofy cornball jokes in the opening 20 minutes. It was a struggle to get through it. I would describe the lead character as preposterous, immature, quirky, unrealistic, and annoying. It's hard to get into a movie when the lead is so over the top.
Even the flirting is cringeworthy. I feel like I'm watching a Saturday Night Live skit -- and not a particularly funny one either.
Maybe the movie gets better after the first half hour, but I just couldn't take it past that point myself. I really hope Hallmark gives up on this sillier side of their usual genre of movies.
A Splash of Love (2022)
I like the way they treat each other
In too many of this genre of movies, the two romantic leads end up sparring with each other until the second half of the movie. In this one, however, they display kindness and genuine fondness for each other. It was a refreshing change! I hope to see more of the same going forward because I don't think anyone watches this stuff to see couples acting like oil and water.
Some of the side shows and B-plots were rough around the edges, the science wasn't all correct, and I could see some bits irritating viewers, but overall I think this comes across as cute and charming. There was a realism to the relationship circumstances that I think many of us could relate to.
Love in Aruba (2021)
So safe it's bland -- but watchable
The two lead characters would make the most dull couple imaginable. If they went on a first date, I am certain they would end it with a handshake. It's a decidedly unromantic romance movie. If you squint hard enough, you might be able to see one or two forced sparks fly, but I almost want to talk them out of it rather than cheer them on. I would especially want to know from Amber what she sees in Connor.
That said, the overarching plot and background scenery keep this movie watchable. I thought the child actor did a good job in her role, and her interactions with the leads were much better than is usual in this genre.