This was a very cute Christmas romance movie from Hallmark. Was it a little hokey? Sure. But it's supposed to be a fun fantasy, with Santa himself, thinly disguised as a guy who plays Santa, providing all kinds of magic to ensure that our heroine Melanie gets together with Dean, the guy who's clearly right for her, instead of her current workaholic boyfriend Justin. Often, in such movies, the magic of Santa is more subtle, but by the time you see a bear magically appear out of thin air, you realize that subtlety is the last thing this movie is going for. But you don't mind, because it's so enjoyable.
Lacey Chabert as Melanie was a gem, as always. This movie was rather early in her illustrious career at Hallmark, and it's easy to see how she became a staple of that network. She's sweet, warm and very authentic. The kind of girl that you know our hero Dean won't be able to resist for very long. Adam Mayfield also did a fine job playing Dean, giving us a leading man who exuded charm and just plain niceness. The chemistry between the two was good. Their repartee was easy and never forced, with the exception of a couple of cringy, abortive attempts at kisses, which seem to be almost a requirement of Hallmark romances.
I've never been a big fan of the trope of the protagonist being in a relationship with the "wrong" person, while spending the entire movie quasi-cheating on them with someone else who is clearly the "right" person. In this case, though, it seemed more palatable. Melanie and Dean weren't consciously trying to flirt with each other. They were forced together by "circumstances" that were carefully orchestrated by Santa. Also, it's abundantly clear that Melanie's boyfriend Justin sees her as more of an accessory than a true girlfriend. It also helps that Santa was able to arrange for Justin to connect with Blaire, who was a much better fit for him.
The final romantic connection between Melanie and Dean was a bit more forced and rushed than I would have liked. I wish they had shown a bit more remorse at Melanie cheating on Justin when she and Dean finally gave in to their obvious attraction for each other. They seemed rather nonchalant about the whole thing.
Otherwise, I enjoyed this movie a lot. It wasn't perfect, but it was fun and enjoyable, and I'd say it was one of the better Christmas romances that Hallmark has produced. Any lover of the genre will come away from this movie with a big smile on their face.
Lacey Chabert as Melanie was a gem, as always. This movie was rather early in her illustrious career at Hallmark, and it's easy to see how she became a staple of that network. She's sweet, warm and very authentic. The kind of girl that you know our hero Dean won't be able to resist for very long. Adam Mayfield also did a fine job playing Dean, giving us a leading man who exuded charm and just plain niceness. The chemistry between the two was good. Their repartee was easy and never forced, with the exception of a couple of cringy, abortive attempts at kisses, which seem to be almost a requirement of Hallmark romances.
I've never been a big fan of the trope of the protagonist being in a relationship with the "wrong" person, while spending the entire movie quasi-cheating on them with someone else who is clearly the "right" person. In this case, though, it seemed more palatable. Melanie and Dean weren't consciously trying to flirt with each other. They were forced together by "circumstances" that were carefully orchestrated by Santa. Also, it's abundantly clear that Melanie's boyfriend Justin sees her as more of an accessory than a true girlfriend. It also helps that Santa was able to arrange for Justin to connect with Blaire, who was a much better fit for him.
The final romantic connection between Melanie and Dean was a bit more forced and rushed than I would have liked. I wish they had shown a bit more remorse at Melanie cheating on Justin when she and Dean finally gave in to their obvious attraction for each other. They seemed rather nonchalant about the whole thing.
Otherwise, I enjoyed this movie a lot. It wasn't perfect, but it was fun and enjoyable, and I'd say it was one of the better Christmas romances that Hallmark has produced. Any lover of the genre will come away from this movie with a big smile on their face.