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Reviews
A Christmas Together with You (2021)
Started Strong, But Fell Short in the End
Personally, I thought the first half of the storyline started out strong with a road trip adventure to find an old flame and the fact that Frank's romantic history wasn't revealed all at once, bringing a bit of curiosity. Megan and Frank's relationship was sweet and endearing too, with its own unique charm to a father/daughter-like relationship.
In the second half of the storyline, the plot got a little zanier and the romance between Megan and Steve was just rushed. Megan is pretty passive when it came to the romance, and there was no emotional work for her on the screen concerning her past and if she actually wanted to choose the guy and the town (considering she was running from the town and the guy minutes before and it seemed to hinge on her issues, more than his). Also, they could have tried to build the romance between the two more.
It was pretty obvious there was more thought and work put into the older couple's story, Frank and Claire (whose storyline was so sweet). Whereas, Megan and Steve's romance only managed to cover the surface-level things and then a big bow was placed on top of it.
Sad that what I thought was a movie I'd watch again and again, flipped to a never mind or maybe if it's on.
The Nine Lives of Christmas (2014)
A Charming, Funny and Cute Christmas Movie!
One of favorite Christmas TV movies! This movie has a charming romance with strong chemistry between the leads, great comedy, and endearing characters - plus cute cats! I would definitely recommend this movie - it's adorable!
P. S. Just skip the sequel.
The Nine Kittens of Christmas (2021)
Perhaps a Sequel Wasn't the Best Choice.
I adored The Nine Lives of Christmas. So, I was curious when I heard this movie was going to have a sequel. Unfortunately, The Nine Kittens of Christmas doesn't have the same charm and endearing romantic element that its predecessor has in spades.
Mainly, there's a lot of backtracking in the storytelling - specifically with the character growth of the leads, especially the hero (Zach). Also, the beautiful ending in The Nine Lives of Christmas is basically cancelled out. In the sequel, we essentially discover that the leads broke up and were apart for 5 years, and even in the years Marilee and Zach were dating, Zach's commitment phobia was still present and his spirit of taking a leap of faith and fighting for his love with Marilee has evaporated (which is completely contrary to the prior movie's ending). This backtracking might have allowed the writers to build and create conflict for this movie. However, it also created an uphill battle from audience disappointment about where/how we find the leads and how the character, the hero, we knew then has regressed.
There was also a minor continuity issue, which could fall into this category. In The Nine Lives of Christmas, Sam, the fire chief, said he couldn't adopt Ambrose the cat because his wife, Harriet, is allergic. In The Nine Kittens of Christmas, Sam's wife, Harriet, insists that they adopt two kittens and even implies that they used to have cats in their house before then. This one was a minor, confusing flaw, but it made me wonder about the effort in the writing.
Overall, The Nine Kittens of Christmas couldn't measure up to the expectations and the quality and charm of the original.
Love at First Bark (2017)
Super Cute!
Super cute movie, great chemistry between the leads, enjoyable story/plot. Love at First Bark is a movie I love watching again and again. It's charming, sweet and wonderfully adorable.
When Calls the Heart: Open Season (2021)
Inconsistent Writing
Inconsistent writing: figuring it out as they go along, leads to a not well-thought out resolution in the finale. Lots of characters are doing things that are out of character. For example, Lucas building a school while away for three months but is previously done for not being able to build bookshelves in the school library. Also, Clara is openly discussing her problems with everyone, when she usually does so privately in one-on-one conversations.
When Calls the Heart: Honestly, Elizabeth (2021)
Inconsistent Writing
Inconsistent writing: figuring it out as they go along, leads to a not well-thought out resolution in the finale.
When Calls the Heart: From the Ashes (2021)
Inconsistent Writing
Inconsistent writing: figuring it out as they go along, leads to a not well-thought out resolution in the finale. The oil rig seems like a major storyline this episode, but it only last a few minutes. Overall, very anti-climatic.
When Calls the Heart: Welcome to Hope Valley (2021)
Inconsistent Writing
Inconsistent writing: figuring it out as they go along, leads to a not well-thought out resolution in the finale. Kevin McGarry and Jaeda Lily Miller truly shine in their scenes regarding the inquiry. Jack Wagner is wonderful too. A truly great storyline.
When Calls the Heart: What the Heart Wants (2021)
Inconsistent Writing
Inconsistent writing: figuring it out as they go along. Rachel getting lost in the woods is confusing, random and doesn't further the plot.
When Calls the Heart: Before My Very Eyes (2021)
Inconsistent Writing
Inconsistent writing: figuring it out as they go along leads to a poor and cheap resolution in later episodes. Florence and Ned's scenes are precious, heartwarming, and the best part of the episode. The Canfields offer wisdom and prove they are a great addition to the cast.
When Calls the Heart: A Parade and a Charade (2021)
Inconsistent Writing, Secondary Storylines are Drawn Out
Inconsistent writing: figuring it out as they go along. A wonderful performance by Kevin McGarry in this episode; he truly shines in his scene about Fort Clay. Great acting! Secondary storylines, like Jesse and Clara, are definitely drawn out and feeling repetitive; this couple has been talking about their issues for a long time, but viewers are not rewarded by seeing their make-up talk or watching them work through the depths of their issues. It's addressed in the next episode to a degree, but they could have dug deeper. Viewers still never learn why Jesse invested all their money into a scam without telling Clara and what motivated him to make that choice - we never learn.
When Calls the Heart: Pre-Wedding Jitters (2021)
Inconsistent Writing, But Kevin McGarry Truly Shines.
Inconsistent writing: figuring it out as they go along. A wonderful performance by Kevin McGarry in this episode; he truly shines in his scenes. Secondary storylines, like Faith and Carson, are definitely drawn out and feeling repetitive.
When Calls the Heart: Old Love, New Love, Is This True Love (2021)
Inconsistent Writing, But There Are Some Highlights.
Inconsistent writing: figuring it out as they go along. A choppy episode overall, no smooth transitions - especially in the first half of the episode. Lots of the redeemable moments in this episode are with Florence and Ned and their bridal party.
When Calls the Heart: Changing Times (2021)
Inconsistent Writing
Inconsistent writing: figuring it out as they go along. Too many storylines, which lead to overcrowding in the episode. Moving into the finale episode, very few things are resolved.
When Calls the Heart: The Kiss (2021)
Season 8 is not that great!
Honestly, season 8 is not great. It's terrible writing!
In the aftermath of the season 8 finale, the writers and cast admitted to not having a plan for their writing and resolution of the love triangle that has lasted 3 whole seasons. Instead, they were trying to figure out how to end the love triangle as they went along. IT SHOWS. Season 8 is a product of inconsistent and unthoughtful writing, in addition to episode overcrowding from too many storylines (many of which don't progress the story or plot). The finale features an abrupt ending that contradicts the story being told from the 2 prior season and parts of season 8 as well. Therefore, it renders the whole season unsatisfying, confusing and illogical.
Foremost, the Elizabeth and Lucas ending makes no sense. In each episode, the writers deliberately highlight what they want us to see. In Elizabeth and Lucas's relationship, there was nothing to convince me that what they have is true love or something that could last a lifetime. Elizabeth and Lucas have never had any deep conversations - and they have had multiple opportunities. All of their conversations are shallow and surface level. They could have developed their relationship (they should have considering the ending Hallmark chose), but they didn't. They could have connected emotionally and deeply - but instead, they prioritized physical touch and surface-level discussions that went no deeper than books above all else. This is not a strong or firm foundation for any relationship. This is not true love. This is not meant to be. It's unconvincing, cheap, and superficial. It was a drastic leap and they missed the landing. It's terrible writing and they could have done so much better.
The triangle aside, the storylines for the secondary characters were not strong either. There was pointless drama with Clara and Jesse. We knew they had problems, but they never supplied why they were having problems and what motivated them to make their choices. There was no backstory or opportunity to empathize more richly with the characters and their struggles. There was no gradual build either. It could have been so much more. The back-and-forth with Faith and Carson, regarding whether he should stay or go, lasted too long and was repetitive. There were too many random storylines that did not progress the plot. For example, Robert running away on the horse and Rachel getting lost in the woods. There were also plenty of things that were out of character. For example, in season 7, when Jesse was in danger during a windstorm, Clara went out determined to look for him, no matter the conditions. In season 8, when Jesse is missing for 3 days, Clara stays home and makes herself busy by baking a cake.
This season was about the triangle to get higher ratings and it shows. Hope Valley is no longer the same.
Teen Beach 2 (2015)
A Complete Drop from the Original Teen Beach & Not a Good Sequel
There comes a time when one decides to watch a Disney Channel movie because they want to watch something upbeat, cute and fun to pass the time. That's how I ended up watching Teen Beach and was pleasantly surprised. I really liked the choreography, songs and the plot (though highly unlikely) was pretty good. I liked it for what it was and was definitely interested in checking out the sequel.
However, the sequel completely strips away everything I liked about the first, especially by canceling out the first movie by making the end of Teen Beach 2 rule out the complete existence of "Wet Side Story" and the leads (Mack and Brady) knowledge of the other's existence until they re- meet.
I liked the premise of the movie though of Mack and Brady going back to school and realizing the couple version of them in the summer is different from who they are in school. Except, when the cast of "Wet Side Story" entered the scene - the whole movie went downhill. Don't get me wrong, I like the characters from "Wet Side Story" but the writers didn't know how to juggle the two alternate worlds very well and the objectives for the characters could have been better.
I hated how I felt this movie went in circles and didn't progress forward. Like how the songs from the first were re-featured, not in a new feeling way that could be applicable to a new situation but more for the sake of singing the song. Or how the cast of "Wet Side Story" left the real world, then came back to the real world, only to have to leave again. Was that necessary? The earlier tensions between the leads basically dissolved on their own or had no substantial backing. And, of course, I hated the ending! Mostly because the adventure of the first and second movie is completely wiped from the memory of the leads and they have to start all over again in their relationship because the movie "Wet Side Story" changed. A Whole New Alternate Reality? SMH.
In my opinion, this movie missed the mark. They had all the right tools (formula of acting, singing, and dancing) but didn't know how to use the equipment... Sad, really. I wish that Teen Beach Movie was left as a stand-alone or instead the "Wet Side Story" cast was drawn to the real world to show Mac and Brady they are meant to be together in their school lives, through substantial plot, while simultaneously learning about the real world themselves. Oh Well! Another one bites the dust.