Author: ladybeezdesigns

My Hallmark Obsession

Hallmark Movie Review: A Magical Christmas Village

ladybeezdesignsLeave a comment

Oh I love a good Christmas Village! One of my favorite parts of Christmas decorating is setting up my all my village pieces …..and adding to it every year.

So that…plus Sami Brady… 😉 I was looking forward to this one

So here’s how I break it down:
5 categories, 5 hearts possible in each

CHEMISTRY (between the leads) ❤️❤️❤️ Alright. Alison Sweeney & Luke MacFarlane…I had high hopes….but, alas, this pairing was not utilized to the best of its ability. And I blame it all on that magical village! The scenes between Summer and Ryan were forced and unnatural. The whole “the village made me do it” doesn’t read good chemistry

STORYLINE (overall plot of the movie) ❤️❤️❤️ There were parts of the story that I really liked. I liked the family dynamic of the mom and daughters… It portrayed a real life problem that many families have to deal with. I even liked the magical village….but the transition from the village to real life was too Hokey for me. And I couldn’t wrap my head around whether we were supposed to believe in cosmic/zen/universal fate or a magical village. It just didn’t connect

SUPPORTING CAST ❤️❤️❤️❤️ Sister April and daughter Chloe were both very cute…. But we have to talk about 5 Alarm Viv. I did not think I was going to love her so much! Marlo Thomas got me good. Vivian was so spunky & sassy. Not a typical Hallmark grandma at all! Loved her 😍

FEELS ❤️❤️❤️ Normally my feels come from the romantic pairing… But I got next to nothing out of this one. However, Vivian and Summer’s heart to heart talk/argument really made me tear up.

HALLMARK SURPRISE (what made this different from typical Hallmark movies) ❤️❤️ I wasn’t really surprised by anything other than Ryan & Summer wearing those costumes at the end 🤣 Overall, a pretty average predictable Hallmark movie.

15/25 Really wished they would have done more with these actors. Not one that I would re-watch

My Hallmark Obsession

Hallmark Movie Review: Ghosts of Christmas Always

ladybeezdesignsLeave a comment

Wow.

I’m just sitting here still trying to process the twists and turns of this movie.

This one is GOOD. SO SO GOOD!

nothing that I expected….and everything I want in a Hallmark flick.

So here’s how I break it down:
5 categories, 5 hearts possible in each

CHEMISTRY (between the leads) ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ I had high hopes going into this one with Ian Harding….and not only was I not disappointed…but him and Kim Matula surpassed all my expectations! These two were magical together. Gosh, just watching him fall in love with her and assuming they never would have a chance to be together in the end just yanked at all my heart strings. There was so much more to this movie than the love story, which, as you will see I also loved….but I could have watched an entire 2 more hours of Peter & Kat alone. That’s how amazing the chemistry was. Swoon.

STORYLINE (overall plot of the movie) ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ For being spin on “A Christmas Carol” this sure was the most original plot! There was just so much going on! Multiple families. Multiple time periods. The “Scrooging” The comedy. The tragedy. So many twists and turns. This was one of the more unpredictable Hallmark stories I’ve ever seen. Loved every second. An amazing way to share the season of giving!

SUPPORTING CAST ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Arlene & Roy. I want to be scrooged just to hang out with them for a day! (well, Kat too, obvi) And, Susan! What a trip! I couldn’t tell if she was drunk the entire movie….but I’m going with drunk on Christmas Spirit! 😉

FEELS ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ I am not going to list out all the things that got my heart going….I just really need you to watch it. I may have just felt every emotion possible in these 2 hours. I laughed, I swooned, I was sad & yearning….then shocked…got angry a few times…jolted into tears…missed people….felt Christmas spirit…wanted to punch someone….wanted to hug someone…ALL THE FEELS, my friends.

HALLMARK SURPRISE (what made this different from typical Hallmark movies) ❤️❤️❤️ ❤️❤️ Holy Rooty Tooty! So much of this movie surprised me. The plot was fresh and fun. More than once I had my jaw on the floor. Again…you have to see it for yourself. I got to watch this with my whole family and even my husband said it was one of the best Hallmark movies he’s ever seen.

25/25 A Perfect score? Yes. I will watch this again and again!

My Hallmark Obsession

Hallmark Movie Review: Jolly Good Christmas

ladybeezdesignsLeave a comment

AHHHHH…..LONDON! Happy Christmas!

I was so excited to see Will Kemp in another Hallmark Christmas movie….and the setting……I just knew I would be swooning over him and his glorious accent…..

Then dude starts talking like a straight up American!

Why? Why would you do this to me?

As distracting as it was the ENTIRE movie….I really liked this one!

So here’s how I break it down:
5 categories, 5 hearts possible in each

CHEMISTRY (between the leads) ❤️❤️❤️❤️ Well, darn it all. If it wasn’t for that super duper distracting American accent, these two would have grabbed all 5 hearts. Reshma Shetty & Will Kemp made even the slightest touch feel intimate. Loved watching them race through London or stroll through a Christmas market. Anji & David were JOLLY GOOD meant to be right from their first run in! Aside from the accent, my only other complaint was how unrefined they made David. I realize that was the idea, but it really took away so much of the charm I love in a leading man—especially from Will.

STORYLINE (overall plot of the movie) ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Oh, boy, did I LOVE this story! My main love language is gift gifting…so, honestly, I feel like Anji has my dream job. I love finding the perfect gift for the people I love….watching their joy as they open it…..ahhh…probably why I love Christmas so much! There was so much fun throughout this movie…but it was balanced out with touching family scenes and romance. Frankly, I was quite impressed with how David & Anji’s personal & professional lives were all able to be intertwined and explored so throughly in a short amonut of time. This movie was really well executed in that respect.

SUPPORTING CAST ❤️❤️❤️❤️ I loved to hate on Charlotte until I didn’t. Callum & Emily were such amazing friends….and Anji’s parents: MY HEART! Her mum was just the sweetest! I want to book that guest room please! What a beautiful and lovely cast . They all added so much to this story!

FEELS ❤️❤️❤️❤️ So much of the feels of this movie came from location! How gorgeous were all the lights around the city?!?! Now London is on my list of places I want to visit at Christmastime for sure! The romance feels got me good when Anji was adjusting the angel on the tree…just one slight touch of her arm….then outside David kisses her cheek awkwardly…..oddly my biggest feels came not from a romantic scene at all, but from Anji’s toast at her parents’ Christmas party–that entire scene gave me goosebumps!

HALLMARK SURPRISE (what made this different from typical Hallmark movies) ❤️❤️❤️ The KEYS! I honestly was not expecting that at all! Also just when you think David is going to surprise her himself, he zigs when I was expecting a zag! And last , but not least, the time hop ending….loved it. simple and perfect.

20/25 This one was Jolly Good! I would definitely watch it again!

My Hallmark Obsession

Hallmark Movie Review: A Cozy Christmas Inn

ladybeezdesignsLeave a comment

So, be honest, Hallmark…..did you really think that if you make a movie in the exact same “town” with the same lead actor….SAME premise/plot….as a CCB Christmas movie….WITH her TV sister, that people would not have questions?

This is obviously a sequel to “Christmas Under Wraps”. Everyone knows it. Why not just say it? It’s very un-Hallmarky of you. That’s all I will say about that.

So here’s how I break it down:
5 categories, 5 hearts possible in each

CHEMISTRY (between the leads) ❤️❤️❤️ Ericka & Andy we learned were together BCCB (Before CCB) but split up when Andy moved back home to Garland. They obviously both still hold a candle for each other. Here’s where I found it difficult to get into their relationship. It all was very friend zone. I mean, the poster art is odd, right? Even the big finale closing scene felt forced to me. I LOVE Jodie…..and Jodie Sweetin & David O’Donnell were both good in this one…but I just didn’t feel the heat of them together…..EXCEPT in the observatory. That moment earned them some chemistry hearts.

STORYLINE (overall plot of the movie) ❤️❤️❤️ Well, if this isn’t a Classic Hallmark Plot, I’m not sure what is! If it wasn’t for all the characters pulling us along, this movie would have been a snoozefest for me. I get that it’s probably just Garland for ya, but the cheese level was through the roof….and normally, it wouldn’t bother me too much, but since the romance wasn’t firing on all cylinders, it needed more. YOU HAVE SANTA! They should have leaned more into it….but I guess Andy’s dream was to run an inn, and not be the most magical man of the season!?!?!

SUPPORTING CAST ❤️❤️❤️❤️ Claire, Hattie, & Martin in that order: trifecta of supporting cast comedic gold. Almost every scene they were in made me giggle. But, I guess “That’s Garland for ya” Also, love me a Boss Babe, Vivica A Fox as Sharon……of course, Frank Holiday as the Big SC was adorable too. Claire’s character sold this whole town to me. (hint: it shouldn’t be that way)

FEELS ❤️❤️❤️ Observatory Moment: hands down the highlight of this one for me. I also may have grasped my chest when Andy pulled an entire Coffee shop out of thin air as a surprise. (kinda made those Christmas gifts pale in comparison)

HALLMARK SURPRISE (what made this different from typical Hallmark movies) ❤️❤️ Do you think this movie was originally made for CCB and Jodie Sweetin’s character made written into it after Candance left Hallmark???? Things that make you go….HHMMMMM….. The biggest shock for me was that Frank’s reveal to Ericka wasn’t very shocking at all. Sort of medicore at best….which, when you think about it, sums up the whole movie pretty well.

15/25 It was cute. A fun flick that I am sure my kiddos will love because, well, Stephanie. 🙂 I wouldn’t turn it off if it was on again, but I probably wouldn’t seek it out. I enjoyed it.

P.S. Did anyone pay enough attention to count HOW MANY times someone said ” That’s Garland for ya!” I’m honestly curious.

My Hallmark Obsession · Uncategorized

GAC Family Movie Review: Destined at Christmas

ladybeezdesignsLeave a comment

The first of GAC Family’s “Great American Christmas” 2022….

I really had mixed feelings this entire movie.

So here’s how I break it down:
5 categories, 5 hearts possible in each

CHEMISTRY (between the leads) ❤️❤️❤️ Kim & Theo….oh boy, this really jumped around from scene to scene. I think they were fairly natural together….but to be honest, kind of boring…..the pay off of their second meeting was worth it….but then the time hop was back to being blah. Very strange to go from blah to OOH to blah.

STORYLINE (overall plot of the movie) ❤️❤️❤️ The preview made me dread watching this. A couple meets Black Friday shopping, hit it off and loose each other….then spend the rest of the time “missing” each other at different locations? Well, it was a little better than expected….but not by much. I made it through mid-December when it started to wear thin.

SUPPORTING CAST ❤️❤️ ❤️ Theo’s daughter, Ashley, was pretty sweet. Kim’s ex, Zach, was unbearable. Read the room, man. She is over you. But, then, her entire family is trying to convince her to “go back to Zack” Um, worst family ever. Yuck.

FEELS ❤️❤️ ❤️ I loved the reuniting scene. It gave me butterflies….but, most of the rest of the movie just did not hold my attention.

GAC SPIN (what made this different from typical Hallmark movies) ❤️ I didn’t really feel surprised by anything. Seemed a like a standard Romantic Christmas Movie.

13/25 I’m hopeful & certain that there will be better flicks from GAC’s lineup. Would not watch this one again.