Christmas Movies: Mini Reviews

Since I’ve posted so many Christmas movies, I thought that repetitively reviewing televised seasonal movies may be tiresome to you all. But, I do like sharing about favorites, so instead of “full” reviews, I’ll share some “quick” thoughts on some of the Christmas movies I have recently watched. A post that will be the last (*sniff, sniff*) of the Christmas films around here considering the date. However I make no promises… especially since I have more yet to watch. You never know, this may mean some show up in the week after Christmas.

Featured below is not one or two but five of the recent Christmas movies I’ve either re-watched or seen for the first time this year. Read on below to find out more about them.

Christmas Bounty (2013)

Have you ever watched a crazy Christmas movie in which everything goes array? Or one that uses the “meet the parents” ploy to add pressure? (Think Christmas with the Kranks or Deck the Halls.) This trope basically sums up this new movie. Starring ABC Family Channel alumni, Francia Rasia, the story follows Tory, a teacher whose world is about to get a whole lot of complicated. Currently in a relationship, this Jersey girl is poised to get everything she ever dreams of. But then an ominous phone call lures her back home to her roots, and her former life.

The family business is an unusual one to say the least and along with her parents, it turns out Tory has a secret life – she’s a bounty hunter. Things get more interesting when her boyfriend shows up unexpectedly, Tory’s ex Mike still works with her parents and the man she once put away isn’t taking it well.

In a nutshell, Christmas Bounty is cute. There was nothing fantastic about it or anything unique but seriously, I laughed through the entire 70-minutes. And if you’re wondering if that runtime is a type-o, no you read that right – this one is a shortie which on the upside is nice since most movies of this genre can get away with telling a story in a reasonably brief amount of time and anything else is just awkward pieces of material to fill time. Sometimes the absurd does get in the way of “realistic” story-telling, however what filmmakers were striving to do was create an extensive gap between the world Tory came from and the world she created for herself. Bridging this drastic of a chasm doesn’t always work but…

For this script, everything comes together nicely. Francia, Mike Mizanin and Company thrive without taking anything too seriously. Plus for adrenaline junkies, there are some decent action sequences here which is distinctive to the “safe” reliability of Christmas movies. If you like The Bounty Hunter or any Christmas movie that takes crazy to a whole new level, check out Christmas Bounty.

CONTENT: there are a few instances of profanity and one or two instances of innuendo. Immodest clothing (jokes are made about Tory’s mother wearing low-cut tops).

A Christmas Kiss (2011)

Life isn’t exactly ideal. But for Wendy Walton (Laura Breckenridge), working as an assistant to New York’s top interior designer is where she needs to be. As an aspiring decorator, Wendy hopes that getting her foot in the company means someday, she’ll earn clients. The trouble is, Pricilla (Elisabeth Röhm) is a demanding boss. She doesn’t give Wendy the opportunities she knows Wendy can pull off. Instead Pricilla sends her for coffee, and petty jobs Wendy complies with at the drop of a hat.

Things become complicated when Wendy shares a spontaneous kiss in the elevator with a stranger, a stranger that turns out to be the wealthy Adam Hughes (Brendan Fehr) – and coincidentally, Pricilla’s boyfriend.

TV FILM REVIEW | Christmas Joy – Sparkles and Sweet Cookies

With sprinkles of fairy tale charm and plenty of Christmas cheer, this is one of the most endearing Christmas movies from its yearly line-up. With festive settings and “magical” moments, the romantic comedy is part Cinderella fable and part Christmas script. All of which is festooned with an overabundance of holiday ornamentation. If I were to nitpick, I’d complain about the wardrobe which could have been otherwise cool but… eh, nothing is ever quite right.

You know how in movies there is usually one “fancy” scene to anticipate, and you think the character will be dressed to the nines? Yeah, that moment in this movie is a letdown. The silver lining is that Laura Spencer has a role in this movie albeit a small one. Either way, I have to confess it’s fun going back to watch this now knowing her from The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. That alone is worth something. If you like a fun fairy tale, be sure to check this one out.

Christmas Magic (2011)

Lindy Booth stars in this Hallmark original that tells the story of a successful career woman. When she becomes an accident victim, she wakes up with a “spirit guide” and a mission. In order to cross over, Carrie must help a single father rediscover the meaning of life. Anyone who likes Family Man, A Christmas Carol or the classic Jimmy Stewart It’s a Wonderful Life will no doubt pull similarities from all three of these. It does offer alternatives, and places its heroine on a path of what could-have-been. Then it teaches her what it means to indulge in that perspective rather than viewing life through a narrow gaze of worldly prosperity.

At its heart, this is a good movie. If you scrutinize it too severely, cracks begin to appear. So much so, you wonder at writers spinning another tale of pseudo-sorrow. The unique seal of this film is how “real” its characters are. You see each of them and feel like they fit the mold of their character; no one is miscast or visually seems misplaced and that’s part of what makes the movie work. Sure, the price of that is a simple, family-friendly romance that doesn’t use chemistry in a sparks flying sort of dynamic to further or enhance the moments between Carrie and her would-be beau yet all the same, the scenes were sweet. There are some priceless (sappy) moments, decorations galore and a little Christmas magic for anyone to behold.

Coming Home for Christmas (2013)

Five years is the gap between when sisters Kate (Carly McKillip) and Melanie (Britt McKillip) last spoke. Eldest Kate left the family home on the day of Mel’s wedding. The O’Brien family lives in the same small town, but the girls haven’t seen or spoke to each other since that day. Suddenly everything changes when Kate learns that their parents (George Canton, Amy Jo Johnson) have separated. Five years melt away in an instant. Instead of a foolish feud with her best friend, Kate realizes that in order to give her family a family Christmas, she needs Mel at her side… even if that means pulling off the impossible.

This Norman Rockwell inspired movie may be one of 2013’s best. I quite enjoyed watching it and willingly got wrapped up in its simplistic charm. A relationship between sisters isn’t always easy to script with accuracy. However I think this one is fair, honest and easy to relate to.

Given the five year blank space in which the girls were absent from the others life, the awkwardness is real. But above their past, the friendship between them is foremost at the center. As the story progresses, they don’t figure everything out, but I cannot help but smile at their reminiscing or the cute reconciliation music scene. Fun trivia fact: the actresses who play these parts is the Canadian musical sister duo One More Girl. I suspect this is the reason why music plays such an important role in the lives of their characters.

Just as any Christmas movie should be, at its core, this story is about family. It’s refreshing to see a film that doesn’t lose focus of the relationship between Kate and Melanie. It’s a nice switch up for the romantic comedy bit to be in the background. Never fear, sweet romance does play a role – and I quite adore it! (Although admittedly, this could have to do with the hero being a former marine. Who doesn’t love a hero in uniform, right!?) If you’re interested in something new this holiday season, look into this one. The scenery, characters and in general, everything is lovely. It reminds us that no matter what happens, family is important, and we’re never too old to come home for Christmas.

CONTENT: mild references reveal that a married man wasn’t faithful to his wife and was a flirt only interested in marriage for appearances sake.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (2008)

This is one of my very favorite holiday movies. It’s one of Hallmark’s oldie but goodies, and a frequent re-watch. It tells the story of a single mother, Jen (Brooke Burns). She’s a list-making, type A personality with visions of a “perfect” Christmas. Only trouble is, she doesn’t have a clue how to make a turkey with all the trimmings. When her uncle Ralph (Henry Winkler) visits for the holidays, Jen’s lists grow longer. The plan? Give her son a special day, and dazzle her future in-laws. All of this goes according to plan until Ralph brings a stranger (Warren Christie) home with him.

There is something about this movie that’s… irresistible. The cast works well together, and I adore the chemistry between the leads. The spunk comes from Henry Winkler’s corner, and he nails every one-liner. Young Brian is also quite cute in a very serious kind of way – think reflections of Susan from Miracle on 34^th Street. To add humor is the rare appearance of a nosy neighbor; and Jen’s worry over manufacturing an old-fashioned Christmas. The only thing about this one that may not set well with would-be viewers is its bad case of “insta-love.” If you consider the time frame, it’s hardly realistic to expect Jen to react as she does over Morgan, and vice versa. However, romantic that I am, I accept it and also don’t take anything too seriously. If you keep that forefront, then you’ll understand why this film has the most popularly coined phrase to describe this season as its title!

A 'mini review' post of *five* #ChristmasMovies! Have you seen any of these? Which are your favorites? Christmas Movies: Mini Reviews Share on X

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What about you, friends? Do you have a favorite Christmas movie from this year… or any? Share in the comments, you know I’d love to read about it.