Hallmark’s 2018 ‘Summer Nights’ campaign made a return with its first premiere. The first in a block of five all-new originals, Love on Safari is certainly an adventure to remember.
Love on Safari (2018) Hallmark Review
Chicago is home for web designer Kira Slater (Lacey Chabert). It’s where she’s happy, where she’s building a life with her boyfriend, Brad, and where she works in a job she likes. Her vacation plans fall through when she receives a letter from a lawyer asking that she attend the reading of her uncle’s will; an uncle who owns a wildlife preserve… in South Africa.
Much to the surprise of her boyfriend, and even no-risk-taker Kira herself, off to Africa she heads. Once there, she meets park rangers Tom Anderson (Jon Cor) and Ally (Brittany Bristow), both of whom have a love for the preserve not unlike her uncles. Everything changes when Kira learns it’s she who has inherited this preserve. Overwhelmed and unprepared for the effect it’d have on her life, Kira is suddenly thrust in a role she never expected in a place full of sunsets and adventure.
Love on Safari is different than anything Hallmark has produced before now. The obvious being its script and the large, wildlife that features in many of the scenes. Whether it’s a curious giraffe or elephants playfully spraying one another in the water, you’ll spy plenty of wild creatures alongside Hallmark’s frequent leading lady, Lacey Chabert.
Co-stars Lacey Chabert and Bristow are familiar faces on this network, while leading man Jon Cor is a newcomer. Though this film can’t claim the best chemistry, it’s still a film that allows all the trademarks this network is known for.
What’s most exciting about this one is the on-location shoot the network opts for. As with all of their ‘Summer Nights’ originals, this one goes for the full experience, and the difference is evident in the production’s finish. The location shoot proves to make the experience more of an adventure, and lends authenticity to the story. Not to mention the likelihood of this being a fun experience for the cast!
I must confess that while I did enjoy this, it’s not a favorite. There isn’t that same “spark” (romance) present as in some of my favorites. That said, I still respect the script and its emphasis on family and preserving memories. Between its playful (four-legged) co-stars, and the adventures the story takes its viewers on, as usual Love on Safari is a winning way to unwind and spend an evening in.
Photos: Hallmark Media / Crown Media
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