Dschungel der Gefühle

A clumsy maid of honor Emily (Rhiannon Fish) creates a catastrophe when she loses the heirloom wedding rings she was safe guarding for her best friends wedding. She goes on a quest and gets help from the ruggedly handsome groom's cousin, who she's not particularly fond of Ryan (Christopher Russell). Their quest takes them thru the Costa Rican jungle and some comical mishaps along the way. Of course it wouldn't be a Hallmark movie without seeing the chemistry start to unfold. What I didn't care for was "the usual misunderstanding" and how the "big catastrophe" was TOO EASILY swept away with a couple of totally unbelievable simple script solutions which turned this movie from something special into something lame! Hallmark you came oh so close to having a REAL THEATRE WORTHY MOVIE on your hands, but you slightly missed the mark with that "solution" Fish and Russell were a delight and perfectly cast!!!!

Rhiannon Fish is a lovely actress, but she plays the seriously klutzy and awkward nurse Emily who has been asked to be the bridesmaid at her best friend's Costa Rican destination wedding. She is also tasked with heirloom wedding rings, which she promptly looses when a monkey steals her backpack. She also has to work with the grooms cousin who she thinks hates her.

This Hallmark romance has a beautiful pura vida ending with a gorgeous Costa Rican waterfall as the backdrop. It makes the film totally worth watching. As awkward as the beginning is, the end is beautiful and worth seeing for a romantic...making this a recommendation for hallmark romantics.

I thought this would be a good one, and I wasn't disappointed.

The combination of an on-location shoot - I mean, those images of Costa Rica are self-explanatory; the scenery is almost the real star of the show - two very good leads in Hallmark veteran Christopher Russell and Australia's Rhiannon Fish (herself nearing Hallmark veteran status now with a string of titles under her belt), and you have all the makings.

That said, Hallmark have managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory before...but thankfully not on this occasion. "A Costa Rican Wedding" is great. Russell and Fish have great chemistry, the acting is, for the most part, good from all concerned, despite the occasional cringey moment, and the ending, as always, is satisfying. It's Hallmark, after all.

More of this couple, please, Crown Media.

"A Costa Rican Wedding" is an endearing romantic comedy that offers a delightful mix of beautiful scenery and an engaging, light-hearted storyline. The film stars Rhiannon Fish and Christopher Russell, who bring a genuine and warm chemistry to their roles, making the romance both believable and enjoyable to watch. Fish's character, Emily, a clumsy and sometimes ditsy bridesmaid, finds herself in a series of amusing misadventures, managing to lose just about everything. Even the bride's mother, played by the wonderfully funny Maureen Kedes, can't help but be skeptical of Emily's antics, adding an extra layer of comedy to the film. Kedes' performance stands out as she effortlessly balances humor with a touch of warmth, making her character both relatable and memorable. Overall, "A Costa Rican Wedding" is a fun, easy-to-watch movie that provides plenty of laughs and a feel-good experience for anyone looking to escape into a charming romantic comedy.

I like Rhiannon Fish but Emily may be the most unlikeable Rom/Com lead ever. She is clumsy, but that can be cute. She is a total moron, arrogant, and refuses all help, much to her detriment. But when she gets really desperate, she starts manipulating Ryan. For literally half the movie Emily screws up one thing after another. Ryan is an OK guy, but Emily was so frustrating it didn't help him look good. Phoebe's parents are totally mean to Emily and even though she probably deserves it, that doesn't make the movie fun to watch.

Their search is totally hopeless despite the importance of what they lost. But since it's Hallmark, I assumed the impossible will happen, but you'll have to see.

As in many of these movies, the whole tone of events changes so quickly the viewer gets whiplash. In this case, at the half way point (with commercials) the relationship settles down and the calamities get a little less depressing. Also like most of these movies, there is a conflict based on a misunderstanding toward the end, but this one comes and goes so quickly, it might as well have been skipped.

There is some great local scenery. And I was a little surprised to find this swimming "scenery" in a Hallmark movie. Not that revealing, but more than the usual.

The midpoint recovery was enough to take this movie from avoid-at-all-costs to almost watchable.