lasreviews

One of the cool things about this film had to do with how many different age groups it was created for. There were interviews with preschoolers, senior citizens, and everyone in-between those age groups, too. This mean that the storytelling worked on multiple levels depending on how closely a viewer could pay attention and how much they already knew about this world. It is not easy to create something that everyone can enjoy, so kudos to the director and crew for pulling it off!

This documentary bounced around quite a bit between various people and their pets. As much as I liked seeing so many different types of animals and people from a wide variety of backgrounds, it was tricky for me as a viewer to feel deeply connected to any of them due to how little screen time they all received. I would have loved to see a smaller number of folks be interviewed so more time could be spent exploring their connections with their furry - or sometimes not so furry - companions.

Every aspect of owning a pet was covered here, from the naughty things they sometimes do to how families help pets who are sick, injured, or elderly. I laughed and cried as I watched this as the people who were being interviewed talked about both the difficult and joyful parts of sharing their lives with one or more animals. Some of my favorite scenes were the ones that explored the quirks certain pets had, from licking doorknobs to getting a little jealous if someone else received more attention than they did. It was a delightful exploration of what life is like when you live with animals.

Pets was heartwarming.

Hallmark movies are where happily ever after lovers go for a guaranteed happy ending (usually in the last five minutes), and that's no different in one of their newest releases, Royal-ish. Theme park princess Lacey (Sakura) spends her days delivering magical tea parties to children in her role as Princess Sweet Pea. When she befriends 8-year-old Princess Rose (and her father and heir to the throne Prince Henry (Moseley) it sets off a romance that screams meet cute and swoon.

While the movie is very much stereotypical Hallmark in plot, it tackles some deeper issues. Lacey found work as a princess while she was working towards a graduate degree, and finds joy in bringing joy to others. She's worried about aging out of her job (which hadn't previously registered for me as an issue for theme park workers). The young princess Rose is struggling with the weight of responsibility after the death of her mother and a traumatic incident. And the romantic love interest (Prince Henry) struggles to balance his role as a father and the crown prince of a small kingdom. They did make some slight changes to the stereotypical 'royal' plot line for these movies that left me amused. And while the lines were undeniably cheesy, it remained entertaining and engaging.

Overall, this was another entertaining storyline. I didn't realize this was supposed to be another 'trilogy' movie, as they didn't connect it outright to the other movies (The Royal We and The Reluctant Royal) like they did in their other trilogies (The Wedding Veil Trilogy). I highly recommend this movie to those who like low pressure, guaranteed happily ever after stories. I don't recommend this movie to those looking for innovative, high-stakes storylines that are harder to predict.

Not every god is easy to satisfy.

The plot twists were exciting and filled with moments that made me gasp and sometimes glance away from the scariest moments. Without sharing spoilers, some of my favorite ones involved Niina's transformation from a terrified vacationer to someone who was determined to seek revenge for what had just happened to her and her friends. This is the kind of storytelling I love to find, and I only liked her more as I saw how she behaved as a result of every twist and turn that came her way.

I would have liked to have more information about the relationship between a character who was introduced early on in the storyline and the locals who worshipped an old god. This was something that intrigued me from the beginning, and I would have happily gone with a perfect rating if their connection was developed better. There was plenty of space there for explaining why that minor character offered a free vacation to Niina and how he knew about it in the first place, and the plot would have been stronger if that had occurred.

With that being said, the world building was otherwise well done and deliciously scary. I appreciated the way it played with the audience's expectations as well as with common stereotypes about people who spend their lives in rural, isolated places. It can be difficult for many folks to understand why not everyone prefers their way of life, including the decision of where to live or which customs to follow. Horror can shine a light on the assumptions we make about each other and what that may say about us as human beings. This is one of the many reasons why I like that genre so much.

Snow Angel of Revenge made me shudder.