Checkin' It Twice

I remember feeling like last seasons Hallmark Christmas movie lineup was so much better than previous years. Not as many predictable story lines as in the past. More stories were actually very interesting. After watching this movie, it's my opinion they've kept up the new tradition of crafting a story with actual believable events and endings. Both leads were very good and it's obvious that Keven McGarry can actually ice skate (as I imagine lots of Canadians can). I didn't give this a 10 rating since I felt, as with lots of TV movies and especially Hallmark, the actual sporting event scenes are played out in almost slow motion so us viewers can feel te drama and not miss what's happening. That being said, this movie is well worth watching. I'm looking forward to the next countdown movie!

Scott Briggs (Kevin McGarry) is traveling to Idaho Falls to join the roster of a minor league hockey team. Commercial realtor Ashleigh Durreau (Kim Matula) is traveling from New York City to her hometown of Idaho Falls for the Christmas holiday. They briefly meet in the airport, where their debit cards are switched by a clerk.

They arrange to recover their cards, then find that they will be living in close proximity. Scott, who has dreams of playing in the NHL, adjusts to his new teammates and the small-town way of life. Ashleigh settles in with her family and finds herself loving life in the town she had been so determined to escape. And the two of them spend some time together.

This is a very enjoyable film. The two stars have a wonderful chemistry that feels organic. The expected Hallmark trope of small-town bliss does not grate; it grows out of the family dynamics and the personal growth of Scott and Ashleigh. And small-town value is not the moral of this story. It has to do with expectations that can limit one's ability to see options---a lesson for us all.

Kim Matula kicks butt. If there is a penalty shot where a goal was needed, I would pick Matula every time. She's been a great addition to the Hallmark roster.

This movie was fun and funny. The hockey scenes were kind of hilarious in that they were bad but it added to the charm.

So watch this movie, it's awesome, it is an absolutely stellar start to the holiday cavalcade of Christmas movies. I can't wait for the rest.

And just because extra words are required to get a review posted, please be kind to yourself and other people and just remember the more we work together as people, the better we will all be.

Best, John.

Now that the Christmas season has begun, I'm hoping we'll get a new lot of romance movies. This just came out and the first is many season movies I'll be seeing. This movie captures the same old formula, but it's an interesting and new plot. Not typical for this genre. I think the beginning was cute, the middle was a little thin and felt drawn out, but it's got moments of developed background history, which add to its charm. The lead female is a fresh personality on the stage and we always love this male lead.

Because this movie steps out from the cookie cutter mold enough to catch my attention, I've rated this Hallmark romance movie a star higher than most their movies.

Super cute, def usual predictable Hallmark fare. But it caught my attention that the main character says 5th Avenue isn't real. I replayed the scene because I did not believe I heard that correctly. I think all the folks who live and work and own shops on 5th Avenue might be surprised to learn it doesn't exist. WWTT??

I very much enjoyed that so many of the characters looked less than shiny perfect, like normal humans. Hair was imperfect, makeup was light, and there was some nice humor. Also the sequin Santa hat one of the guys wore was EVERYTHING. Also nice to see a China pattern besides Old Country Roses used.