A Machu Picchu Proposal

Where do I even begin with this cinematic dumpster fire? This movie was the equivalent of stepping on a LEGO barefoot in the middle of the night, unexpected, painful, and full of regret. I genuinely don't understand how this mess got greenlit, let alone made it all the way to air. Somewhere out there, a script supervisor is laughing or crying.

Now, let me be clear: when I write a critical review, I make a point to watch the entire movie. That's right, I suffered through every cringeworthy minute of this poorly-scripted, chemistry-free catastrophe. And yes, it was absolute torture. I typically enjoy Rhiannon Fish-she's done some solid work-but lately, she's been handed scripts that feel like AI wrote them after a power outage. Costa Rican Wedding and Polar Opposites were already on shaky ground, but this? This one slid right into the abyss.

There was zero chemistry between Carlos and Katie.

None.

Nada.

Watching them attempt romance was like watching two coworkers forced to slow dance at a company holiday party under fluorescent lights. And then there's Katie's brother, Dan-flaky, erratic, and somehow both over-acted and underwritten at the same time. I found him more exhausting than endearing, and that last-minute sibling spat? Laughable. Not in the "ha-ha" way, but more in the "how did this get past the editing room?" way.

The storyline was painfully bad. I kept waiting for a twist, a spark, anything to save it from the pit of cliché mediocrity, but nope. Just more forced dialogue and plot holes big enough to drive a snowplow through. Yes, the scenery was lovely, but you know what else has great scenery? A postcard. And that doesn't waste 90 minutes of my life.

Honestly, Hallmark, you can do better. You have done better. Just last week, you gave us Villa Amore-a total gem. I've watched it three times already, and it keeps getting better. So, how did we go from gourmet to gas station sushi in seven days?

Final verdict: One star, and that's being generous. Please, for the love of all things cozy and romantic, stop recycling the same tired storylines and phoned-in dialogue. The audience deserves more than a pretty backdrop and a script that feels like it was written during a lunch break.

I gave Rhiannon Fish one more try since her last 2 movies Polar Opposites and A Costa Rican Wedding totally turned me off. She was a manipulative liar in both those movies and I couldn't like or root for her characters. I figured to be fair, I would try to watch one more Fish movie.

I got as far as the moment when Katie's brother drops his engagement ring and Katie doesn't tell him. She just pockets the ring, so she can "help" her brother Dan later. That's as far as I got. Being manipulative again. Couldn't grab the remote fast enough.

Up to this point, I was already cringing at the lame plot, script and the overacting.

Felt good to end the torture.

Every love story has been told repeatedly, and it's nice to watch a movie that adds a little extra to make it different. I enjoyed the humor and appreciated the attempt to be more realistic with how the story flows. I really liked the fact that the movie wasn't just about one couple, and they tried to bring in more of the supporting roles. I also found it neat that they were trying to be relevant with the younger crowd by bringing in new technological props (360 camera).

I won't lie, there were some moments that seemed a bit awkward and forced between some of the characters. I am not sure if it was the writing for those scenes or the actors, or both. But honestly, I haven't watched a Hallmark movie yet that didn't have at least a little awkwardness between some of its characters!

If this movie could have been longer or made into a mini-series, I feel it would have been so much better. There was so much going on it just felt like everything was crammed together and rushed to me, I wanted to slow the whole story down and see more. More of the characters, more of the story line, more of the location, just more!

Overall, I enjoyed this movie. I look forward to watching what the writers come up with next.

Although the filmmakers make some of the beauty of Peru stand out on occasion, it isn't enough to rescue this tepid, unromantic slog. The writing is bad, the plot is sub-par even by Hallmark standards, and the chemistry among the cast is forced and unbelievable. Sadly this is a swing and a miss. I love Peru and looked forward to seeing this but went away disappointed. A couple cast members have some acting chops but whenever they interact with their supposed romantic opposites they look uncomfortable, as if they're in acting class and learning how to feel real.

They get put in some beautiful locations which should help but it never works.

Wow, reading some of these reviews... I totally understand not every creative effort is for every person, every taste, every time. But I'm a pretty big movie fan and very open-minded to different genres, styles and contexts. That said, I don't always gravitate toward Hallmark movies but I really enjoyed this one! I was home with a cold and happened to catch it on TV, and I was pleasantly surprised at how sweet, wholesome, and light-hearted it was. A romance movie I could easily watch with my grandparents and not feel embarrassed. I also loved that it was beautifully (and respectfully) filmed in Peru, and included Peruvian actors. I am particularly excited to see what chef Carlos does next!