Northpole: Open for Christmas

Although it seems to me that Christmas in America has turned into Black Friday for adults, every year I look for a Christmas movie(s) with adorable kids, lots of silly magic, and a simple plot. Unfortunately, most Christmas movies are adult romances with not a child in sight. Because Bailee Madison (Bridges to Terebitha, Cowboys and Angels) and Ava Telek (Flowers in the Attic) are listed as main characters I acquired this and was happily surprised. Bailee is one of the few child actors who has become even more adorable as a teenager and together with Ava, they light up the screen with their smiles. Even now, days later, I giggle thinking about them. They remind me nostalgically of my girls when they were small and Christmas happy.

OK, the plot is a remake of a hundred other kid and matchmaker and Santa Claus movies. Thats fine with me, I like the variations of this often repeated story and, year after year, try to find the movie that does it best. This may not be the very best of all time (Miracle on 34th Street and The Grinch Before Christmas might be), but I clapped at the end.

I also might note that the opening credits montage is worth the price of admission. Also, I hope Bailee continues to do family movies and doesn't get sidetracked into depressing teenage sex and drugs chic flicks.

Incredible piece of shoe-horning of the the story into a budget. Storyline necessitates the "saving" of an old guest house as a metaphor for "saving" the spirit of Christmas in Loughlin's character. Truth is, the tightwads in the Production company got hold of a cheap hire on a set and that drove the script. Good and energetic performances from the Butler and the visiting Elf-Girl. Unfortunately the lead actor, Loughlin is vanilla nothingness, just a brown paper bag of a performance and as a viewer I could care less if she saves the Hotel (and herself) or not. The Love interest is just a plank of wood with a neat jawline - the Ivy was more animated. Some young actors needed this film to get a step up in their career but unfortunately, they were in the control of a cheap Prodution firm who were determined to do no favors for anyone. Too bland. Too thin. No investment emotionally, commercially, artistically or creatively in this project - and it showed. I really had no idea who Lori Loughlin is but half-recognised her face...some Googling shows that she's been charged with Fraud by the USA High Court in 2019. I suppose she really didn't know anything about honesty and spirituality in real life- so why would we expect her to act out those concepts with any skill ?

This is a lighthearted story about Santa and elves and a nostalgic inn. There isn't a lot of plot and what story there is rambles and gets convoluted. But for those who are willing to forget reality and just ride along, it is enjoyable.

I've watched a few movies where Santa and/or the elves get a little too silly and childish in an effort to draw out humor. This movie uses a lighter touch with the mythical characters. There is still plenty of fantasy and fun.

Lori Loughlin and Dermot Mulroney are both over 50 at the time of the movie, but you sure don't notice that, at least with Loughlin. They work together well enough, but it's not their relationship that's magical.

For me, the real star of the show is Bailee Madison, as Clementine the elf. This young actress impresses me every time she does a Hallmark movie and this movie is no exception. Here, although she is only 16 at the time, she is starting to come into a role that isn't necessarily for a teenage actress. She interjects energy and optimism and a little wonder.

Did find myself liking the first 'Northpole' film, although it had its issues and wasn't great. Had mixed expectations for its sequel 'Northpole: Open for Christmas', it was so great to see Bailee Madison (who made the first film) back but Hallmark have varied quite wildly with its sequels. Some are good, others are mediocre at best. Of Hallmark's Christmas films, some surprised me, being genuinely likeable and an easy watch without being cheesy or too sentimental regardless of how predictable they are. Others made me cringe, went too far on the sugar, lacked any surprises or anything even and were of bad quality.

'Northpole: Open for Christmas' is one of those films that is somewhere in between. As far as Hallmark's 2015 Christmas output goes, it's not one of the best or one of the worst. Pleasant enough if unexceptional middling if anything. The concept did sound very nice and cute and there are a couple of improvements (Robert Wagner's phoned in performance in the first isn't missed), but there are a couple of things also done worse (the production values being noticeably lower).

There are a lot of good things here. The scenery is lovely and give off a charming festive atmosphere. As does enough of the music. Enough of the script isn't too awkward and has enough amusing and sweet moments without being on the wrong side of cheesy or cloying.

Furthermore, there are sweet, heart-warming parts in the story. The Christmassy and nostalgic atmosphere is done beautifully. The acting on the whole was not bad at all, Madison's immensely endearing performance dazzling most and she is wholly successful in making her character easy to root for. Lori Loughlin brings class to her role.

However, a lot of things could have done better. Dermot Mulroney was significantly less good, did find him very wooden and without much personality, very going through the motions like. He and Loughlin don't have an awful lot of chemistry together, that was underused and underwritten and it felt walked through.

Moreover, the story is predictable and thin with some of the pacing lacking tightness and too many coincidences. The script doesn't always flow and can be on the silly side and the production values as said are noticeably lower and indicate of lower budget and hurried time constraints. Nice scenery and interiors, but the editing is choppy this time and the effects less than special or slick.

Concluding, nice and inoffensive enough but nothing mind blowing outside of Madison. A small 6/10.

Lori Loughlin finds a sense of place, falls in love with handyman Dermot Mulroney and, oh yeah, saves her aunt's country hotel and Christmas while she's at it, in the second of Hallmark's annual "Northpole" series.

"Open for Christmas" grafts a standard Hallmark romantic comedy onto NORTHPOLE's elaborate magical thesis in a workmanlike fashion. However, there is little in the way of dramatic tension to make this worth watching. Ms. Loughlin inherits her aunt's hotel; it has no guests and no source of income. Even so, there is little sense of financial urgency about the outcome once Donovan Scott as Santa tells Ms.Louglin he is depending on her, despite the occasional histrionics.

The performances are fine. I won't claim that Donovan Scott has cornered the market on Santa, but he has performed the role once or twice a year for more than a decade. Pierre Jodoin's cinematography is excellent; he manages to capture that grey afternoon snowfall light that shows up around Christmas. Yet the script itself never manages to make the viewer think that the inevitable romcom happy ending is ever in doubt.