A Safari Romance

Yet again Hallmark uses a foreign film location in an attempt to overcome a weak storyline. Andrew Walker and Brittnay Bristow are solid and have a great track record in past Hallmark movies. As actors, it is simply impossible to overcome a bad storyline or script. The accountabity for these issues are the of Hallmark Media's Executive Offices. In the last two years approximately 60% of their movie production has not been as good as the old Hallmark standards.

Sometimes doing things different does not mean they are better. Hallmark is now in the business of making Lifetime Movie Network gravity movies. There are already several networks that do that. Since Hallmark has left the family values / rom-com segment, they will be replaced by another network and become 'homeless'.

This cast was stellar. The two leads ,of course, are familiar and top notch, but the entire cast was superb as well, whether villain or supporting or stars. A kind, thoughtful and even educational storyline with such luscious, gorgeous scenery ( including the phenomenal shots of all the animal species we saw. Just one visual treat after another.)

Brittany Bristow is always enjoyable, no matter what role she plays but this story shows her skills as a no-nonsense professional with a will of iron (I wouldn't want to fly a drone in her park!). Her basically earnest and poised personality lends itself well to this movie.

I was definitely left feeling good about the time spent watching and would certainly watch this again..

IN A NUTSHELL: Megan Henry, a down-to-earth wildlife researcher in Africa, is forced to team up with a theme-park designer, Tim Ericson who wants to create an over-the-top safari attraction.

The film was directed by Leif Bristow, and written by his wife, Agnes Bristow. Their daughter, Brittany Bristow, is the leading lady in the movie! Her parents should be so proud of her; she's a natural. Congratulations to the family!

THINGS I LIKED:

The featured couple look great together and are played by Brittany Bristow and Andrew W. Walker. Calm down ladies...he's already married with a child.

We get to see a lot of beautiful animals in their natural habitat, especially the rare white lion.

We also get to experience South Africa and its culture, music, clothing, food, and life. In addition to the Game Reserve, we get to go to an African elementary school and a local market. It all looks magical.

The movie was filmed at Mabula Game Lodge at Rooiberg Road Rhinosterhoek Spruit in Mabula Private Game Reserve in the Limpopo Province. I'd love to go there someday! Doing an African Safari has been on my Bucket List for a long time!

The native handshake was fun.

Simone Pretorius makes a great "villain." It's refreshing to see a romance where the couple does NOT jump into bed immediately. This love story is clean and sweet.

It's also really nice to see an intelligent woman who is willing to work hard on her goals and not instantly give up her dreams just to be with a guy. Women who do that are often resentful in the end.

We get two romances, not just one.

A lot of life's challenges have to do with timing. While it's not super dramatic, that's the hero's journey in this story. In that regard, it's pretty realistic.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: Some people may not like how sugary-sweet everyone is. Wouldn't this be a better world if everyone was kind like this?

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Kids will be bored by the romance, but they'll enjoy seeing the animals.

No profanity Alcohol is consumed several times (but no one gets drunk)

I agree that the story was thin. To make it worse, it didn't flow. It felt like it was sprinkled in between all the tourist stuff. I will say the last part surprised me but more because all the tension created along the way seemed to fizzle with an anti-climax. After that, the ending was a little sappy.

The Amy character was perfect if you want someone to hate. She is really a cliche of rich daughter who becomes the boss thanks to daddy and then expects everyone to give her what she wants, even if it's a crime.

I thought Brittany Bristow and Andrew Walker were very comfortable together. The movie took advantage of their chemistry by giving them a lot of screentime together. The movie also made sure to include plenty of scenery and wild animal shots.

Tim is a theme park designer who is working on a immersive experience based on the wild life, so while on research on a safari, he is paired with park ranger Megan who is working on her PhD in animal behavior.

I really liked it. I don't know if it's because I haven't seen a Hallmark movie in a while, or the theme, or the fact that I really like these two actors. Both in this project and others. I also enjoyed their chemistry in this one. They had a lot of scenes together and I love that we get to see their relationship develop.

I had no problems with the plot. I just thought that the Amy character was unbearable and unnecessary for the storyline. The characters not being able to be together due to the distance was enough drama.

7/10 would recommend.