A Safari Romance

7.4 stars.

I was not fully immersed in the experience of 'A Safari Romance', however it is a good movie overall. There are a few things missing that are hard to pin down. Maybe it's the slight lack of chemistry between the leads? I'm not sure. They both seem to be trying to be into the romance, yet there is a feeling that something is not quite right. I still enjoyed myself as I watched them interact, they are both good actors and charismatic. He is a Hallmark regular, probably a heartthrob for most of the ladies, so you really can't go wrong there. She has mainly been placed in secondary roles, but this is one of her big shots at the big time and she didn't disappoint. The plot was ok, nothing to write home about. The scenery was amazing, the camera work was brilliant, the dialogue was ok, the plot was mundane. It was entertaining enough for me to award it a solid 7 stars.

A beautiful setting for a Hallmark movie, South Africa. You can't judge a hallmark movie the same way as a Hollywood movie. They are romantic movies with happy endings, not hoping for an Oscar. Andrew Walker is his handsome, fit, cute self. He spends a lot of screen time with his leading lady and while they are adorable together she seems a little uncomfortable, there is chemistry but not as much as usual. He's a guy from the city making a virtual experience for a theme park and she's a park ranger working for her PHD in "animal behavior". Both enjoy photography. There's a boss lady who took over the company he works for that comes to cause trouble but she's not successful. The scenery, animals and costumes are gorgeous. I almost felt like I was there. The exchange of the silver bracelets is sweet as they remind me of Clint Eastwood's in The Bridges of Madison County(he was a photographer for National Geographic). There's a second romance in the movie also. As always you can count on a happy ending from a Hallmark movie and sometimes that's just what we need on a bad day.

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.

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'.

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)