This is Hallmark's second Christmas movie with a time travel twist this season; the first was A Timeless Christmas, which was excellent. Though this one was not as good, it still was a decent movie, nonetheless. At the center of the story is Cheryl Jenkins (played by Tamera Mowry-Housley), an astrophysicist and deputy director of the Federal Science Association. While visiting family and friends during the Christmas break in her hometown of Wellsboro, she starts thinking about the events that took place five years early, which lead her to where she is today, as she has become tired of admiration work as the deputy, and what she really wants is to do research again. One evening at the local Christmas carnival, a carousel appears, and Cheryl decides to take a ride. This is no ordinary carousel; the ride magically takes her back in time to five years earlier. And so, Cheryl's journey begins (and so does ours), her chance to address the 'what if' regrets of five years earlier and, just maybe, a second chance at love. One thing I enjoyed about this story/script was the focus on science. I don't think we see enough positive themes in popular culture around science, or rather, around being a scientist. That said, I did find the story, at times, to be a bit dull. Unlike A Timeless Christmas, I had a hard time engaging with the film; it did not pull me in. The carousel itself lacked a backstory really, and the viewer is left with questions. The ending was also quite rushed. The acting overall was pretty good. Mowry-Housley had a decent performance. However, I found her acting, at times, to be unconvincing, especially regarding her reactions to just having time-traveled five years into the past. I also thought her chemistry with Michael Xavier (playing George, who was also in Christmas on Wheels this season) was mediocre at best. Given the script, that is, the competitive back-and-forth between Cheryl and George, I would have thought the chemistry would be a 'slam dunk'. Instead, it was rather lacking, I felt. The supporting cast had a very strong performance. For example, I enjoyed watching Sheryl Lee Ralph (as Miss Nelson) on screen; she was great. Finally, the movie too is quite festive with some well-polished scenery, props, and sets. All in all, it is a decent Christmas movie. Not one of Hallmark's best this year nor one of their worse.
