Mystery Island

So disappointing. I was really looking forward to this one based on the advertisements... Seemed like it could be a Knives Out, Clue, 1980s Fantasy Island mashup. Instead, it was just very bad. The acting is terrible - stilted and forced all around. The female lead has no range at all, maintaining the same stupid and usually inappropriate smirk throughout the entire film. The male lead is better by a hair and could possibly be decent with a different actress but I don't know that I'd count on it. The rest of the cast is only marginally better but the movie doesn't really give anyone a chance to shine. The story was choppy and disjointed, downright ridiculous at points, and dull, dull, dull. It's truly a shame because, while you know you're not getting world renowned writing or acting with Hallmark originals, the story did have potential to be an enjoyable mystery. The one that premiered the week prior, Mystery in G Major with Tamara Mowry, was super amazingly good. I'm hoping that series gets picked up and this one does not, at least not without a complete cast overhaul and different writing team.

It's the typical Hallmark we've been getting nowadays--low quality in just about every department. Poor acting with excess and unnecessary exposition. There's a comical establishing shot of the island toward the beginning of the movie, and someone thought it should also be titled onscreen "Mystery Island" because...reasons. The plot ends up not going anywhere, relative to the usual murder mystery. And once the truth comes out about how things ended the way they did for our victim, it also reveals that this story had a significant chunk of underlying support for the plot that was never there to begin with.

That makes for a dull visit to Mystery Island overall.

This movie was a perfect way to catch up on my sleep; 2 hours of total boredom! The whole premise was overwhelmingly ridiculous, and the acting was terrible, and totally unbelievable. I certainly hope that The Hallmark Channel doesn't have any plans to turn it into a regular series, because there's no way that they could make anything worse than this was. The setting was the only thing that made this even remotely watchable, but it was exceedingly difficult to stay awake long enough to watch this. I'm usually a fan of the Hallmark Channel films, but this one might make me swear off of them for a while.

Hmm did I like this... I'm not sure.

Negatives: It felt a bargain basement Knives Out II. And as with most Hallmark fodder the story wasn't fleshed out enough as such I didn't care enough about any of the suspects to want to know who the murderer was; could have done with being a bit longer if it meant better characterisation.

Positives: I really like the female lead. She brought an innocence to her role that made her endearing. So often Hallmark female sleuths are written as know it all/nosey characters.

I like seeing Kezia Burrows. I remember her from Apple Tree Yard and Dr. Foster. She brought the zany which you need when you have a mystery to solve. And major plus for me was the decor I love the doors in the mansion - the lattice work was divine.

Consulting Psychologist for Scotland Yard, Dr. Emilia takes a much needed vacation with her friend, Baroness Jane Alcott, at an exclusive resort known as mystery island. Emilia is there to not only participate in this week's mystery (the murder mystery premise of Mystery Island), but to contemplate about her job with Scotland Yard.

Their week is interrupted when the show runner and head of the island ends up dead. Now with a real murder mystery to solve, the two girls meet detective Jason Trent. Emilia gets to show off her observation and profiling skills as she helps Jason get to the bottom of this very real mystery.

I think some of the acting was a bit rough in this film...especially at the beginning when there was some "campiness" to the delivery of lines. I did like the end which sets up a new consulting partnership to build future mysteries. I am not sure how that would work in terms of a series...also, if people do keep dying on the island...why would anyone go there?

The two leads were attractive, but there was little to no romance between the two. Also, if this series is going to continue the tropical background is decent as is the resort itself...but the wardrobe/costuming could use a little help.