Magic in Mistletoe

I know I sound like the grinch but this is the worst hallmark Christmas movie I've ever watched...my wife and I watch alot but this guy and the leading lady would never make it in the real world...he's flat and drab in acting and is way below her pay grade...no chemistry at all. Most of these movies are around 5 with an occasional 7...maybe cause I'm a guy but I watch alot of these and this one was a bomb...if the guy could be replaced with most dudes they use it actually might have a half life...and the script of getting upset with the leading lady twice proves to me he's a turkey and she needs to find a better human being.

This is a Hallmark Christmas Movie. It's this time of the year that I come to Hallmark to get out of the "Real World" and stick my head in the Christmas Sand.

The formula is basically the same with each film but THAT IS WHY WE WATCH THESE !!! They make us feel good at Christmas.

There are about 6 or 7 Actors that I'll watch the Christmas Movie without knowing what it is about. In particular, Paul Campbell is one. I used to look for the new Christmas Movies to watch by the current year first. Now I look by Actor's Name AND the current year hoping they've made a new one!

After last year's "THREE WISE MEN AND A BABY", he stuck out. That film is a Hallmark all-time Fave and you don't need to be a Hallmark Fan to love that one.

So when I read negative reviews, I can't help but think "why are you here?". You are getting exactly why you turn on these holiday films to begin with.

No doubt that some ARE better than others and I am a huge Hallmark Movie Fan. I watch with my cuz and we came up with our own Rating System as follows: Fair (7) Cute & Good (8), Very ROMANTIC (9), BIG Feel Good movie that makes us CRY & a Fave (10).

There have been a couple of them that I have stopped watching for 30 minutes bc they have not captured and kept my attention. We warn each other not to bother. They NEVER star one of the big Hallmark Stars.

THIS MOVIE WAS CUTE & GOOD...hardly a flop by any means.

For me the premise seems common with several others and the story doesn't really stand out. There are no great highs or lows or surprises.

What does stand slightly apart is Paul Campbell. He is not your soft cuddly leading man. "Prickly". Yes that describes Harrington and Campbell fits the part. So the relationship with Lyndie Greenwood's April is not quite typical. It is in some ways, but a little more complicated. The biggest difference is that the antagonism lasts throughout much of the movie. For a while it gets suppressed and things look good. The conflict that all romance stories need comes not so much from secrets or misunderstandings as from the character himself.

I found the movie a little slow at times. Or maybe I should say deliberate. There is a place for that, but in this case, it didn't work for me personally. When the movie's story doesn't have any big hooks for me, I look to the relationship. In fact, in this genre, the relationship is always important. Because of the things I describe above, I didn't get invested in the relationship. Did I really want this for April?

BTW pet peeve: no texts, but at least two significant handwritten notes are too small and too quick to read for anyone without great eyes or without pausing. Why is this fault so common?

8.0 stars.

'Magic in Mistletoe' is of a rare breed of films that really caught my attention, even though there isn't anything particularly outstanding. The whole production is above average, not a single aspect is tawdry or leaves us expecting for more than what is delivered at each precise and timely moment. The romance is spot on, not too fast, not too slow, not too much, or too little. We don't have to wade through the formulaic monotony of most Hallmark stories, but instead we are humored by a cast of characters and a production crew with something fresh. But is anything really original in 'Magic in Mistletoe'? No, not really. But what is novel is the way it's presented. Something about the method in which the leads interact somehow feels different like genuine attraction, more than a performance.

He portrays an author of bestselling Christmas fantasy novels that are based upon the town he grew up in: Mistletoe. As of late, he has been morose and somewhat of a scrooge, recently caught posting a statement about how he no longer believes in Christmas. His sullen attitude is very believable. She is his publicist, and must be a taskmaster as she attempts to resurrect his career from total devastation. What a wonderful and charismatic actress she is to bring to life a "groupie" persona, of a woman who secretly adores everything about him: his writing, his character, his faults, and his failures. But she must also control her emotions and guide him back to the focused and successful writer that he once was.

This story builds up to a wonderful ending. It's a rare gem that can gain momentum like 'Magic in Mistletoe' and leave us wanting more. I hope to see a sequel, but I don't feel it lends itself to one.

Full disclosure, I was hoping for a comedy since this film stars Paul Campbell (Three Wisemen and a Baby). The dude also wrote Unexpected Christmas, a classic. Alas, it wasn't meant to be. Paul plays Harrington, an author who wrote a series of Christmas novels focused on his hometown of (you'll never guess) Mistletoe. He posts a scrooge-like message online and is on the verge of being cancelled until his publisher's PR rep shows up to save him; wow him; spend time with him; hand him pens; decorate in ways he hates; slow the story down; meet people who already know him; accompany him to sparsely attended events. OK, all of these things. This film is incredibly uneven. Harrington seemed to learn his lesson in minute 36 or so, when my movie-watching buddy turned to me and asked if the movie was already over. Sorry, there was 1.5 hours of bland mushiness, and mild life-lessons remaining.