Un volo a Natale

Starring Amy/Blossom (Big Bang Theory & Blossom) Mr. Awesome (Chuck), Carl Otis Winslow, Harriette Winslow (Family Matters), and Lou Loomis (Caddyshack). I mean... Starring Mayim Bialik, Ryan McPartlin, and even Reginald VelJohnson (Family Matters), Jo Marie Payton, and Brian Doyle-Murray.

Short Synopsis: Two strangers share a room at a bed-and-breakfast when an unexpected snowstorm delays their flight on Christmas Eve.

My Thoughts: First, props for showing this shot at the beginning. It's not just Staples Center here, home of the Kings and Lakers (and the Globetrotters), but it also has an Outdoor Ice Skating Rink (my favorites)!

Second, props to the casting involved. A lot of actors from shows (and movies) that I really loved.

"Of course I can book a cross-country flight the day before Christmas Eve, with less than a day's notice. It's called "power of positive thinking."

And low and behold, the "Last Minute Flights" prices is more than her rent! No surprise there. And Mayim was able to make that whole situation a little funny too.

But enough of all that nonsense with the flights, because it's Mr. Awesome time. My Grandpa and I are fans of the show Chuck, so we know Michael (McPartlin) as Mr. Captain Awesome. He played the dream-guy in that show, and once again plays a dream-guy in this movie too. I don't think he'll ever escape being Mr. Awesome (although Zachary Levi is doing pretty good).

His role as Michael Nolan is a pretty likable on IMO. And he has a really nice smile too.

And from there, everything gets wrapped up into a Christmas Detour, only a lot better!!! I really didn't like Hallmark's Christmas Detour. Lifetime was able to use a somewhat similar story-line and make it 10 times better in my opinion (IMO).

Plus, I really wouldn't mind sharing a hotel with Mr. Awesome too.

Now I won't go on and compare the Hallmark movie to this Lifetime movie. If you're curious about the comparison, this Yahoo TV, Mandi Bierly (Deputy Editor) did it perfectly I thought. And they even agree with Mr. Awesome being better Eye-Candy than Paul Greene in a robe in a Christmas Detour.

I really think The Flight Before Christmas was better because of the actors, and a better script. And I liked really liked this movie (my grandpa liked it too).

The lead actors are both my favorites. And I know Paul McPartlin is his name, but my grandpa and I just know him as Mr. Captain Awesome from our favorite show, Chuck. I grew up watching Blossom (and Family Matters), and love Mayim as Amy in the Big Bang Theory!

And as for the ending... there was a Happily Ever After. But at least it wasn't one of those insta-love things where they say that they love each other after a couple days (Christmas Detour). Nope. It took them a little more realistic time to declare their love.

I am not fan of Christmas romance films. But this movie could be a reasonable exception. For the story who tries to be little more complex than many other pink Hallmark products from the same genre. For charming couple created by Jo Marie Payton and Reginald VelJohnson. And, sure for the contrast, very smart, between Mayim Malik in the clothes of Ugly Duck and Ryan McPartlin in the shield of a mix of Clark Kent and sophisticated Prince Charming. The result is nice , the story is seductive for the risk of director to propose a not ordinary story , not so different but nuanced. Short, a good cocktail of romance, humor and the right choice.

I watch a lot of these with my wife. We know the formula and this one follows it also.

But, Mayim is not the typical female lead and that's a good thing.

I will give this movie credit for having maybe one of the most horrible breakups ever, making Stephanie "homeless".

I would also say that the story premise was somewhat unusual except that Hallmark had the exact same premise the same year as this movie. Still those are the only two movies I've seen with it out of hundreds I've watched.

But beyond the premise, the story was not good. And the dialogue was also bad. I especially hated the heart to heart conversations each of the leads had with the innkeepers. And in the first 1/3rd of the movie, Stephanie was so annoying, crabby, and rude, that I wanted to shut off the movie. Her behavior ran deeper than just a bad breakup. Then suddenly she was empathetic and caring.

Mayim Bialik has so much experience but in this movie she delivered her lines like an amateur. It looked like she was trying too hard. Ryan McPartlin was better but there was still no chemistry between them and certainly no reason for him to do what he did. Reginald VelJohnson and Jo Marie Payton were also bad. Again it was like they were trying too hard. Perhaps it was the direction that made it look the same for all of them.

So you know how this is going to go. The main girl character was going to be moving in with her boyfriend for xmas but he dumps her. Even worse, she no longer has a home because her old one has been relet to someone else. She gets the bright idea to hop a plane home for x-mas at the last moment but she isn't in a great mood. Ok sure, but the problem is two fold... the actress is not exactly a supermodel and she is insanely unpleasant. Even a supermodel would be unattractive under these circumstances. She meets someone at the airport and, shocker, they don't get along. No real reason for this other than the woman taking her feelings out on him. Eventually they have to share a hotel room due the plane being diverted and they fall in love. The thing is.. it is hard to believe. It isn't just that, as others have noted the female is a 5 and the male is an 11, there is just no real reason for them to fall for each other, especially in light of how nasty she was at the start. It kind of seems like a rebound relationship. Just skip it.