Un Natale incantato

I was a fan of the TV show big time rush so I was looking forward to this movie. I was not disappointed.

I think four factors influence the quality of the Halmark Christmas movie.

Was the romance believable? I thought it was here without any huge does of melodrama.

Did it relate to Christmas? I thought the movie was very well done visually and I thought it had some nice family and tradition themes as well. The kid and kids were cute too, so that has to count for something. (the kid also was not really the matchmaker which I enjoyed because I find that plot creepy generally) What about the minor characters and subplots? Not many subplots here, but I thought the bit parts were well played and added to the movie.

Four, was it funny? Not so much. It was sweet in parts but not really funny.

So all told I felt it was a better than average Hallmark Christmas movie.

I'd say that for me the leads aren't right for each other, but it turns out that they're married in real life? She's very lucky, he has a great butt!

It's a good story, with elements of Dirty Dancing as well as many Christmas films that have gone before.

It's cute because it has kids dressed as reindeer in it and I do like the dancing part too.

It's what you should expect from a made for TV Crimbo film.

TheSTORY-1.25

The Christmas Magic in this story is the coincidence which brings our romantic leads together. Though this has been done many times before, what writers, Catherine Fridey and Rick Garmen add into the mix help to expand and add depth to the tale.

Family: Laura's Father and Daughter add stability to the proceedings. The way they act and react to each other is relatable and believable. The truth about Laura's Daughter, Nikki's, father adds mystery to the romantic duo's past.

Intrigue: There's something not quite copacetic about Laura's boyfriend. What is it? What is he up to?

These help plenty to make the story more engaging for the audience.

theDIRECTION-1

I had hoped for much better here. The dance sequences should have been handled with more flair and elegance. Subtle lighting and camera angles to frame and show off the dance and the dancers would have been perfect. It needed to be more like Strictly Come Dancing or Dancing With the Stars in this respect.

theTEMPO-1

There are times when the story called for a slightly faster and lighter pace, especially in the romantic sequences. However, the heart-to-heart scenes are perfect at this speed.

theACTING-1.25

There are no small roles here as everybody gives their all to their performances. I particularly liked Rene Rivera as Manuel, Laura's Dad. This is down to both the facts of good acting and good character building by the writers. Another one who stands out is Jaynee-Lynne Kinchen as Nikki for the same reasons. The writers have done such a great job here because you can see elements of both Mother and Grandfather in her.

theGRATIFICATION-1.25

The added elements the writers added do make this a more interesting and enjoyable movie. It's not the best Christmas romance out there, but it sure isn't the worst.

I would easily recommend this to romance lovers and Christmas freaks alike. You'll enjoy it in the glow from your Fairy Lights while sipping your hot cocoa.

theSCORE-5.5

Ho! Ho! Ho! come on over and check out my Ho! Ho! Ho! Christmas Belles list to see where this film landed. Merry Christmas Film Fans.

Not to adventurous, the first 45 min are so slow.

I don't expect much from the billionth retelling of the same old Xmas/Love story, maybe something funny, dramatic...

I watched because Alexa and Carlos Penavega were the starring actors.

A real life couple that previously competed on Dancing with the Stars, so you know they have the dancing chops!

Cute Christmas film, a solid six on the scale.