Christmas Above the Clouds

Every few years Hallmark decides to produce a script which retells "A Chrismas Carol" in a modern setting, and we've typically enjoyed each of them.

THis one may be the best of those. Not only did we appreciater the details of their retelling, but I found many chuckles throughout the course of the film. I'm sure this is one we'll keep in mind for repeat viewings.

Yes another take off of Dickens classic, which must hold the record for remakes and variations.

If you're reading this, you know the basic plot man and women meet on a plane, pretty standard Hallmark fare.

But these are exes...okay, something different for the Crown network.

First, unlike most Hallmark holiday films, you really have to listen to this...very clever lines come at a fast pace.

Snakes on a plane reference...check.

A sly nod to the classic disaster firm "Fate is the Hunter"... check

The largest issue is casting Ms Krakow as the lead.

Not so much as she goes against type, it's that here she proves her "When Calls the Heart" goody two shoes is the limit of her character range.

She is totally unbelievable as the boss from hell.

They had a chance to pull the casting out of its nosedive if they played her character for laughs in a over the top way. But no subtlety here.

Her limitations are again displayed in her graveyard realization with the third ghost. There is a reason why she does Hallmark and not Ibsen.

Hallmark veteran Mallory Jansen has the comedy and dramatic chops to pull this off. She is all too often much better than the material she is given.

Tyler Hynes does an adequate job as the spurned ex.

He is obviously a fan favorite... But as other reviewers have said, instead of being peeved at his ex and being quick with snappy comebacks, he just stands there and takes it, his character seemingly yelling "Please.abuse me some more".

Janson's " Paging Mr. Darcy" costar Will Kemp would have been great as the ex...if the character had a personality.

It looks like the execs got a decent script but decided to play it safe with casting Hallmark favorites.

Too bad, this one had promise.

This version totally gave me Scrooged vibes - and that's one of my all-time favorite Christmas movies.

Ella Neezer (yes, really) is stingy, power-hungry, and climbing the corporate ladder in stilettos sharp enough to draw blood. She's cruel to her employees, and of course, something tragic happens around Christmas because-Hallmark.

Cue the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, who decide to pay her a little in-flight visit while she's on a red-eye to Australia with her assistant, Bobbi. (And yep, Bobbi's son is named Tim, so we've got our Tiny Tim checkmark). Add Jake, the ex-fiancé she just happens to reunite with midair, and you can already see where this sleigh is headed.

I adored this version. The chemistry was spot-on. The performances were fantastic.

Look, some folks act like Hallmark movies need to be cinematic masterpieces. They don't. They're meant to be cozy, silly, and full of holiday sparkle. With the world being the mess that it is, I'll happily take a cheesy rom-com that ends with a kiss under fake snow.

Loved it. Total rewatch.

I liked this spin on A Christmas Carol.

Casting was pretty good. Erin runs a bit hot and cold with me but she suited this role. And Tyler always brings the fun, did think he's a bit underused here but maybe that's cos I just wanted to see him more. The romance was believable which is not something I usually relate to Hallmark movies. The rest of cast were perfectly fine. It's attempt at comedy didn't always hit but I did laugh occasionally.

The Australian accent was pretty cringe but worse was the use of the Aussie colloquialisms. I've lived in Australia they don't talk like that.

A watchable light movie to get one into the Christmas spirit even though it's only mid November.

How many times can one ransack Dickens' creation? In this instance, the movie is not simply inspired by the masterful "A Christmas Carol", it is a modern-time rewrite of it, in contrasting tones, with the addition of sequences of stupid farce to poorly developed characters and a superficial script. Overall, the movie could be fairly entertaining, if it was not so absolutely unoriginal and devoid of the magic of the original story. Once more, Hallmark confirms my impression that, striving to create quantity rather than quality, their Christmas productions are becoming progressively less inspired, trite, and flimsy. What a waste of two valuable actors, Erin Krakow and Tyler Hynes, whom I have liked in many other, better works! I am not convinced that the name of the protagonist, Ella (Ebe)Nezer, is such a clever idea, either, though it may be the most brilliant concept of the entire film.