A Christmas Movie Christmas

If you get it, you get it. If you don't, you don't.

OK, I'm going to try to be kind. The movie was clean, Christmasy, and had a new plot -something totally missing from most Hallmark Christmas movies which all follow the same formula. 2 sisters, whom are obsessed with Christmas movies (obviously Hallmark ones) get transported Into an actual "Hallmark style" Christmas movie. You find this out in the first few minutes so I don't consider it a spoiler. This plot had so much promise but as much as I liked the characters, the acting was so amateurish. I even began to wonder if it was "camp style" on purpose? Still not sure! This didn't seem like a Hallmark production and I wonder if someone else produced it and Hallmark simply aired it on their movie channel just to have something different to offer. Lastly, if your idea of a balanced meal is cotton candy, cotton candy, and cotton candy, this is the movie for you. If you are expecting decent acting and quality entertainment....well.... I watched it in 20 minute segments. Kind of like pacing yourself when eating at the county fair.

I often nicknamed the Hallmark channel the harlequin channel. This movie made by one of their competitors, UP TV, makes fun of the trend of Christmas Romances that are the main feature in almost 80% of such movies set and shown at Christmas time, except the ones about commercialism and a reimagined Fantasy Santa with magic powers. This movie is clearly marked comedy fantasy, and in deference to those who thought that it wasn't done as well as it could've been or had no plot, I think they miss the point. The plot is making fun of Christmas movies,. IMD?B lists it as a comedy for a reason, and even the title and story line, much less the wooden acting they seem to be honing in on says loudly and clearly to me "this isn't meant to be taken seriously folks." I think the whole idea of a parody on Christmas movies shows that some writer in Hollywood still uses the brain they were given. If the makers of these kinds of movies can't bring themselves to show the true religious meaning of Christmas because of people who would complain about a movie being too religious, this is at least a refreshing treatment of a cliché theme in overly sappy sentimental romance at Christmas movies.

There was a lot to like in this movie. It joyfully included every cliché in the hallmark repertoire including the "token adorable child's" surprise reunion with her home for Christmas deployed military parent. I won't list them all because I might forget one. But trust me, nothing was missing. I love the reviews complaining that it was too predictable and had too many clichés. Oblivious much?

Unfortunately it kind of lost it's way towards the end. Not sure why. Maybe it got kind of old, or maybe it started taking itself a little too seriously? Also, even alternate reality themed shows usually try to reground and explain the path forward after the heroine has returned to the real world. But in this one, the dream love interests just showed up again after the girls woke up. I don't know, maybe that was part of the joke?

Kudos to Mr. and Mrs. Daugherty for writing and starring in their own movie. I hope they do it again. Kudos to the Gran Gran actress; I really enjoyed her performance. Did not enjoy the casting of Ryan Merriman, he looked like he had let himself go, a bit. Also did not enjoy Lana Mckissack. Personally, I did not find her appealing. Just my opinion, and why I didn't give this a higher rating. I wish I had known this was filmed in Frankenmuth Michigan when I watched this. We used to visit every year in my childhood.

This was a fascinating idea, to be trapped in a Christmas movie! It pokes fun at all the classic tropes but has it's own good message too. I was so pumped for this one and I was not disappointed at all!!