Il faut sauver Noël 2

Not long after the original Northpole film aired, Hallmark announced that a sequel to the film under the working title Northpole 2 before being now called by its current name Northpole: Open For Christmas was in production and like most Hallmark fans, I had an open mind to see it. To me, this has to be one of the best sequel films Hallmark ever made.

Now for the plot. Clementine the elf was given a new task by Santa to help a workaholic Real Estate agent (played by the ever wonderful Lori Loughlin) restore her late aunt's Inn which actually serves as beacon for Santa's sleigh while at the same time helping her regain her true spirit of Christmas she lost as a kid.

As far as we know, Bailee Madison was the only actress from the original film to reprise her role as our favorite lovable elf Clementine. Santa Clause unfortunately was no longer played by Robert Wagner as in the previous film and was replaced with Donovan Scott for this film and his role as Santa was actually equally as wonderful as how Robert portrayed him. All the actors did an amazing job in this film especially Ava Telek (April Telek's daughter) as the widowed carpenter's daughter. Like the original, the movie was shot in Montreal, Canada, but at a different part of the city.

All in all, this is a great sequel film. Wonderful acting, good plot though there were some flaws, and good special effects. Like the original film, some people may love it, some may not love it, but hey, everyone's entitled to their own opinion.

This is a lighthearted story about Santa and elves and a nostalgic inn. There isn't a lot of plot and what story there is rambles and gets convoluted. But for those who are willing to forget reality and just ride along, it is enjoyable.

I've watched a few movies where Santa and/or the elves get a little too silly and childish in an effort to draw out humor. This movie uses a lighter touch with the mythical characters. There is still plenty of fantasy and fun.

Lori Loughlin and Dermot Mulroney are both over 50 at the time of the movie, but you sure don't notice that, at least with Loughlin. They work together well enough, but it's not their relationship that's magical.

For me, the real star of the show is Bailee Madison, as Clementine the elf. This young actress impresses me every time she does a Hallmark movie and this movie is no exception. Here, although she is only 16 at the time, she is starting to come into a role that isn't necessarily for a teenage actress. She interjects energy and optimism and a little wonder.

Did find myself liking the first 'Northpole' film, although it had its issues and wasn't great. Had mixed expectations for its sequel 'Northpole: Open for Christmas', it was so great to see Bailee Madison (who made the first film) back but Hallmark have varied quite wildly with its sequels. Some are good, others are mediocre at best. Of Hallmark's Christmas films, some surprised me, being genuinely likeable and an easy watch without being cheesy or too sentimental regardless of how predictable they are. Others made me cringe, went too far on the sugar, lacked any surprises or anything even and were of bad quality.

'Northpole: Open for Christmas' is one of those films that is somewhere in between. As far as Hallmark's 2015 Christmas output goes, it's not one of the best or one of the worst. Pleasant enough if unexceptional middling if anything. The concept did sound very nice and cute and there are a couple of improvements (Robert Wagner's phoned in performance in the first isn't missed), but there are a couple of things also done worse (the production values being noticeably lower).

There are a lot of good things here. The scenery is lovely and give off a charming festive atmosphere. As does enough of the music. Enough of the script isn't too awkward and has enough amusing and sweet moments without being on the wrong side of cheesy or cloying.

Furthermore, there are sweet, heart-warming parts in the story. The Christmassy and nostalgic atmosphere is done beautifully. The acting on the whole was not bad at all, Madison's immensely endearing performance dazzling most and she is wholly successful in making her character easy to root for. Lori Loughlin brings class to her role.

However, a lot of things could have done better. Dermot Mulroney was significantly less good, did find him very wooden and without much personality, very going through the motions like. He and Loughlin don't have an awful lot of chemistry together, that was underused and underwritten and it felt walked through.

Moreover, the story is predictable and thin with some of the pacing lacking tightness and too many coincidences. The script doesn't always flow and can be on the silly side and the production values as said are noticeably lower and indicate of lower budget and hurried time constraints. Nice scenery and interiors, but the editing is choppy this time and the effects less than special or slick.

Concluding, nice and inoffensive enough but nothing mind blowing outside of Madison. A small 6/10.

Lori Loughlin finds a sense of place, falls in love with handyman Dermot Mulroney and, oh yeah, saves her aunt's country hotel and Christmas while she's at it, in the second of Hallmark's annual "Northpole" series.

"Open for Christmas" grafts a standard Hallmark romantic comedy onto NORTHPOLE's elaborate magical thesis in a workmanlike fashion. However, there is little in the way of dramatic tension to make this worth watching. Ms. Loughlin inherits her aunt's hotel; it has no guests and no source of income. Even so, there is little sense of financial urgency about the outcome once Donovan Scott as Santa tells Ms.Louglin he is depending on her, despite the occasional histrionics.

The performances are fine. I won't claim that Donovan Scott has cornered the market on Santa, but he has performed the role once or twice a year for more than a decade. Pierre Jodoin's cinematography is excellent; he manages to capture that grey afternoon snowfall light that shows up around Christmas. Yet the script itself never manages to make the viewer think that the inevitable romcom happy ending is ever in doubt.

Watching these 2 fifty-somethings sleepwalk through the twilight of their career gives this movie a special place in the film school case studies of corporate, group think, cookie cutter productions. How do you fill 90 minutes with dialog without really saying anything? "Northpole: Open for Christmas" is your answer. My XMas advice? Get to bed early...