Un Noël à toute épreuve

Pretty much your typical good feeling Christmas movie, decent actors and a nice story. Good for all the family

The story was totally all the usual stuff for the Lifetime/Hallmark Christmas movies. Save the _____ (Oval). Buy a tree as a "family". Christmas cookies. Ice skating.

The movie gets a lift from the optimistic and energetic performance of Abigail Klein. I'd like to say that there was great chemistry between Klein and Ryan Cooper and I think there was potential, but so much screen time on saving the rink diluted the relationship of the leads.

I would have liked to see more time on the relationships and less on the politics of saving the oval.

And as typical with a appealing child in the mix, some of the chemistry was between Klein and Meara Mahoney-Gross who plays Grace. (Interestingly Mahoney-Gross appears to do her own skating, but in the performance with the other skaters you can see that she isn't as smooth as the others who all probably are or have been competitive skaters. Still, a lot of adult stars need either body doubles, green screens, or platforms below the camera level to move them along on ice.)

There are a lot of songs which are also very upbeat. I find it odd that in movie after movie there are people that complain they can't hear dialogue as a result of the music being too loud. I've never had that problem, but it seems to be a real one for a number of people. There are certainly times in this movie when the background music is noticeably loud, but as I said, not so much as to be a problem on my TV. The songs with lyrics are meant to be heard.

The inevitable conflict in the romance is both a bit unusual and perhaps leads to a little overreaction on Courtney's part. Not to say that some reaction on her part isn't warranted, but she's unwilling to hear the other side which is never good with some one you care about. I hate the expression "He always has a choice." While technically true, in the real world, it is often essentially untrue in practice.

You know the photo in the office is going to lead to something significant, but I didn't see what it was coming. Did you? That thread presents some interesting developments.

Christmas films can go either way, which has been my experience watching overtime the festive output of Lifetime and Hallmark. They can either be well-meaning, charming, warm-hearted and don't feel too heavy. Or they can be too over-sentimental, cheesy, contrived and bland. There have been many films of theirs that have fallen in both camps and in the camp where there is a bit of both. And 'Christmas on Ice' did have the sort of premise where the execution could have gone either way.

Lifetime's 2020 Christmas film batch, like all their previous years, was pretty hit and miss which was not unexpected when one takes the circumstances into account, though a better standard than 2019's. 'Christmas on Ice' managed to be one of the better ones once it settled fully, despite there being a medium sized gap where there was some uncertainty of whether to continue or not. It also had a more mature theme than most which was appreciated and done quite well.

By all means, 'Christmas on Ice' isn't perfect. It does start on the slow side and the dialogue is a bit cheesy to begin with. Some motivations did feel rushed and didn't really surprise, especially later on.

Felt the same way with the ending, which had a bit of an abrupt, anti-climactic feel too. The music could have been used less and some of the choices didn't seem appropriate.

There are a lot of things done well in 'Christmas on Ice'. Abigail Klein radiates energy and charm and really does brighten the screen, wholly succeeding in making her character fleshed out and likeable. Ryan Cooper is an amiable leading man and their chemistry is sweet and genuine, part of me wishes there was more of the relationship and not as much of the saving the rink plotting. The best supporting turn comes from adorable and heartfelt Meara Mahoney-Gross, whose chemistry with Klein was even better than Klein and Cooper's.

Moreover, a great job is done with the Christmas atmosphere, where it does feel like Christmas and in an affectionate way. Some lovely Christmas touches and there are some very sweet, but not sickly, scenes. Was not crazy about the script early on, but it did have a nice mix of funny and poignant lines once momentum built. The story may be thin and doesn't do an awful lot new with a familiar scenario but has a warm heart and charm and doesn't take itself too seriously. The characters are also ones worth caring for. It looks good as a film, especially the scenery.

Summing up, pleasant way to pass the time. 6/10.

Abigail Klein and Ryan Cooper make for a very watchable show, regardless of the hackneyed "Save the ______ " plot. They are both very attractive. The little daughter was a doll. The star of the show in my eyes, though, was Caroline Portu as Courtney's best friend. She did a great job with comedy and general appeal. Although next time, find her a more age appropriate boyfriend, who looked like he was about 18 and could have passed for 15.

This is an interesting, uplifting story with a very likeable cast. The female lead comes off sweet but one emotional speed, yet still seems to have chemistry with the adorable little girl and her father. Overall It's a good Christmas movie and worth a watch.