Jingle Bell Run

The jock and the brain are paired up on a great Christmas race event that has them solving puzzles and completing challenges as they travel to major American Cities.

"His competitiveness is bringing out his inner Scrooge."

Grade school teacher Avery gets signed up to compete by her sister and she meets Wes while she is trying to get coordinated at the gym. Their first meeting is a total disaster, so when Wes, a retired professional hockey player, is paired with Avery...he is less than thrilled.

The two end up pairing pretty well together, continuing to advance in the competition...when the producers approach Wes to play up the Romance aspect with Avery. Seems like a recipe for disaster.

I like both Ashley Williams and Andrew W. Walker...they had great banter and decent chemistry together. I think fans of romance and The Great Race will really enjoy this one.

The two leads in this are like old friends because I have seen each so many times. In fact at least one of them is in more than one Christmas movie this year. Perhaps they were a little tired mentally?

Something felt off about both from the start, especially Walker. I think he was trying too hard to be the macho superstar jock. How many times did he mention the Stanley Cup? I was a little surprised to see his sports rival fall out of the race so early, but I was glad because after that Wes toned it down a little so that he could be softer with Avery. The two characters did the right things to build the relationship, but I didn't feel it, the connection that is chemistry.

It was nice in the sense of a Christmas movie how the three final teams started to become friends. How far that went was surprising and made for a good story ending.

Despite what for me was less than stellar connection between Walker and Williams, the movie was still fun.

I'm a big fan of both actors but, unfortunately, this one was a bit of a miss for me. The storyline was not exciting, despite the Christmas race plot and for me the chemistry was just not there. I mean no disrespect to either of them, but they were both too old for the script. Andrew Walker's character was supposed to be in his early 30's just retiring from a hockey career? That just doesn't compute. It's no fault of the actors, but of Hallmark casting. I hope that they find a more suitable storyline next year for two of their best! They deserve a script that serves their considerable talents!

Here Hallmark has made a Christmas movie with a reality show theme as contestants vie for a million dollar prize while engaging in a race across the country. Does it work ?

Yes, because Williams and Walker are such engaging performers, so they are able to carry this off. Plus, there is some comedy and sentimentality that is quite good.

The supporting cast does well, too, particularly Teana-Marie Smith as Shirley. So, basically, this works well and is an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours. It's not one of Hallmark's best but it is satisfying and it will not make you feel like you wasted your time. It's worth it.

This Hallmark holiday rom-com stars Ashley Williams as Avery, an elementary school teacher, and Andrew W. Walker as Wes, a former pro hockey player.

Wes signs up for a holiday-themed, cross-country reality competition that begins in Chicago. Avery had no intention of joining the competition, but she decides to compete anyway to inspire her students. They are both chagrined when they learn they are paired as a team, but they make the best of it, and discover that their complementary talents make them a formidable twosome.

The two stars have good chemistry, though the story downplays the romantic side of things. But the ending is predictable. And so is the obligatory relationship "hiccup" that must be overcome in the final ten minutes.