A Costa Rican Wedding

As others have said Rhiannon Fish is lovely and has done several enjoyable Hallmark movies. But her character in this movie is wholly unlikable. I couldn't even get through this movie. She was not only absent minded and clumsy which can work as funny, cute character personality traits in these movies. But Emily goes way past that to mean, rude, controlling, and just plain stupid. Oh the eye rolls. She gives you no reason to even root for her. I'm guessing Ryan found these monkeys and got the rings back because I couldn't finish. And Emily was too big a moron to solve the problem herself. Most of the other characters were likeable including the male lead. The setting was fun and beautiful. The story could have been fun. But I couldn't watch her roll her eyes anymore.

"A Costa Rican Wedding" is an endearing romantic comedy that offers a delightful mix of beautiful scenery and an engaging, light-hearted storyline. The film stars Rhiannon Fish and Christopher Russell, who bring a genuine and warm chemistry to their roles, making the romance both believable and enjoyable to watch. Fish's character, Emily, a clumsy and sometimes ditsy bridesmaid, finds herself in a series of amusing misadventures, managing to lose just about everything. Even the bride's mother, played by the wonderfully funny Maureen Kedes, can't help but be skeptical of Emily's antics, adding an extra layer of comedy to the film. Kedes' performance stands out as she effortlessly balances humor with a touch of warmth, making her character both relatable and memorable. Overall, "A Costa Rican Wedding" is a fun, easy-to-watch movie that provides plenty of laughs and a feel-good experience for anyone looking to escape into a charming romantic comedy.

Really wanted to like this, but at the half way mark, I'm not sure that I can make it through even with fast forwarding through the commercials. The character Emily (Rhiannon Fish) is so far unredeemable, arrogant and downright unlikeable. Not quite sure how they think it's plausible that she could be a nurse. The scenery is absolutely beautiful. Ryan (Christopher Russell) is as always wonderful. A good actor who is also easy on the eyes. The mother of the bride didn't help matters, hopefully by the end Phoebe will be able to stand up to her mom and actually have the wedding that she wants and deserves. By the way, the whole stalking the ex thing was really creepy.

I like Rhiannon Fish but Emily may be the most unlikeable Rom/Com lead ever. She is clumsy, but that can be cute. She is a total moron, arrogant, and refuses all help, much to her detriment. But when she gets really desperate, she starts manipulating Ryan. For literally half the movie Emily screws up one thing after another. Ryan is an OK guy, but Emily was so frustrating it didn't help him look good. Phoebe's parents are totally mean to Emily and even though she probably deserves it, that doesn't make the movie fun to watch.

Their search is totally hopeless despite the importance of what they lost. But since it's Hallmark, I assumed the impossible will happen, but you'll have to see.

As in many of these movies, the whole tone of events changes so quickly the viewer gets whiplash. In this case, at the half way point (with commercials) the relationship settles down and the calamities get a little less depressing. Also like most of these movies, there is a conflict based on a misunderstanding toward the end, but this one comes and goes so quickly, it might as well have been skipped.

There is some great local scenery. And I was a little surprised to find this swimming "scenery" in a Hallmark movie. Not that revealing, but more than the usual.

The midpoint recovery was enough to take this movie from avoid-at-all-costs to almost watchable.

I thought this would be a good one, and I wasn't disappointed.

The combination of an on-location shoot - I mean, those images of Costa Rica are self-explanatory; the scenery is almost the real star of the show - two very good leads in Hallmark veteran Christopher Russell and Australia's Rhiannon Fish (herself nearing Hallmark veteran status now with a string of titles under her belt), and you have all the makings.

That said, Hallmark have managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory before...but thankfully not on this occasion. "A Costa Rican Wedding" is great. Russell and Fish have great chemistry, the acting is, for the most part, good from all concerned, despite the occasional cringey moment, and the ending, as always, is satisfying. It's Hallmark, after all.

More of this couple, please, Crown Media.