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rachelrosalee
Reviews
Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Something New (2023)
Decent Enough Mystery, but...
Before I say anymore, I want to admit total and complete bias with the original Aurora Teagarden cast.
As far as origin stories go, this one feels like it missed the mark. I was hoping they'd explore Aurora's decision to become a librarian and possibly even the launching of the Real Murders Club. This mystery did neither of those things. Instead, Aurora is a TA and working part-time at a diner. Sally isn't a reporter yet and Aida hasn't become a real estate powerhouse yet. All of that may have been fine, but the movie doesn't really dig into that.
Although I recognize that Aurora and Arthur dated at some point, it's still a little awkward to see the longing looks between the two characters. Any romance would make me feel like they were cheating on Lynn and Nick! The movie doesn't exactly explore that piece, so, sigh of relief.
The mystery itself was okay. It gave new Aurora the opportunity to do some sleuthing. But I'm used to Aurora, Sally, and the Real Murders club putting their heads together to uncover the villain. That element was missing, but it was still okay. It didn't feel like Roe and Sally (by Samuels and Heller) were best friends either. So I think some of the chemistry was missing among the cast. I mentioned I was biased, right? I probably wouldn't have been satisfied with anyone stepping into these roles. Except maybe CCB and Lexa Doig's daughters.
Overall, not a horrible mystery. I don't know that I would watch this particular movie again. If you loved original CCB Aurora, I'd say give it a watch. But you won't learn anything new about Aurora Teagarden.
Cut, Color, Murder (2022)
Hard to Like Main Character
I love Hallmark Mysteries! I really do. I find the need to preface this review with that because Cut, Color, Murder...
The plot itself wasn't horrible. For me, it was the main character, Ali Reed. It was way to hard for me to like her, even when she was in danger. And it's hard to keep watching when you don't like the protagonist. Let's face it. There is a difference between someone who is determined and opinionated (like Hannah Swensen or Roe Teagarden) and someone who is just plain obstinate.
Ali's attitude was obnoxious, a little vindictive, and just plain rude. I struggled relating to her as a character. One whose beloved deceased husband was a detective, but she was beyond comfortable violating police procedure.
Nonetheless, I kept watching. While I can't say I'd watch this movie again or that I'd eagerly await any potential future installments, I've seen worse. And who knows. If Ali has a total personality conversion, I might be intrigued.
Charming (2018)
Good Fairytale Movie...
I'm a lover of animated movies! They're my go to when I just want something mindless or to make me chuckle.
Having watched plenty of Disney, Dreamworks, and Pixar films, I was intrigued by this Netflix Original. It had the familiar "Happily Ever After" formula, complete with princesses and prince charming. And a loveable animal sidekick. I feel like overall it was pretty enjoyable with some laughable moments. The musically gifted cast gave the movie some wonderful songs.
Now, one thing that was odd to me had to do with the same thing. The songs. At one point, there's like a full on music video interlude in the middle of the movie. That threw me for a minute. I was torn between rewinding-thinking I'd missed something or fast forwarding-to skip past the singing. As I said, I love animated movies. And most princess/prince movies will include a little singing here and there. And the other songs in the film blended fine. It's just that one scene that didn't make sense to me. (It just seemed sooo long!)
Wine Country (2019)
Uhh...?
I'd never heard of this movie, but I was excited when I saw the cast. Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph,
and Rachel Dratch? I just knew this was going to be so hilarious that my ribs would be in pain from laughing.
Let me say, this movie was proof for me that one should never judge a book, or movie, by it's cover.
While there were some occasional chuckles, I was disappointed. It seems like it was supposed to be a grown woman buddy dramedy, but it missed the mark for me. It was more like six woman who are "friends", in the gossiping behind each other's backs and not being totally honest with each other sense.
While that is true for some people, and with a different plot, may have worked in a different setting, I just fill like this was a bit of a let down for me. I say that because I was hoping for way more humor from the cast than I got.
Christmas with a Prince (2018)
Okay...
Well, it wasn't the worst movie I've ever seen. I don't really know what expectations I had for this one. But having watched a few other Netflix Christmas movies, I thought I'd give this one a go.
While I don't regret it, I'm struggling to decided whether I liked this movie or absolutely hated it. I've gotten used to some humor served in a side dish of the main course: cheesy romance. This was not that.
And the thing is, I don't really know what it was. I do stress that the movie wasn't horrible. But it also wasn't a must watch and re-watch.
There was a cameo by a music artist I'd never heard of with an absolutely beautiful voice. So...there was that.
A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding (2018)
One of my Holiday Favorites
I'll admit that this is probably one of my new holiday favorite movies. Probably even my favorite out of all three. (Actually it's a toss up between this one and the first). I loved that the story flowed naturally from the first film. Continuity nailed! There was even an opportunity for redemption of a known enemy. I loved it.
We would all be so lucky to have a wedding planner as passionate about our big day as Sahil, right? He added some humor to the movie for me. Great addition.
Overall, it was a treat watching Amber adjust to life in the public eye, becoming a queen, planning a wedding to her king. I loved everything about this movie! Christmas and Romance all in one.
A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby (2019)
Pretty Good Movie...
Let me begin by saying that most movies tend to lose me by the 3rd installment. That being said, I wasn't totally disengaged with The Royal Baby, the third movie in the Christmas Prince films. The time crunch added some nice intensity to the plot. There weren't a ton of new characters introduced, which is actually a good thing. The timeline progression seemed to flow pretty seamlessly. Overall, I thought it was a good movie. I only had one issue with the film. The villain.
The villain just did not make sense to me. It almost makes it seem like they ran out of bad guys and had to draw lots. That aside, the rest of the movie was pretty okay.
Love in the Villa (2022)
Fairly predictable, but still worth a watch
So I absolutely loved this movie. This may have been my first glance at a Kat Graham movie and it led me to a few others that she did with Netflix. This was so cute! It had the cliche formula of guy meets girl, girl hates guy, etc. But then love and the allure of such a romantic city as Rome and, of all places, the balcony! I'd definitely give this another watch. There were some laugh out loud moments and Julie and Charlie were so great. I enjoyed their journey and found their war hilarious.
It was honestly a predictable movie. But name one rom-com that wasn't? And am I the only one who felt like this would have been super cute if Charlie's name had been Romeo? Just me...well, it would have been cute.
Operation Christmas Drop (2020)
Very Enjoyable
This was a really enjoyable and light-hearted holiday rom-com. It hit all the cliche notes for a romance. But sometimes cliches are okay. This movie was actually pretty good and I could see myself watching it again. I thoroughly enjoyed all the characters. Another reason I was so taken with this movie is because I didn't know this was a real thing. How great is that?! The end credits even show some shots of the actual drop and the character Brother Bruce too! I'm totally amazed by that and now I have so many questions that I'll have to google. All in all, this movie was equal parts cute, funny, sweet and just an all around treat. Perfect for the holidays.
The Holiday Calendar (2018)
Very Cute
Very cute Christmas movie starring Kat Graham and Quincy. Kat is a great actress and I've seen a few of her films. This was a cute and funny one. You get taken in by the calendar and wondering what surprises are in store. To some it might be cliche, or obvious and predictable, but it's still worth a watch. There are some funny moments and characters that you'll grow fond of. Although it's Christmasy and kind of a buddy film, there were still moments of watching Abby connect and bond with her family, while making career choices and vocalizing her goals, and some romance. This wasn't a drama heavy type of movie. It was very feel-good, but I still think it would be enjoyable.
The Knight Before Christmas (2019)
Delightful
This was such a treat and the perfect rom-com needed for the holidays. It's filled with nearly everything you need. Humor, romance, time-travel. You don't want to sleep on this one. Brooke and Sir Cole have great on-screen chemistry too. So it's not one of those awkward rom-com's where you're struggling to decide if you like the main characters. Watching Sir Cole adjust to life as a different kind of knight is accompanied with laughable moments. I'm going to have to watch this one again. For sure. And let me just say, I would not be opposed to a follow-up with Sir Cole's brother. He needs a story too!
The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star (2021)
IMO: Not as good as the first two...
After watching the first two Princess Switch movies, I'm not sure what my expectation was for this one, but it missed the mark. I will say that I didn't feel the addition of Fiona was a bonus to begin with. So a film that focused on her primarily was a bit of a disappointment for me. I personally feel that there just weren't enough encounters with Stacy, Margaret, Edward, or Kevin. Again, I will say that my comment is not a dig at Vanessa. I think she played her roles exceptionally well. I think that the plot line was a stinker for me. As I said, I didn't have any genuine expectations, so, I'm surprised by how much I disliked this one. If this was the last, I personally feel like something was missing.
The Princess Switch: Switched Again (2020)
Good, but...
During a binge-watching weekend, I watched Princess Switch 2 right after watching the first. Same characters, different feel. In addition to Stacy and Margaret, we are introduced to a now third look-a-like! Margaret's cousin Fiona. Well, you know that old saying about two's company... That's how I feel about this movie. The balance of Stacy and Margaret was just fine. I personally found that Fiona was an unnecessary addition. That being said, the film does a great job at showcasing Vanessa's acting strengths with three different characters who each have a different personality. The first movie was my first time watching anything she starred in and I wasn't disappointed. There were some genuinely funny moments here, but I could have skipped this one. I will say that the actress that plays Mindy (Florence Hall!) I absolutely love in Queens of Mystery. So I was thrilled to see here in this!
The Princess Switch (2018)
I love this movie!
Let me first say that this is my first Vanessa Hudgens movie so I had not yet developed an opinion about her as an actress. But this delightful movie, which has her starring in dual roles as Stacy and Margaret, was well worth the watch. It's equal parts humorous, sweet, and heartwarming. In a lot of films like this, you have the looking down your nose type of royal family. But there were very few encounters with the family and even those few moments were enjoyable. So the actual focus of the film was on Stacy and Margaret, which I loved. I think that this movie would be easily enjoyed by anyone.
The Noel Diary (2022)
My New Favorite!
Let me begin by saying that I have easily watched this movie no less than ten times already! This is one of my new favs! I'm more of a mystery buff, than a romance-drama person. But as far as romance goes, it was very muted in my opinion. So if that's your thing, you will probably find this film a little lacking in that department. No doubt about it, the two leads definitely had chemistry and I would love, love, love to see the two of them in another film together. I honestly don't think the film did their chemistry justice. And the ending, though happy-ish, was mildly unsatisfying. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the movie (as I said I've watched it over and over again!). I definitely loved that both characters had their flaws too. It somehow made it more real. I wish this could be purchased!