A nice fusion of European vacation movie and Christmas tropes. The family dynamic is wholesome and funny why still being believable. The story was a nice change from the usual formula.
Score: 1
Characters
Each character was flawed but lovable and despite some annoying choices everyone held their own and I never got annoyed when the movie changed focus from one sibling to another.
Score: 1
Dialogue
The dialogue was cheesy but had some hints of genuine emotion. I’m not going to be quoting this one but I’m also not going to cringe.
Score: 0.5
Visuals and Music
The visuals were okay but they managed to film on location and still make everything feel like it was shot on a sound stage.
The music was unintrusive but festive.
Score: 0.5
Fun
I’m not usually a fan of family movies that have a parent declaring they’re sick but this was handled well. It was nice that they didn’t treat it as an instant death sentence instead of a long term degenerative condition.
It was light, fluffy, and well acted. Everyone enjoyed it.
Score: 1
Overall
This is a family Christmas movie with a believable family dynamic and lots of fun moments. I think this will be in our yearly rotation.
I like the fantasy aspects of it, and despite being utterly predictable for the time travel, it was a fun story overall. I found it interesting and a little odd that things disappeared but no one’s memories of those things disappeared.
Score: 0.5
Characters
The main character and love interest were a fun “light” version of grumpy/sunshine. I find the age and timeline a little off and a little sanitized, but they were fun and had chemistry.
I was a little annoyed that they introduced a “genre savvy” character and didn’t use him most of the movie.
Score: 0.5
Dialogue
The dialogue was mostly good; cheesy with some very sweet moments.
Score: 1
Visuals and Music
The visuals were good but felt a little too set-like. At times, everything felt like a filmed play.
The music was lovely.
Score: 0.5
Fun
Other than guessing the ending when reading the movie description, I really enjoyed the movie. The rest of the family including the 9yo also loved it. The 6yo was bored during some of the longer talking sequences.
Score: 1
Overall
A nice addition to the Christmas fantasies from Hallmark. The acting is decent and the time travel gimmick doesn’t get in the way of the love story.
The hospital setting for a Hallmark style romance was a little jarring at first. Being used to medical dramas, I had to remind myself that no one was going to die. Once I got over that, I found the story a great twist on the holiday formula.
Score: 1
Characters
For once, the female lead wasn’t the one moving in from the big city and no one had to give up their careers or lives. The two mains were played with more honest emotion than I’m used to from this genre, and the community a great addition.
The acting still felt a little rushed, like the actors hadn’t had the time to fully process the material, and there were a few odd things for a hospital staff.
Score: 0.5
Dialogue
The dialogue was fairly witty and I really liked the faster pace of dialogue between the leads.
Score: 1
Visuals and Music
The snow storm measured in “feet instead of inches” didn’t look that bad. Other than that, the sets were pretty and the camera work was solid.
The music was unremarkable but in this case that’s a good thing.
Score: 0.5
Fun
It was a lot of fun. Very festive and happy with the babies, and the whole family liked it.
Score: 1
Overall
A nice twist on the Hallmark formula that will leave you smilling.
Once of the most formulaic Christmas romances I’ve watched this year. It was extremely predictable.
Score: 0
Characters
The characters were cute. The male lead was charismatic and came off as a sweetheart. The main girl was mostly just lost and confused. Both were played well.
The animals really stole the show.
Score: 0.5
Dialogue
It shows how fast it was written that the dialogue felt unpolished. Almost overly scripted.
Score: 0.5
Visuals and Music
The location was great and decorating was amazing.
The music was lovely and nicely instrumental.
Score: 1
Fun
I really enjoyed this. It’s cute cats and cute people. The whole family seemed to enjoy it. The only issues I had were technical and can be attributed to Hallmark rushing these movies instead of talking the time to do it right.
Score: 1
Overall
A cute and formulaic holiday romance but let’s be honest, we’re watching for the cats.
Thursday the 24th of December, 2015 – Ottawa, Ontario
When Kitty had taken over Adelaide’s body, she’d taken some parts of herself with it. That included enhanced senses. It wasn’t magic but it wasn’t human either. It meant almost no one could sneak up on her.
“Hello MacKenzie, did you forget something?” Kitty asked as the other woman walked softly up the corridor to her office.
“How did you know?” MacKenzie asked.
Shrugging, Kitty said, “You don’t want to know.”
“No, come on. I was being as quiet as I could.”
“I could hear and smell you coming,” Kitty said, bracing for the upcoming awkwardness.
Instead, MacKenzie walked in and after a few seconds, said, “I’m sorry, that’s got to suck.”
Surprised by the other’s empathy, Kitty added, “It’s not that bad. I’ve always had them and can filter out what I want. It can get overwhelming, but I carry mints and earplugs for those times.
MacKenzie nodded and Kitty could almost see the other girl trying to work out the biology. Both of them ended up looking at the little Tim Hortons ornament on her desk. It was a gift from Kitty’s first partner, Lieutenant Arrage. It was a joke on her having two sets of memories: she’d called Kitty Double-Double.
MacKenzie looked sad and said, “I miss her. She recruited me.”
“I didn’t know that. I miss her too, I wish I had been there for her.” Kitty had been injured and couldn’t go with Arrage to what should have been a routine meeting. She’d been killed by a recently summoned Aether-creature, a magical beast created by the stuff of magic.
MacKenzie’s voice was stern as she said, “Don’t do that. It’s not your fault. According to the Gatekeepers that found her, you’d have been killed too if you’d been there.” The Gatekeepers were specialized mages that took care of Aether-creatures and Aetherborn. Aetherborn were people created by magic and imagination. It was usually accidental but some wizards could do it on purpose.
“I just feel like I’m cursed.” Maybe it’s better that I’m alone. She didn’t say it aloud because she knew it sounded a little too self-loathing.
“I was going to invite you to my family’s party, but if you’re cursed, I probably shouldn’t,” MacKenzie said straight faced.
“Oh. Okay.” Kitty didn’t know how to reply.
“I’m kidding. Did you want to come? I have to warn you that they’re a lot. Also, a bunch of them will see right through any illusions or glamour.”
“I’m not sure it’s a good idea,” Kitty said tentatively. She really wanted to, but was terrified of getting attached.
“Curses don’t bother me. I’m extremely lucky,” MacKenzie said with confidence and stood. “No seriously, it’s part of why I was recruited: I have supernaturally enhanced luck. We’d better go soon if we want to make it on time.
They stopped at Kitty’s apartment quickly to pick up her overnight bag and then set off for Westmeath. The Queensway was clear by this time, most of the public servants had gone home around lunch. The sun was already setting which made MacKenzie squint as she drove.
They parked in front of a small bungalow in the Oldtown portion of Westmeath. When MacKenzie didn’t move, Kitty asked, “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, just bracing myself.”
“You’re scaring me a little. Anything I should know about?” Kitty asked, fidgeting with her coat’s zipper.
“My family is very mixed. There are going to be Aetherborn, wizards, humans, and possibly some aliens.”
Kitty chuckled and replied, “That is varied. Thank you for the warning. I would have been confused by the sounds and smells.”
“Also, my brother-in-law is Jason Johnson.” MacKenzie grimaced as she said it.
Kitty recognized the name and asked incredulously, “The king of Aetherborn in Westmeath? I thought the woman with him looked familiar. I met them both this fall during the whole Ansonville incident.” That was when her former partner tried to take over the world. “I’m pretty up to date on the office gossip. How have I not heard about this?”
“We all have our secrets that are left out of our files. The General agreed to keep it a secret since not everyone in Elmsley is Aetherborn friendly. Also maybe not mention Elmsley too often.” MacKenzie bit her lip nervously and furrowed her brow.
Putting her hand on MacKenzie’s, Kitty said, “Hey. I’m not going to start a fight. I understand that we’re not well-liked by the Community. I promise to be respectful.”
Kitty felt Mackenzie squeeze her hand and a sensation of warmth washed over her. I can’t fall for her, she’s a coworker and my crushes never end well.
They walked up to the door and MacKenzie pressed the doorbell. A tall blonde with uncannily similar features to MacKenzie answered the door. The two women hugged and they were ushered in.
The heavenly smell of food enveloped them like a warm hug. Kitty was appreciating the aroma and missed MacKenzie introducing her to her sister.
“Agent Price, Nice to see you again.”
“Hello, you can call me Kitty. I’m glad we could meet again without anything world ending,” she said, trying to smile casually and not show her nerves.
Kennedy pulled her into a hug and said, “I’m glad you’re here. Call me Kennedy.”
A small tug on her dress made her look down at a small boy, maybe four years old, with dark skin and bright blue eyes looking up at her. “Hi. You’re very pretty, you don’t need the glamour.” His oversized Santa hat bobbed as he talked.
Kennedy’s eyes grew wide and she said, “Hammond, we don’t peek through people’s glamours.”
Kneeling to be at the boy’s level, Kitty said, “Thank you. Do you think I should turn it off? I feel a little naked without it.”
The boy nodded vigorously, adding, “I like being naked. I can do the naked baby dance.”
All three women laughed and Kitty dropped the glamour.
Little Hammond hugged her and took her hand. “Come on. Papa made lots of yummy food.”
Thursday the 24th of December, 2015 – Ottawa, Ontario
Kitty, Katherine Price, sat crosslegged on a comfy chair in the conference room of the Burt Grande in downtown Ottawa. She closed her eyes and took in the sounds and smells of the Elmsley Christmas party. There was sweet and savoury foods, hot chocolate, coffee, alcohol, and the smell of wet carpets from the rain. The sounds were of people chatting, Santa talking to the kids, happy shrieks and the rat-a-tat-tat of rain on the windows.
It was warm and comforting. The whole thing made her sad. She didn’t have a family but this is what she imagined it would feel like. She’d lived a complicated life. Her body was born dead and her soul had latched onto her twin sister. As a part of her sister, Kitty had been stuck as an imaginary friend until five years ago when through a complicated set of circumstances, her sister died and gave her all her memories and her body.
It was strange living in a body that wasn’t yours, but she’d adapted, and with her affinity for illusions she could make herself look different. The hardest part was losing the only person who’d known her her whole life.
Her parents had been part of a strange cabal of wizards that wanted to create a new world. That was why she existed, but they had died before she could remember them. She’d attended her sister’s funeral in disguise and even considered talking to their adoptive parents, but in the end, Kitty knew she couldn’t explain what had happened.
The Elmsley Project was her only family at this point, and although General Stuart was a strong role model, she was busy with her biological family.
She had considered her first partner family but she’d been killed in action. Her second partner had turned villain and tried to take over the world using supernatural sapient goo just this fall.
The hard rain falling outside was unusual but paired well with her sad mood.
“Sleepy already Kitty?” asked MacKenzie Fairfield, her long brown hair in a perfect bun. It was quite the contrast with Kitty’s shoulder-length red curls.
“No, just taking in the whole scene, doctor, or do I say Major?”
MacKenzie blushed a little. “Thanks, and we’re technically the same rank even if you’re a civilian.” She sat in the chair across from Kitty and put down her empty mug that had been hot chocolate.
“Does that mean I have to salute though?” Kitty teased.
A woman with hair almost as bright as Kitty’s but with a perpetual sneer on her face walked up to them. She was one of the only people in uniform. “Director Price, Major Fairfield. Congrats on your promotion.”
With a sigh, Kitty said, “With all due respect, Director Lanthier, don’t you have some naughty kids to shove in a sack?” Lieutenant-General Lanthier was the head of the military division of Elmsley, while Kitty and MacKenzie had recently been promoted to co-directors of the science division. The two groups didn’t get along.
Adding a scowl to her sneer, which was quite the feat, she said, “You’ll get what you deserve, freak,” and then walked away.
“Why do you antagonize her?” asked MacKenzie.
Kitty thought about it for a little and said, “Because she’s the worst of us and it’s fun.”
“I can’t argue with you there.” MacKenzie picked up her cup and pouted when she looked inside. Putting it back down, she asked, “What plans do you have for the holidays?”
This was the question Kitty hated. Most people only asked to be friendly, another script of polite society. She still got in trouble when she answered without thinking. She’d worked out the perfect reply and used it, “I’m working. I need to review the information from the Project Paracosm tests and try to figure out what went wrong.”
“Oh… Um… What about your family?” MacKenzie asked.
“I don’t have any, not really. My twin sister died five years ago and my parents died when I was a baby. I usually use the holidays as a way to catch up on work. It’s quiet and I can focus better.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose my twin.” The other woman sat up straighter and looked uncomfortable. ”I’m going to Westmeath. Two of my siblings live there now. We get together for a big family thing tonight. I’ll be gone until just after Boxing day.”
Kitty was curious, an attribute that had been mentioned enough to annoy her. She asked, “Why only then? You’ve had a packed year, you should take time until New Year’s.”
“I love my family but they are a lot. My siblings are happily married with kids, and my mom is always on my case about finding someone to settle down with. Between that and the fact that I can’t talk about anything I do, it’s just better in small doses.”
“I have no idea what that’s like, but it sounds fun and exhausting.” Kitty sighed looking over the party. Starting to stand, she said, “I should get some work done before… Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas Kitty.” It looked like MacKenzie was going to say something else but instead she picked up her cup and scowled at its emptiness.
As she walked away from the joyful chaos-symphony, Kitty couldn’t help but shed a few tears for what she was missing. It wasn’t Christmas, that was as important to her as the Civic Holiday, but the togetherness of family.
The movie was the first half of The Sound of Music or Jayne Eyre: nice lady comes into the house and shows the lonely father how to have fun while bringing joy to the kids. There didn’t seem to be enough of a motivation for the two leads to not get together and so the obstacles in the third act felt really convoluted.
Score: 0
Characters
The main female lead was so perfectly dressed and made up to be the mean girl that it took me a little to get to like her. Once I got past my preconceptions, she was extremely likeable and the chemistry between the leads was impressive.
We found the movie because we like Aaron Ashmore so it was no surprise that he was great.
I liked the autistic coded kids that were never treated as being lesser.
Score: 1
Dialogue
I was surprised by the kids’ dialogue, it felt refreshingly normal. The rest was what you’d expect from a Christmas romance.
Score: 0.5
Visuals and Music
The locations were great and the cinematography well done. I’m definitely annoyed by the over-abundant continuity issues. Then there’s the fact that they filmed in Ontario but had styrofoam snowmen that looked really fake.
The music was a little overdone and felt like it was trying to take attention away from the acting.
Score: 0.5
Fun
The kids were cute, the adults were pretty, and there was almost no angst. It was an okay movie. I enjoyed it but I’m not sure I’d want to rewatch it. The kids and family felt the same.
Score: 0.5
Overall
A stress free Christmas romance that’s worth it for the pretty leads and awesome kids.
Adding the third look-alike added a few interesting possibilities and it was well done. It thankfully didn’t get as dark as it could have and kept that light, angst free, Christmas feel.
Score: 0.5
Characters
Again all the characters are loveable, even the villains. Hudgens does a spectacular job at making us forget she’s playing 3 roles.
Score: 1
Dialogue
Lots of playing around with the three look-alikes and some adorable lines from the love interests. The scenes between the prince and the kid are some of my favourites.
Score: 0.5
Visuals and Music
Filming on location really pays off in this one. Scotland looks magical and the architecture seems to just fit perfectly.
The music was nice but forgettable.
Score: 0.5
Fun
Everyone enjoyed this one but it had a higher angst level and will be more fun in re-watching. The whole family liked it.
Score: 1
Overall
A great idea for a sequel with some nice twists but it isn’t quite as good as the original.
A fun take on The Prince and the Pauper. Like the other early Netflix Christmas movies, it avoids too much angst.
Score: 0.5
Characters
The male characters are pretty and adorable, but it’s Vanessa Hudgens that rightfully steals the show. The adorable littler girl does a good job too.
Score: 1
Dialogue
Clever and cute with a few good social commentaries. I don’t think we’ll be quoting this one much in the future but it was fun.
Score: 0.5
Visuals and Music
Filmed at a real castle and in a place that gets snow so it was partially believable. It was however obvious that the majority of the scenes that weren’t bridging shots were filmed in summer..
The music was cheerful and unintrusive.
Score: 1
Fun
I expected a lot of awkward and angsty scenes but it wasn’t; it was fun and light and I really enjoyed it. The rest of the family felt the same.
Score: 1
Overall
A lovely Christmas romance with lots of flirting and little angst. Hudgens shows that excellent acting doesn’t have to only be depressing.
