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Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2025 film Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story.

Story

A sweet take on the next door neighbour as a love interest trope. They played it very low angst and with lots of humour. The overall mystery story was okay but felt too simple. Loved the reveal of who the clerk was at the end. (Although Jen called it almost right away.)

Having worked in a store, that storeroom with all the receipts was way too small.

Score: 0.5

Characters

Lots of characters are thrown at you quickly, which makes the large family/community feel more realistic (even though it’s not that big). I like that these movies aren’t centred around the football players but instead the fans. The chemistry between the leads felt realistic and cute.

Score: 1

Dialogue

The banter and jokes were well done and most of the dialogue was great.

Score: 1

Visuals and Music

The visuals were basic but well done.

The music was okay.

Score: 0.5

Fun

I was thrown by the mix of accents and the idea that a store would keep receipts from decades past but overall I enjoyed this. The rest of the family liked the low angst feel and cute couple.

Score: 1

Overall

This is a Hallmark romance that celebrates both the holidays and the football fans equally. There’s love and family in both the love story and the crafting of the film.

Final Score: 4 Stars out of 5

A Newport Christmas – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2025 film A Newport Christmas.

Story

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.

Final Score: 3.5 Stars out of 5

Jingle Bell Heist – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2025 film Jingle Bell Heist.

Story

They manage to meld the formula of a heist movie with the heart of a Christmas romance. It was happy, sad, stressful, twisty, and ends happily.

Score: 1

Characters

The two main characters could have been extremely bland but the actors were amazing and elevated them into real, feeling people.

Score: 1

Dialogue

The dialogue was good, especially when the two main characters were talking with each other, but there were times when they are talking about the heist where it felt very unnatural on the exposition.

Score: 0.5

Visuals and Music

The movie had very muted colours but overall was still pretty and well shot.

The music was excellent, melding the Christmas songs with more dramatic score.

Score: 1

Fun

We guessed several of the twists before they happened but didn’t feel cheated by it. Everyone liked it. Not sure it’ll become a yearly rewatch but it was good.

Score: 1

Overall

A fun and well thought-out combination of rom-com and heist movie set at Christmas. The actors are phenomenal and the story will keep you guessing.

Final Score: 4.5 Stars out of 5

Haunted Harmony Mysteries: Buried at C – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2025 film Haunted Harmony Mysteries: Buried at C.

Story

The story is fairly well constructed but had way too many moving parts and didn’t have the screentime to give them proper attention.

Score: 0.5

Characters

Too many characters with too little time for their stories. The brother added a nice emotional anchor but once he knew her secret, he sort of faded into the background. There were hints that he and the Siobhan were going to have a romance subplot but nothing happened, a lot like the love triangle.

The main character and the ghost was great and I liked the cast of suspects.

Score: 0.5

Dialogue

The dialogue was witty, heartwarming, and a lot of fun.

Score: 1

Visuals and Music

Once again, the countryside and locations are spectacular. The camera angles and cinematography are excellent.

The music was great and the father’s song was a nice touch.

Score: 1

Fun

This was another cozy and fun mystery. The characters are interesting and the banter is great. The whole family liked this one.

Score: 1

Overall

Sequels don’t always need to get bigger and more intense. This tries but falls a little short. However, the banter and mystery are solid and it’s a fun watch.

Final Score: 4 Stars out of 5

Haunted Harmony Mysteries: Murder in G Major – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2023 film Haunted Harmony Mysteries: Murder in G Major.

Story

The mystery was challenging enough to be fun and the rest of the story was engaging. Adding ghosts added an extra fun element.

Score: 1

Characters

Cozy stories sink or swim based on their characters and setting. The main character and the ghost had excellent banter and everyone in the town was a character I’d like to know more about. I found it was an interesting twist, especially for a Hallmark movie, to leave the love triangle unresolved.

Score: 1

Dialogue

Mostly good dialogue, lots of great banter and charming small town elements.

Score: 1

Visuals and Music

The town and scenery were practically another character and they were lovely. The cinematography was solid, the special effects subtle, and the locations lovely.

The music was a mix of traditional and vaguely Irish background music and it added to the cozy feel.

Score: 1

Fun

The movie felt like watching Murder, She Wrote. It was calm and character driven. I love the more action packed mysteries, but this type needs to make a comeback. Everyone in the family loved it.

Score: 1

Overall

This is a wonderful cozy mystery with a slight supernatural twist. It’s well written with solid characters, and a gorgeous location. If you like cozy mysteries, you’ll love this.

Final Score: 5 Stars out of 5*

*A 5 star review doesn’t mean the movie was perfect nor that it is perfect for everyone but it is a movie I believe is as close to perfect as possible.

The Last Mimzy – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2007 film The Last Mimzy.

Story

A great adaptation of the short story, if only in spirit. It unfortunately relies a lot on the “parents don’t believe” trope which I hate.

Score: 0.5

Characters

The parents read like a dynamic from movies in the 70’s or 80’s. The mom is all over the place and the dad is an ass. I’m glad that they were supportive after they saw proof but they were by far the worst part of the movie.

The kids were fantastic and I loved the teacher and his wife.

Score: 0.5

Dialogue

The kids’ dialogue felt well done but some of the spiritual stuff was a little meh and the science overly simple.

Score: 0.5

Visuals and Music

The movie held up in the way it was shot and its special effects. It relied a lot on the kids interacting with the effects and it really worked.

The music was fantastic and I loved it even if I recognized some shades of Lord of the Rings.

Score: 1

Fun

The 9yo wasn’t impressed but the 6yo loved it. The adults all enjoyed it and so did I.

Score: 1

Overall

A fun science fiction with a great message and some adorable kids.

Final Score: 3.5 Stars out of 5

Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2025 film Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical.

Story

There’s nothing new or special here except that the writers perfectly captured the spirit of Peanuts.

Score: 0.5

Characters

Each character was exactly as I expected. Some of the voices weren’t perfect but it really shows how the actors and the writers love the source material.

Score: 1

Dialogue

Cute, wholesome, and clever; just like the rest of the shows and comics.

Score: 1

Visuals and Music

The animation was thankfully 2D and fairly well done. There’s a warmth missing that only comes from traditional animation but it’s still lovely.

The music was cute but utterly forgettable.

Score: 0.5

Fun

This gets massive nostalgia points from me. The rest of the family loved it.

Score: 1

Overall

A faithful and entertaining addition to the Peanuts catalogue. Made with love and lots of heart.

Final Score: 4 Stars out of 5

Princess of Thieves – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2001 film Princess of Thieves.

Story

The story feels like a mid 1990’s feelgood made for TV movie. It’s slightly silly and it refuses to let its main character do much.

Score: 0

Characters

The main love pair are a lot of fun when they’re together. The rest of the cast is much too good for the material.

I am severely annoyed that they talked her up as being an expert archer, rider, and swordsman but she only seemed able to shoot. She needed saving far too often. They’d never have written the character in the same way had it been a boy.

Score: 0.5

Dialogue

Some lines could be iconic, others are just bad. It has a lot of, “But daddy!” energy that could have been way more annoying with another actor.

Score: 0.5

Visuals and Music

The visuals are pretty good, it shows that they filmed on location. The camera work is steady and well done, if very 90’s in style.

The music is a great match to the Disney Robin Hood and later versions. It’s heroic and fun.

Score: 1

Fun

This is the kind of movie that I expect is someone’s childhood favourite. It has all the elements to be great but needs the imagination of a child to put it together in a more coherent way.

Score: 0.5

Overall

A fun period movie that is bound to be someone’s favourite but that can’t decide what it wants to be. The acting and locations are excellent, but the rest is a little meh.

Final Score: 2.5 Stars out of 5

The Wild Robot – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2025 film The Wild Robot.

Story

This treads the line between traumatic and adorable. On its surface, it’s a cutesy film about adoption and found family. Below the surface, the movie has a lot of awkward colonial tones.

Score: 0.5

Characters

The voice actors did a fabulous job. I particularly loved Lupita Nyong’o’s evolution throughout the movie from pure robotic to more humanized.

At the beginning it felt like the characters acted out for the gag more than the plot and it was a little tiresome.

Score: 0.5

Dialogue

The dialogue was good mostly. It was a nice exploration of what it means to be a parent and a friend. The jokes were sometimes funny and sometimes over the top.

Score: 0.5

Visuals and Music

The movie was beautifully animated and really did a great job giving each animal a personality.

The music was good, it did a great job at helping with the mood.

Score: 0.5

Fun

It was a fun movie. There are a lot of unanswered questions and word building issues, but they probably just annoyed me and weren’t that important.

The kids loved it.

Score: 1

Overall

A fun kids movie that explores what it means to be a family while showing the importance of change. It has its flaws but the acting will make you forget about it.

Final Score: 3 Stars out of 5