Christmas Movie Magic | 2021 Christmas Movies

The most annoying thing about these Christmas movies isn’t that they are terrible. It’s that most of them are so middle-of-the-road boring that I don’t know what to say about them. I can rip apart the bad movies or rave about the good ones. What do I say about all the ones in between? “Yep, that was a movie.”

Allie (Holly Deveaux) is an entertainment writer longing to win a Pulitzer Prize writing hit news stories. In order to get moved to the news department, her editor sends her to a small town to cover the anniversary of a classic Christmas movie. Once there, she meets Brad (Drew Seeley), a local who runs the movie theater. Together, they try to uncover the mysterious love story behind the song written for the movie.

Christmas Movie Magic is another movie that had a great plot that was squandered by lackluster acting and directing. Deveaux and Seeley have zero chemistry together. It was almost painful to see the two of them on the screen. I’m not sure why they were cast together. It’s almost like the casting agents didn’t even audition them together.

As for the directing, there are these weird close up shots that make no sense. Well, no. I understand that they are attempting to mirror the style of an old 1950s movie. They are just doing a terrible job at it. These close ups occur in places where they aren’t needed. It makes the scene very jarring.

However, the elephant in the room is the big Christmas song at the end. It is performed by Seeley and Deveaux but Deveaux doesn’t have the chops to sing with Seeley. He has performed on Broadway and sang for a variety of Disney projects. (He was the singing voice for Troy Bolton in the first High School Musical movie.) What should be a lovely duet between two people who love each other becomes a cringe-worthy tune when her voice comes in. Again, I think the casting agent made a big mistake.

Should you watch this? I mean, if you want to. Christmas Movie Magic isn’t terrible. It’s also not worth all of your attention. So maybe watch it while you play games on your phone or something. That way you can pop in and out of the interesting parts. There aren’t many of them anyway.

Secretly Santa | 2021 Christmas Movies

At first, I thought Secretly Santa was going to be a Cinderella-themed Christmas movie. But they dropped that plotline for a stupid one about an app. Ugh.

Miranda (Alicia Dea Josipovic) and Paul (Travis Nelson) each run an app that helps people choose appropriate Christmas presents for the people in their life. Unbeknownst to them, they meet up at a costumed Santa-themed bar crawl and begin to fall in love. Before they can exchange information, they get separated but Paul has a glove that Miranda left behind to help him find her. Professionally, Paul’s company is planning on buying Miranda’s app and merging the two together. The two of them get tasked with figuring out how to make the app better by learning more about how people choose the perfect gift.

This movie would have been a million times better if they ditched the stupid app story and kept with the Cinderella plot. First off, if you need an app to tell you what the perfect gift is, you need to pay more attention to the people around you. Second, how could an app possibly know the perfect gift without some Facebook-level stalking of your target’s online life? It’s stupid.

On top of the dumb story, Josipovic and Nelson have terrible chemistry. The writers try to give them this flirting by fighting vibe but they don’t come off as flirting. They just come off as mean to each other. They are a terrible couple.

I don’t want to talk about this movie any more. It’s awful. Don’t watch it. I wish I had those 90 minutes back in my life. I wish I didn’t fast forward through the commercials so that maybe one of those would have been worth my time.

My Favorite Christmas Melody | 2021 Christmas Movies

Even though there are no other Christmas movies named anything like it, I kept getting My Favorite Christmas Melody confused with something. I have no idea what but I kept thinking that I watched this already. Maybe all these Christmas movies are starting to drive me insane.

Abby (Mya) is a singer-songwriter. Three years ago, she had a Christmas song she wrote stolen by a popular singer. Now she works writing jingles for commercials. Fighting with writer’s block, Abby decides to go home for the holidays where her mother, Cynthia (Shakura S'Aida), is the principal at the local high school. Cynthia convinces Abby to help the school’s band instructor, Travis (Rainbow Sun Francks), prepare for the holiday pageant.

As a whole, I enjoyed the movie. Mya is a wonderful singer and the movie lets her sing multiple times. While the music is a little cheesy, it’s not bad. It fits perfectly into a Lifetime Christmas movie. I am glad that a movie about musicians allows them time to actually play music.

Now for the bad parts. Abby, and most everyone around her, complains about the jingle-writing gig claiming it’s not “real art.” She’s getting paid to write music! There aren’t a lot of musicians that get paid to actually write music. it’s an annoying complaint.

On top of that, Abby is very salty about the stolen song. Which is understandable but, at some point, she needs to let it go. it’s been three years and she literally snaps at people who like the song. She claims that her manager got a lawyer who said there was nothing they could do. But, judging by the sheer number of lawsuits we have nowadays about songs, there is no way the lawyer just said “Nope. Sorry.” without taking it to court first. Giving them the benefit of the doubt - let’s say the lawyer was right. It’s been three years and the song is massively popular. Stop taking your aggravation out on the people around you. It doesn’t look good.

Despite the annoying business side of the movie, I do think it is worth watching. There are some good lessons about music being more than technique and putting your heart into it. I just wish they would have gotten rid of all the guilt stuff. I think it would have been a better movie if they didn’t keep harping on how her job sucked.

Sister Swap: A Hometown Holiday | 2021 Christmas Movies

I know that Hallmark and Lifetime have annual movie series. But I don’t think I’ve ever seen a series have two movies in the same year. Sister Swap has two movies this month. A Hometown Holiday came first and Christmas In The City aired a week later. I wonder if they will be any good.

Jennifer (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) runs a successful restaurant in Salt Lake City. Her sister, Meg (Ashley Williams), stayed in their hometown of Hazelwood to help their parents run their bakery. This year will be the first Christmas with the family since their Uncle Dave (Kevin Nealon) passed away. Meg has gone to Salt Lake City while Jennifer and her son, Simon (Jacob Buster), go home to Hazelwood. When they get to Hazelwood, Jennifer and Simon find out that the family is planning on selling Uncle Dave’s movie theater. Will they be able to save the historic theater or will it be sold to a new theater chain that will update everything?

A Hometown Holiday was a sweet movie. Once again, the romance took a back seat to restoring the movie theater. Sure, Jennifer was falling in love with Eric (Mark Deklin) but we didn’t get a lot of those long stares at each other. Instead, they quietly held hands at family gatherings and sat under a quilt together in the cold theater. The romance wasn’t shoved down our throats, which made it feel like it was happening organically. They fell in love because they were spending a lot of time together.

I also like that the movie didn’t forget about Simon. Instead of shunting him off to hang out with a new set of friends, they used him to bring Eric’s daughter, Madzie (Lila Clark), into the family. It was Simon that would ask Madzie what was wrong when she looked sad and it was Simon that comforted her when she was missing her mother. Bringing the kids together like that made this blending of families feel more natural as well. Sure, in real life, I’m sure the teenager would be a snarky pain in the butt and the child would be angry that her dad was “replacing” her mom but this is Hallmark. Kids don’t act like that around here.

Amazingly, I think this may be my favorite Hallmark movie of the season so far. Granted, I haven’t watched the second movie yet. Since we can see the set up for the second movie in this one, I have high hopes for it. Both of the Williams sisters are good actresses. They shouldn’t have any problems carrying the movie. I think the only way they could screw this up is if the second movie is entirely about Meg getting into a new romantic relationship. I don’t think that is the case but I will be very upset if it is.

Based on this movie alone, yes, I think you should watch it. I mean, if the second movie is bad, at least the first was good. We can pretend that one doesn’t exist if we have to.

Kirk Franklin's A Gospel Christmas | 2021 Christmas Movies

I fully admit that I am not a “church person.” Heck, I’m not even a “Christian person.” A lot of Kirk Franklin’s A Gospel Christmas may have been lost on me. But I gave it a try anyway.

Olivia (Demetria McKinney) was an assistant pastor at her mother’s church. Now she is heading off to be the lead pastor at a new church. But it seems like some of the parishioners don’t really want her there. Can Olivia find her home in this new place?

The reason I say a lot of this movie is lost on me is because a lot of this movie revolves around church politics. Ida (Deetta West) seems to do everything she can to tear Olivia down and make her feel unwelcome. I thought that church people were supposed to be welcoming and helpful. Ida is the type of person that keeps newcomers away from church. Why would anyone go if they’re going to have all of their mistakes thrown in their faces? And what would Ida do if Olivia did leave? Become pastor herself? I don’t think so.

However, A Gospel Christmas does have exactly what the title says. Gospel music. And it is beautiful. If you fast forward through the rest of the movie, which I suggest you do, the songs are absolutely gorgeous. I don’t know who Kirk Franklin is but he supposedly wrote and arranged the songs. I might have to look him up on YouTube or something because if he sounds as good as these songs do, I might find myself loving gospel music.

The parts of the movie that aren’t singing are quite dull. There is a romance stuffed in there but it feels so out of place and tacked on that it is worthless. Besides, the movie is about Olivia’s journey to becoming a woman on her own two feet. She doesn’t need a man for that. I think A Gospel Christmas would have been so much better if it left out the romance completely and only focused on Olivia’s struggles being a first time lead pastor. Someone seriously needs to tell these networks that every movie doesn’t need a romantic plot.

As I’ve already said, I recommend the movie solely for the music. Have it on in the background so you can keep coming back when a song comes on but, otherwise, the movie is not worth your time or attention.

Our Christmas Journey | 2021 Christmas Movies

Our Christmas Journey really shouldn’t be a Christmas movie. It should stand on its own without having to battle against all of the romantic Christmas movies. Especially since Christmas doesn’t play a huge part in it anyway.

Lena (Holly Robinson Peete) is a single mom trying to raise an autistic son, Marcus (Nik Sanchez), and a talented pianist daughter, Mia (Hilda Martin). When the family, along with her mother - Robin (Aloma Wright), and her ex-husband - Rick (Lyriq Bent), goes to check out a facility where Marcus can learn to live independently. Lena has a difficult time letting Marcus leave the nest, much to the aggravation of Rick. Can Lena learn to let go?

This really was a sweet movie. I’m a little sad that it got stuck in the middle of all of the other Hallmark Christmas movies. (This was on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, which doesn’t get as much traffic as the Hallmark Channel itself.) It highlighted the difficulties a mother goes through when she has a child who is different from other children. Lena wants to protect Marcus from all of the harm in the world but at what cost to Marcus? He will need to learn how to live on his own. It can be difficult to let your child do things that you know might hurt them, even though it will help them in the long run.

I don’t want to talk about the movie too much because I do think that everyone should watch it. Maybe even watch it with a loved one. And you might want to make sure you have a box of tissues nearby. Just in case….

A Very Merry Bridesmaid | 2021 Christmas Movies

A Very Merry Bridesmaid is what happens when Hallmark wants to make a bridezilla movie but doesn’t want to make the bride too controversial. And the bride isn’t even the main character! Hear me out….

Leah (Emily Osment) is turning 30 on Christmas Eve. Her older brother, Paul (Patch May), is also getting married on Christmas Eve. Determined to make sure the wedding is perfect, Leah downplays how important her 30th birthday is to her. But Drew (Casey Deidrick), her childhood crush, insists on celebrating her birthday every day leading up to the wedding. Will Leah’s dreams ever be a reality or will she keep putting everyone else before herself?

Let’s get the bride thing out of the way first. Paul is engaged to Julia (Frances Leigh). Julia wants to have the perfect wedding that she has dreamed of since she was a child. This includes buying a wedding dress from a designer in London and traveling overseas multiple times for fittings. She also wants to get married at the house she grew up in but it was purchased by someone else so she’s settling for Paul’s parents’ house. When the movie begins, Paul and Julia are flying back from London. He had a work conference, she was picking up the wedding dress. For some reason, the airline made Julia check the dress bag then they promptly lost the dress. Julia spends the next half of the movie complaining about not having the perfect dress and refusing all of the “backup” dresses until Leah’s stylist friend suggests an alternative.

As for the house, the sale from the buyers fell through so Paul decided to buy the house without telling Julia. (This isn’t the first movie this season that did this. It is terrible. Stop doing this, Hallmark.) Then Paul makes all of his groomsmen work on the house, including building a gazebo in the middle of winter in a Chicago suburb. On the plus side, when Paul finally tells Julia about the house, she is horrified at first. She eventually gives in and is happy she got her house back but, really, buying houses without talking to your significant other first is awful. Don’t do it. Also, don’t have a wedding in Chicago in December then have the reception OUTSIDE. It is cold. They are lucky no one died.

Oh, and the reason Julia wants these things? Because her deceased mother liked them. The dress was made by her mom’s favorite designer. The house is where Julia grew up with them. They are having the wedding on Christmas Eve because her mother loved Christmas Eve. Julia’s entire personality is “I can’t let go of the past.” Maybe be a little more reasonable and pick things that YOU like.

The worst part is that neither Paul nor Julia are the main characters of A Very Merry Bridesmaid. Leah is! And Leah has a legit gripe here, even though she never complains once about it. Christmas Eve is her birthday. She didn’t have a choice on when she was born. But now her brother is getting married on her birthday. And we don’t see anything about Paul pushing back on Julia for any of her wedding wants. As a matter of fact, Paul says “I would do anything for Julia to make her happy.” There should have maybe been a conversation saying “Could we pick a day that isn’t my sister’s 30th birthday? Maybe we can get married next year instead.”

For what it’s worth, the movie isn’t completely awful. Emily Osment is a joy to watch, even though her character needs to stand up for herself a little more. We do see her grow a little throughout the movie but we still don’t see her defending herself. She just goes outside her comfort zone a bit. Maybe we can get a sequel next year where she is a little more confident.

Is it worth watching? Yeah. It’s not amazing but it is worth a quiet night in. Maybe have a bottle of wine nearby in case Julia gets on your nerves.

A Christmas Dance Reunion | 2021 Christmas Movies

Lifetime has been banking on the power of High School Musical to bring viewers to A Christmas Dance Reunion. It has been 15 years since the first High School Musical movie came out. Those fans would be in the younger side of their target demographic. I guess it’s good to reel in the in as soon as possible.

Lucy (Monique Coleman) is a successful attorney. When she comes home for Christmas, she hears that the Winterleigh Resort, where her family spent Christmas, is closing. She returns to the resort with her mother, Virginia (Kim Roberts), to celebrate one last holiday. However, she is reunited with her old dance partner, Barrett (Corbin Bleu), the nephew of the resort’s owner. Since there aren’t many guests, the resort has stopped many of the holiday traditions. Lucy takes it upon herself to bring back the traditions…and attempt to save the resort at the same time.

For those of you that don’t know, Monique Coleman and Corbin Bleu played romantic interests in all of the High School Musical movies. Needless to say, knowing each other for so long has given them a lot of on-screen chemistry. They seemed perfect for each other 15 years ago and they seem perfect for each other now. I kinda hope they become an annual Christmas movie couple. Most Christmas movies recycle the same actors over and over. Why not keep using a couple that works?

A Christmas Dance Reunion isn’t really here for the romantic part of the plot. Sure, there is a will they/won’t they aspect to it but it really feels secondary to the dancing. Thankfully, Bleu is an amazing dancer. As is Sasha Clements, who plays the couple’s old friend, Marlee. (Fun fact: Bleu and Clements have been married since 2016.) Coleman’s dancing isn’t as spectacular as her co-stars but she is no slouch. She brings a little more refinement where the other two bring the razzle dazzle.

As a dancer myself, I loved this movie. I enjoyed watching Bleu tap dance his way through a Christmas song and Clements lead the way in a fun jazz routine. I even gave props to Coleman for pulling off the lifts in her choreography. Those aren’t easy. If you are looking for a fun Christmas dance movie, you’ll be very happy with A Christmas Dance Reunion. But if you are looking for a deep plot and interesting characters, well…you’re looking in the wrong movie genre, to be honest. You won’t find any of that on Lifetime or Hallmark. Just turn this on and have fun.

Eight Gifts of Hanukkah | 2021 Christmas Movies

I think next year I might reclassify the “Christmas movie” reviews as “Holiday movie” reviews. There’s usually only one Hanukkah movie per year shoved in the middle of the pile of Christmas movies but I would love to branch out into movies about other holidays. If those movies exist, anyway. Give me some recommendations about not-Christmas movies!

Sara (Inbar Lavi) is an optometrist who is looking for love. Her long-term relationship ended four months ago and she’s about ready to get back into the dating pool. She has met two men that she is considering dating but on the first night of Hanukkah, an anonymous suitor leaves a present on her doorstep with promises of seven more gifts to come. Is the mysterious man her ex, one of the two men courting her, or someone she has overlooked since childhood?

Eight Gifts of Hanukkah was a sweet movie. Granted, I spent way too much time wondering where I knew Inbar Lavi from but that is my problem, not the movie’s. (The answer is Lucifer. She played Eve.) I found her to be a great leading lady. She has this ability to pull off wide-eyed innocence yet not make the character look childish. She is also very good at bringing that feeling of nostalgia when you look at a sentimental item. I’m not sure how she does is but she made me miss her grandmother and we only know the character from an old picture!

This movie isn’t for someone wanting to learn more about Hanukkah. Head over to the 2019 movie Mistletoe & Menorahs, also starring Jake Epstein (I swear he’s everywhere), for that. There also isn’t a ton of mystery in this movie. The audience can tell pretty quickly who the anonymous gift-giver is. However, the movie does have a certain sweetness to it, which I’m crediting entirely to Lavi.

To those people looking for something a little different from your typical Hallmark Christmas movie, Eight Gifts of Hanukkah is a nice breath of fresh air. I’m not sure this will make my favorite list this year but it is worth watching. Even if you only watch it to shake things up a little.

Christmas...Again?! | 2021 Christmas Movies

Disney’s Christmas…Again?! is basically a holiday version of Groundhog Day. Except with a worse script and a lot of overacting. That’s the Disney brand, right?

Rowena (Scarlett Estevez) is excited for all of her family’s Christmas traditions. She even made a list of her best memories. But when she wakes up on Christmas morning, she finds that her dad (Daniel Sunjata) brought his girlfriend, Diane (Beth Lacke), and her son, Louie (James McCracken). She still tries to fit in all of the Christmas traditions but fails. Devastated, she makes a wish to Santa to have Christmas again. But now she is still in an endless loop of Christmases.

Yes, this is a Disney movie. No, I’m not the target audience. Just because a movie is targeted at children, that doesn’t mean it has to be bad. This one is pretty terrible. My biggest problem is the extreme overacting. If this was taking place on a stage or any live venue, the overacting would have been fine. That is what actors need to do to make sure they are seen at the back of the audience. But this is a movie with cameras that get right up in the actors’ faces. There is no reason for them to overact this badly.

The plot is fine. It is seriously a Christmas version of Groundhog Day. Rowena does a lot of things off-camera, which can make some pieces of the story confusing. For example, she talks about a random woman in the mall was going to meet her boyfriend, who was going to propose to her but she gets hit with a snowball so the proposal doesn’t happen. Why would an 11-year old girl be talking to this random adult in the mall long enough to find out that much about her life? Even if Rowena didn’t talk to her, why did she follow the woman around to see everything happen?

Which is another gripe I have. Rowena seems to have this supernatural ability to remember everything. It’s never established that she has photographic memory but she recalls things like her uncle’s underwear color, her grandmother’s first love, and how much money her father has in his pocket after being told once and having to relive the entire day again to get to the point where the information is useful. She remembers details about the lives of complete strangers. It’s a lot for a young girl to remember after one conversation.

Stay way from Christmas…Again?! If you are looking for a good movie for kids, check out A Boy Called Christmas or The Claus Family (dubbed, of course). This one is definitely not worth your time.