A Royal Date for Christmas

We like Danica McKellar ... a lot. Unfortunately she isn't getting the better scripts in these Christmas movies, and this is a prime example. The story is unusually drab, and the only real relationship tension is close to the end and makes the "Duke" look cold-hearted , particularly because he's just "kissed the girl".

Our "Duke", the presumptuously named Damon Runyan, and the other supposedly English characters only suggest one thing ... that Canadian actors are abject failures to affect a British accent. I mean, these accents are painful to listen to. I'd rather have Dick Van Dyke's Cockney travesty. LOL

Oddly, nine years ago Runyan played a rodeo cowboy in A Starry Christmas, a far superior movie and a far superior acting job. He paired with fellow Canadian George Canyon (a country singer) as his brother. The end of that movie didn't make any more sense than the end of this one, either. LOL.

No spark between the main characters. Probably impossible to have a spark with the range of emotion the duke showed. To be fair, with so much Botox in your face it might be quite impossible to have many facial expressions.

The capitalist, Christmas spirit was very touching: "You would be amazed how much joy a new shawl or accessory can bring!"

Like most hallmark movies very suitable to watch with a rom com cliche bingo card in hand. There were several moments that could've been executed better. The classic "fights"/"problems" were way too small, it was too smooth sailing. At a certain point I was even convinced we'd get a "not handsome enough to tempt me"-moment and then it passed without conflict.

There were also several plot holes. Most noteworthy was when the duke was walking a mile with a saw in hand and when they got to the felling place an axe was handed to him.

... of course, it's mandatory for Canadian and American productions to not do any homework, making anything 'foreign' not even remotely correct or authentic. I think it's so ridiculous and insulting for the many thousands of British actors that Canadians were used to portray all Brits. Accents weren't terrible but still cringe. I know it's just a fun film, not a serious portrayal of a royal's life, but almost nothing about etiquette and how things go is anywhere near reality (including royal estates not being decorated in tacky plastic, even when in tacky America). Also, a duke isn't necessarily royal. Possible, though. Also, "You have Christmas trees growing on your property?!" is my new silliest line in a film. They're not called Christmas trees. They're pines or firs of whichever takes your fancy, but they only become Christmas trees when decorated in your home. And of course, my pet peeve with basically all American and surprisingly also Canadian Christmas films: we are able to operate on babies in utero these days, but somehow making artificial snow look real is impossible for these production companies.

Luckily, it does have some heart and even though it's of course predictable, it's also a fun angle.

I would have enjoyed the movie A LOT more if the characters were actually dressed well. The colour pallet of the main character is horrible (red, blue, green) and it makes her being the stylist less credible. Also there wasn't a spark between the main characters but I finished the movie regardless.

It was the third romantic Christmas movie that I watched in a week but my least favourite because of the lack of spark between the characters.

You wouldn't miss a thing if you don't watch the movie but if you have time on your hands and love romantic christmas movies you can surely give it a shot!

I stumbled across this movie while flipping through the channels. I have a like/dislike feeling towards Danica McKellar. Some of her movies I really love and others where I think she acts too girlishly for a woman her age.

This movie started off with a good premise, but her acting ruined it for me. I really liked the plot and the actor who played the Duke was fantastic. This was my first time watching Damon Runyon in a romantic movie and I thought he was quite good.

However, the movie became too cliche for me, but I stuck with it until the end. I really hoped it would get better , but even the leading man couldn't save it. I get the fairytale undertone but a grown woman jumping every time someone interrupted her and the Duke touching was overkill.

I have to add that while I have seen a few good movies on GAC, I still find the movies subpar the Hallmark and Lifetime. The budget on the GAC movies must be pretty tight. When the guests at the different parties in the movie wear the same clothes twice, that's a problem. See the lady in the green evening grown who gossips with Bella at both events. Do you really think a woman would be caught in the same dress more than once within a week. Please!