Undercover Holiday

It was ok. I Kept waiting for this to get better but the "mystery" was disappointing. After it was over I watched the ending of the Kevin Costner /Whitney Huston movie this was stolen from. That was much more satisfying.

I guess it was okay for a Hallmark movie and I appreciated the Latin culture but the story was just really weak. I was looking for a villain and there wasn't one. You would think a movie with a bodyguard would at least have some real threat.

Just save yourself some time and watch "The Bodyguard" - at least that movie has some great songs for you to listen to. And some actual bodyguarding.

Before I decided to make any comments, I decided to read a number of reviews. Boy are you guys harsh! I had a completely different take.

First you have to realize that this is a Hallmark movie. Masterpiece theater it is not. They are the most formulaic movies on earth. You can take any male female duo in the Hallmark stable and plug them into the plot.

I had never heard of Noemi Gonzales before. I've seen the male actor a few times before. So here is where I differ from almost all of you.

I thought there was chemistry between the two leads. I particularly like Noemi. I thought she acted well and had a great smile.

I am ancient and a widower. My wife and I had a 5 decade relationship before a heart attack took her. Many Hallmark movies remind me of our own relationship, so I watch them and remember the joy we had.

That being said, I will say that the quality of Hallmark movies in my opinion has decreased markedly over the years. I have subscribed to the channel for several years since my wife died and find them less and less appealing.

This movie was not one of them. I enjoyed the ethnic component of the movie as well as the interplay between the two main actors.

I will say that I hope Hallmark brings Noemi Gonzales on for more movies. She is Mexican American, my wife was Sicilian. I enjoy contrasting cultures. I thought she was fun to watch.

This is a predictable story the follows along the usual lines for a fake boyfriend. The fake boyfriend is also her bodyguard. Jaylen, a rising pop star, apparently has a stalker. Unfortunately it is all much ado about little. One of the themes of the story is about Jaylen standing up for herself - "always courageous". The people who seem to be holding her back are her own family, but that angle is oversold.

Noemi Gonzalez and Stephen Huszar have a little chemistry but it doesn't stand out. The acting doesn't seem too good, but I think a lot of that is the script.

Gonzalez gives a couple of good performances including singing in both English and Spanish.

I appreciate Hallmark's continuing efforts at being more diverse and inclusive, and the presentation of Mexican American holiday traditions in this movie was pleasant. Noemi Gonzalez was often fun to watch and authentic as Jaylen Rodriguez, the winner of an American Idol-like contest called Pop Star USA. But the premise seemed more forced than normal.

Somehow, Jaylen lives in a gated multi million dollar mansion despite having just won the contest. And then, because someone left flowers and a card that says "Happy Holidays My Love" on her doorstep, "The Label" decided to order up a 24/7 bodyguard.

Why?

Jaylen's not Taylor Swift and what, exactly, was so threatening?

And why was nothing caught on the video security system?

And then, after hearing about the incident on TV, her family expressed great concern for her safety. One would think they would be thrilled that "The Label" had hired her a 24/7 bodyguard. But Jaylen decides, for reasons that are completely unclear, to tell her family an elaborate lie, requiring a week of more lies, that Matt, played a bit stiffly by Stephen Huszar, is her boyfriend and not her bodyguard. Huh?

Ironically, the purported reason is that she didn't want her family to worry (even though the added protection would presumably alleviate their worries) but then she hypocritically gets upset when she learns that information has been withheld from her (so she wouldn't worry).

I realize that Hallmark loves the fake boyfriend trope, but the setup and phony conflict really didn't make any sense (although I did like Abuela Luisa, played by Gabriela Reynoso).

But the biggest problem, quite frankly, was that I just couldn't picture Jaylen with Matt. And that's essential for a Hallmark romance to work.

I like Christmas movies. I just want fun entertainment. I LOVED the portrayal of traditional Hispanic holiday making. The Spanglish, dancing, and dual language songs were great.

Now the singing, however. Most music was fine, but when Jaylen and Abuela were at the piano, wow. Incredibly bad. Better editing would have helped. Wardrobe should have dressed Jaylen for her shape. Some of their choices were not flattering.

And the "soldier" turned private security. #1 if he was in the Navy he was NOT a soldier. #2 if the character had been an actual Navy Seal, he would not have had to mention it so much.

Nothing against either lead, she was very bubbly and fun, and I've seen him in other shows where his character appears to be a better fit. But as far as chemistry, I didn't get it. Didn't see it, either. When they are walking own a sidewalk discussing are we/aren't we, she is holding his flaccid arm. He was not participating, not at all.

The whole Fake Boyfriend trope has been done, and done much better before.