Greetings, salutations, and a seasonal welcome to all you movie aficionados. Here are my considerations and recommendation for Christmas Unwrapped.
Story: 1.25/2 - Direction and Pace: 2.00/4 - Performances: 1.25/2 - Enjoyment: 1.50/2
Total 6.00/10
The reinstatement of Christmas Magic into the storyline made this movie for me. The rest of which is your standard Romantic Xmas fare: Boy and girl are thrown together by circumstances and grow to love one another until the ugly Christmas Humbug rears its head. But the couple, as always, ends their choppy romance in Happily Ever After Land. The magic added the extra oomph these stories usually require. What's also appealing is that at the end of the story, you're still unsure of exactly where the gifts come from, and maybe you believe a little more in Santa Claus and the miracle of Christmastime.
My enjoyment stemmed from the credible and robust characters, though a tad stereotypical, and the slow, subtle, and delightful way the pair fall in love: My enthrallment grew thanks to the superb and skilled cast. It was nice to see Cheryl Ladd, who is still as beautiful as ever, back in front of the camera. But the movie belongs to the lead actor and actress, Marco Grazzini and Amber Stevens West, who have a pleasant and appealing on-screen chemistry. It made the love story more convincing. I would've scored it higher had the writers chosen a not-so-obvious and much-used twist. And had the director spread his wings a little wider. Though the obligatory heart-warming feeling permeates the picture, it's not constant, and worse, especially for a film about Christmas Magic, there's too little.
All in all, Christmas Unwrapped is a delightful film to watch whilst wrapped up in the arms of your loved one, particularly on a bitterly cold December evening. And, even though it could've been better, I can see myself rewatching the picture - now that is Christmas Magic.
Please check out my HO! HO! HO! Christmas Belles list to see where I ranked the movie.
Take Care, Stay Well, And Best Wishes For A Merry Christmas.
