Unlocking Christmas

If that's what passes for flirty banter these days I'll be surprised if anyone ever gets together.

I couldn't tell by Steve Lund's face that he was going for flirtation. It looked weirdly hostile and aggressive. If I ran across this at a coffee shop and doctor's office, that would be the last time that I spoke to him.

Come on, writers! Haven't you ever flirted with a stranger that you found attractive? No? Can you ask someone who has?

Steve Lund is a very handsome man when he doesn't have the weird haircut he has in this film. I also felt that he was a bit too overexcited all of the time.

I liked the fact that the forces element was subtle, quite often it can be forced down your neck in an overly sentimental and saccharine way, but here it's just in the background.

The story idea itself is cute, wouldn't it be nice to have a Guardian Angel steering you towards love or at least giving you some fun challenges on the build up to Christmas.

Full of fun stuff and with a generally jolly feel, it doesn't hurt anybody at all and is easy to watch.

6ish.

I enjoyed this Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Original Christmas movie. The story was not as strong as, for example, A Little Christmas Charm (such a wonderful film, by the way), nonetheless, it was a warm and charming Christmas mystery. The adventure begins when a mysterious key and a holiday riddle arrive at the doorsteps of Kate (played by Taylor Cole) and Kevin (played by Steve Lund), the two protagonists in this story. As the two solve the riddles and clues, we watch their relationship grow thru some warm and playful conversation and banter. Moreover, the story is engaging and has a kind and heartfelt feel to it (gets you in the Christmas spirit). The acting is superb and is what makes all the above work on screen, of course. Taylor Cole, a Hallmark regular, had a very strong performance. Steve Lund too was great (he was easy to connect with). The chemistry between the two was brilliant, I felt. The banter and kind/warm conversation were quite convincing, believable, which is always a plus in a romance film. As another reviewer here has pointed out, the writers could have done a better job developing the romantic connection. It just felt like there was a step missing between the warm and playful/flirtatious conversation and them falling in love. As I alluded to above, the movie did have a nice Christmas feel to it. The scenery, props, and sets were quite festive in Cedar Park. Overall, it is an entertaining movie, which is driven by some strong acting and delightful chemistry between the leads. It is a nice edition to Hallmark's 2020 Christmas movie lineup.

...with some of the other reviewers: this was nothing special. The plot barely kept the movie moving forward until it staggered to a Hallmark end. Steve Lund and Taylor Cole, two old hands at these things, were the only thing that made this worth watching, although the actress who played Liz, the female sidekick, was a bright spot. It's ok, I certainly wouldn't recommend against watching it, but it's not great.

Christmas related quests are the latest thing. That's pretty much it for story except for where the quest comes from - many or even most viewers probably figured that out early. There are no great highs or lows and zero tension except for "greener grass". The conflict is manufactured and a bit clumsy based on the usual misunderstandings. I will give points for the ending being a slight role reversal in terms of grand gestures.

The leads, Kate (Taylor Cole) and Kevin (Steve Lund) are lead through a few Christmas activities leaning towards doing good for others. Many reviewers thought they had great chemistry but it seemed average at best to me.

This movie is OK and will appeal more to viewers who haven't watched dozens of similar ones already this year.