Two Tickets to Paradise

Say "Hallmark movie" and you almost immediately can guess the progression of the plot. That's not a criticism as it's always in the execution. And this particular show executes well with a man and a woman who meet after being jilted on their wedding day and end up at the same honeymoon hotel in Hawaii. Yeah, you can guess what happens. But Ashley Williams is so FUNNY and delightful that you almost forget this is a Hallmark movie. Whether it's weeping uncontrollably in a bathroom, freaking out at a Haunted Hawaii tour or estimating the risks associated with jumping off a waterfall (she's an actuary) Ashley is a lot of fun. Paevy has an easygoing charm as her romantic foil and, for those who may be interested, actually takes off his shirt a couple of times.

Although I really like both these actors, I was worried that the two wouldn't be good together. But, they played off each other well. The movie was quite funny. We laughed a lot. The overall story was different than normal Hallmark, but really well done. Scenery was beautiful. For all the women out there, seeing Ryan Paevy with no shirt was a definite added benie.

I looked forward to this movie. Ashley Williams always brings something special to the screen in energy and joy. Ryan Paevey is also always a sure thing. The premise of both-stood-up and go-on-the-honeymoon-anyway sounded like a good one. Even a little unusual. And for the most part, my expectations were met with a but.

Near the end someone says something like "I'm not sure what I think about that." Well that's how I feel about the messages the characters were saying toward the end of the movie. These Hallmark movies and their clones have messages. They may not always be deeply profound, but there are messages. In this movie, I think they were confused and possibly even contradictory.

There was chemistry between Williams and Paevey. But there were some little disconnects also, intentional ones. There were a lot of funny lines and situations. There was a lot of breathtaking scenery.

I Tweeted during the movie: Dear Hallmarkchannel, please make text messages bigger, at least twice as big. Hannah was laughing at a series of them and I never got the joke because even with rewind and pause, I couldn't read them all. That is so frustrating.

Perhaps next time I watch this in a year or so, it will make more sense, but despite some good fun, the feeling I was left with was confusion.

Hannah Holt (Ashley Williams) and Josh Wyatt (Ryan Paevey) are both dumped on their wedding days. They happen to meet soon after and are thrust together by coincidences time and again until they coincidentally find themselves staying at the same Hawaiian hotel. Having shared the same fate, they commiserate. The chemistry between these two is good, and individually the two characters are very likable.

Since this is a Hallmark romance, the eventual ending is no surprise, but the journey getting there is filled with spectacular Hawaiian scenery and lighthearted fun.

Watch for Kimee Balmilero who plays the part of the spunky hotel employee, Kailani, adding energy to her scenes and serving as an unofficial Hawaiian ambassador. The island of Oahu looks so inviting. Anyone for shave ice?

'Two Tickets to Paradise' (2022)

Opening thoughts: The 2022 Summer Nights block was a mixed bag. Was mixed to positive on 'Hidden Gems', liked 'Caribbean Summer' quite a lot, but didn't care for 'Moriah's Lighthouse'. 'Two Tickets to Paradise' sounded very appealing premise-wise, one of the year's more appealing ones from Hallmark because despite its predictability it sounded really charming. Have liked Ashley Williams and Ryan Paevey (both Hallmark regulars) in other things, though the filmographies for both are very up and down as are their performances.

Of the 2022 Summer Nights films, 'Two Tickets to Paradise' is the best, by far, and it really does live up to its quite adorable title (that is not too corny this time). While it is not quite perfect, this reviewer liked it very much, found it one of the best 2022 Hallmark films and a very good representation of both Williams and Paevey. Both giving performances that are among their best. The story may not be mind-blowing in 'Two Tickets to Paradise', but even that aspect has a significant amount of charm.

Bad things: Did find the ending rather rushed and too pat, though the final act doesn't frustrate anywhere near as much as others in the 2022 Hallmark batch.

Also found some of the dialogue rather cheesy.

Good things: So much comes over well though. Really liked both Williams and Paevey in their roles. Williams brings a lot of perky energy to hers and it didn't come over as over the top, and while Paevey is more subtle he is very likeable and natural. Their chemistry is very at ease and sweet, with nothing forced, even if it does not quite scintillate. The supporting cast are all solid and the characters were all things worth connecting with, none annoying or boring me.

It is a very attractively photographed film with stunning scenery. Also pleasant is the music, which has presence without coming over as over-bearing or too constant. The direction shows a good deal of confidence and a sense that they knew what they were doing and trying to achieve. The script flows well on the whole and is light hearted while not coming over as too sappy. Even though rather typical, there is at least a story and it is one with charm and heart and is lively in pace.

Closing thoughts: Concluding, very well done.

8/10.