Jingle Bell Run

Directed by Lucie Guest and penned by Tom McCurrie and Stephanie Sourapas, "Jingle Bell Run" is a holiday film that combines the spirit of Christmas with the thrill of competition.

The premise of "Jingle Bell Run" is engaging, as it mirrors the structure of popular reality shows like "The Amazing Race." Contestants are pitted against each other in a variety of Christmas-themed tasks that test their teamwork, creativity, and holiday spirit. Williams was good as the dedicated teacher, bringing warmth to her role, while Walker's portrayal of the competitive athlete adds a layer of charm. Their chemistry is questionable, making their journey sometimes feeling fake...

The film's cinematography captures the festive spirit well enough, with vibrant holiday decorations and picturesque winter landscapes that evoke a sense of nostalgia and joy. The pacing is brisk, keeping audiences engaged as the characters navigate through various challenges.

While "Jingle Bell Run" follows a familiar formula, it does so with a refreshing twist that emphasizes the importance of community, friendship, and the true meaning of the holiday season.

Whether you're a fan of reality shows or simply looking for a lighthearted Christmas film, "Jingle Bell Run" could bring a smile to your face and warmth to your heart.

The two leads in this are like old friends because I have seen each so many times. In fact at least one of them is in more than one Christmas movie this year. Perhaps they were a little tired mentally?

Something felt off about both from the start, especially Walker. I think he was trying too hard to be the macho superstar jock. How many times did he mention the Stanley Cup? I was a little surprised to see his sports rival fall out of the race so early, but I was glad because after that Wes toned it down a little so that he could be softer with Avery. The two characters did the right things to build the relationship, but I didn't feel it, the connection that is chemistry.

It was nice in the sense of a Christmas movie how the three final teams started to become friends. How far that went was surprising and made for a good story ending.

Despite what for me was less than stellar connection between Walker and Williams, the movie was still fun.

Andrew Walker and Ashley Williams are two standards of Hallmark Christmas movies for more than a decade. Walker's first was in 2012, and Williams in 2011, and they've both appeared in MANY of these Christmas movies over the years.

The only issue I have with Ashley is that she tends to smile ALL the time, even in some situations where a smile isn't called for. However, that's a small gripe, because she does always bring a lot of life to her roles. (And why is it I always initially confuse her with Kimberly Sustad LOL).

The movie starts out with a bit of a silly episode to extablish an antithetical romance, then they wind up teamed--without their choice--in the Amazing Race style contest. The antithetical element quickly disappears after that.

The movie spent plenty of time in relationship building, making their growing regard for each other believable, and as Amazing Race fans, we enjoyed that element of the plot.

Recommended.

I'm a big fan of both actors but, unfortunately, this one was a bit of a miss for me. The storyline was not exciting, despite the Christmas race plot and for me the chemistry was just not there. I mean no disrespect to either of them, but they were both too old for the script. Andrew Walker's character was supposed to be in his early 30's just retiring from a hockey career? That just doesn't compute. It's no fault of the actors, but of Hallmark casting. I hope that they find a more suitable storyline next year for two of their best! They deserve a script that serves their considerable talents!

This Hallmark holiday rom-com stars Ashley Williams as Avery, an elementary school teacher, and Andrew W. Walker as Wes, a former pro hockey player.

Wes signs up for a holiday-themed, cross-country reality competition that begins in Chicago. Avery had no intention of joining the competition, but she decides to compete anyway to inspire her students. They are both chagrined when they learn they are paired as a team, but they make the best of it, and discover that their complementary talents make them a formidable twosome.

The two stars have good chemistry, though the story downplays the romantic side of things. But the ending is predictable. And so is the obligatory relationship "hiccup" that must be overcome in the final ten minutes.