Christmas in the Rockies

'Christmas in the Rockies' (2020)

Opening thoughts: 2020 was a variable year for Christmas films, there were quite a large number that were average or less but there was also a good number that were above average and more. So much better than expected considering the circumstances, even if rushed production tended to show more so than usual. Will admit to having seen my fair share of above average and more Christmas films recently, but 'Christmas in the Rockies' is not one of them. Am not always keen on anything focused on competitions in this type of film and 'Christmas in the Rockies' does little to change my mind.

Good things: It does look nice, especially the scenery, and at least looks professional.

Did think also that the two leads were pretty good. Kimberly-Sue Murray and Stephen Huszar are very charming and give their roles heart and light-hearted-ness. Their characters aren't too perfect or over-flawed.

Bad things: The rest of the acting is another story. Most of it is going through the motions-like and most look too young or out of place. Mike Shara is more older brother than father figure and the lumberjack competitors are the wrong build and too neat to pass for lumberjacks. The characters on the whole are dull and can grate. Murray and Huszar's chemistry could have done with a good deal more spark, and it would have helped if the romantic relationship was more fleshed out and less rushed. There is too much focus on the competition, and the events surrounding it lack tension, don't go very far most of the time and are too contrived and formulaic.

Furthermore, the story drags quite a lot and the lack of tension and charm makes it feel really bland. The ending is very easily foreseeable early on and is too neat. The script has a very awkward flow and has too much cheese and corn, with the more dramatic parts being too sentimental. The music is forgettable at best and has little distinction. The direction is routine.

Concluding thoughts: Overall, very weak.

3/10.

Another movie with a contest to save the family _______ (logging company). Three weeks to train for a physical activity her competitors have been training for their whole lives and outweigh her 2-1 or more. So like many rom/coms don't even try to reconcile anything close to realism. But this one stretches way past even those. The story is lame with no real highs or lows or surprises. The "tag line" for the movie promo doesn't make sense and also gives away what might have been the only surprise way too close to the end. The climax plays out like all these movies do, just different details. The dialogue isn't much.

Mike Shara is too young to be Katie's dad and his acting is bad.

Kimberly-Sue Murray and Stephen Huszar are OK together, but Katie and Harrison cozy up pretty darn fast.

I enjoyed this movie, for once the main female lead wasn't an event planner, baker or some such female job. Ok some of her close ups were obviously not her but she was a really refreshing actor and to see one out of the usual high heels was great, she was also refreshingly natural, healthy looking and free of the overdone makeup (unlike dad's girlfriend). More could have been made with the relationship with grandfather and the obvious green backdrop pictures at the viewing point were iffy but all in all, after the dire Hallmark movies and others of this genre over the last couple of years, what a refreshing change. May we have more, strong female roles please?

Are you kidding? I'm not even going to bother reviewing the story - a romcom's pretty much a romcom, so don't expect art. But there's nothing about this that even tries. Women do lumberjack competitions, but they train as hard as the men and are totally badass. We're supposed to buy that this little ball of fluff is going to grab an axe and just step in? Puh-leeze.

But the part that's really offensive is that this was shot in Ontario, on the other side of the country from the Rockies. Like, 3500 km away from the mountains that are Right Behind Them all through this movie. That's cynical and fraudulent. You wanna make a movie about (something) in the Rockies? The least you can do is buy a bus ticket and go there.

Is the guy playing her father really old enough to be her father? And is Trish Stratus supposed to be the same age as him, and therefore 20ish years older than her?