Single and Ready to Jingle

I have to disagree with the bad review, I found the review pretty harsh... I found that the story was a delightful Christmas story, a bit different from the done and done again Hallmark typical movie. Let's be real, these movies are NEVER filmed in the winter, so if you are looking for real snow, or a characters breath when they are outside you will not find it. If you just want to watch a nice Christmas movie that finds a toy maker in Alaska not on a beach in the sun for her holiday and taking time to just slow down and re appreciate Christmas again, then watch it. I found it was delightful and easy to watch. Just enjoy it for what it is a Christmas movie where a person finds joy in a small town during Christmas.

Emma (Natasha Wilson) works for a Chicago toy manufacturer. Since the Christmas season drives their marketing throughout the year, she is ready for a change of pace when the holiday season rolls around. She decides to get away for the holidays, but a mistake in travel plans only thrusts her deeper into Christmas festivities when she is temporarily forced to board in a Christmas-themed inn.

This Lifetime holiday romance provides few surprises. Emma meets Connor (Edward Ruttle), who endeavors to renew her holiday spirit. But he has a secret that might affect her growing feelings for him. Ruttle plays his part well, providing most of the humor.

The story is corny and awkward. There are continuity problems with Emma's character; she seems to change moods somewhat randomly.

Emma works for a toy company and it's tired of everything being Christmas oriented. Her assistant book her a vacation to St. John's and instead of going to the Caribbean for beach and sand she appears in St. John, Alaska. Up to that moment it's a nice movie, with nice premise and you expected the traditional Christmas movie plot.

Not going into spoilers, she is mean. As a main character she is whiny, arrogant and stubborn all over the movie, not just at the beginning and then have a change of heart. At one moment she's nice then she's whiny and rude again.

There's not way anyone can believe that Connor can fall in love with her, she just gave a very bad attitude all the movie.

Of the 112 Christmas movies we've watched so far this year (most of which have been new for 2022), this has been the best. The whole cast has natural chemistry. The story-line is good. There are some informative bits as well. The music track is good. The two leads have that 'it' factor. We're looking forward to seeing more of them on screen in the future. The only disappointment in the plot has to do with how the century old, mystical (?) artefact in the Inn was tied into the story at the end-it could have been a lot more prominent. Regardless, that point does not take away from the overall story.

Everything in this movie is all over the place. I can't tell if the acting is as bad as it seems because characters' personalities change on a dime and back and forth again. Their actions and choices, especially Emma's are just as bad ranging to the downright idiotic. Emma is whiny, arrogant and stubborn but then she is sweet, forgiving and generous and some of that is back and forth too. Personality change or character development is good in a story, but these characters were just inconsistent.

It's one thing to be teasing and contrary on the first meeting, but Connor was downright mean adding insult to injury to poor Emma who has just found out she's in Alaska not the Virgin Islands and wearing a sundress while a blizzard blows. Yes it does make you question her intelligence, but kicking her while she is down is just what you do to a tourist before you welcome her to your inn, right?

The movie relies on a lot of extremes which I assume are for laughs. I guess it's really funny to see a woman in a sundress walk out into -12 degree temperatures. The information desk representative at the airport is just insulting, twice. All this, and I not only didn't laugh once, but I never cracked a smile.

Why did I watch it all the way through? Good question. The fact that I had no other options at the time only partly justifies it.