Falling in Love in Niagara

That should have been the name of the movie. She is probably one of the worst heroines Hallmark ever created. Maddie is next level, and not in a good way. Her fiancé is a piece of work. Their interaction in the beginning screamed red flags. Her personality is quite vexing, and it continues as she takes her sister on her honeymoon because Jason, the jerk, ended their relationship.

The main lead is fine-probably one of the best parts of the movie-but they didn't have an ounce of chemistry.

The icing on the cake was the end when Jason demanded he and Maddie get back together, and she agreed. What?!?! After he treated her poorly and continued to do so, she went back to him and shattered the tour guide love interest. I actually screamed at the television.

It truly was annoying, even when she told Jason to peace out. The scenery was amazing. That's the only plus.

There is no possible way that the 2 "romantic" lead characters filmed their parts together! It's like watching an old movie where the lead played their own twin. They awkwardly each stay on their own half of the screen and look at each other as of they're avoiding eye contact and just looking past the other person as if they're not really there. Especially the guy! He looks as if they replaced the romantic lead at the last minute and just superimposed this guy into each scene and hoped we wouldn't notice! Ugh! It's impossible to ignore! It also means there is absolutely no chemistry either. Don't waste your time . . .

Madeline's (Jocelyn Hudo) fiancé breaks up with her just before their wedding because she is not spontaneous. Her sister Harley convinces her to visit their honeymoon spot, Niagara Falls, anyway, since the accommodations were paid for. And it would give her a chance to show him that he was wrong about her.

At the falls, the two women go for their arranged tour, and Mike (Dan Jeannotte) is assigned as their guide. Things do not go smoothly, and Madeline---who really is not flexible or spontaneous---complains continuously. Fortunately, Mike does not give up easily. He mends their fractured relationship and spends considerable time convincing Madeline that she can be adventurous. She slowly learns to live outside of her comfort zone.

The best parts of the film are the numerous shots of the falls and the surrounding area. It's like a panoramic travelogue that, no doubt, will spur actual bookings to the Niagara area.

I often think that the setup in Hallmark-type movies is extended too long, especially when it is overdone tropes like this movie starts out. Come on, I think, get to the real story. Well this movie shows me that concept to a miserable extreme. Another extreme that goes along with that was the cardboard caricature of the jerk fiancé. Such a creep and he was bad from the first second on screen. (I'm sure the actor was playing it the way he was told.)

All this might be OK if the leading lady was OK. Jocelyn Hudon had definite moments of being likeable, when her character was halfway normal. In fact, she is one of Hallmark's most likeable young lady actors. She killed it in some of her outfits. But Maddie is more than just quirky. She is flat out neurotic and crazy. To make it worse, the movie rushes her through first neurotic, then normal, then neurotic again, then normal again. Some of the confusion might make sense since this is a woman who had been put down first by her parents (backstory) and then by her fiancé. Mike and her sister show her freedom from that. This all might have worked in the story, but the transitions were rushed and the traits were exaggerated. It all left me cringing. She makes instant decisions that are absolutely insane towards the end. Maddie's character arc was not the only thing rushed, but it was the most significant.

Hudon and Dan Jeannotte are good together after they get past the ridiculous meet-cute, which wasn't that cute. Their relationship is also rushed with a lot of screen time being spent on shots of them enjoying Niagra scenery. Niagra was the star of the movie.

I only watched this movie for the scenes of the falls. What is interesting is she spent a week there when pretty much all the activities can be done in a couple of days three at the most if you want to rush it. The cable car ride is realistic there are times when you can get on it and you are the only one on it. What I don't understand is why they didn't do the journey behind the falls or check out Marineland. They also glossed over how long the lines can be and how long of a walk it is to the viewing area at the power plant. The best view of the falls is by doing Journey behind the Falls. Unless you go in winter or fall you will never find the area by the falls that deserted. I also don't think they used any real Canadians, there wasn't one "eh" said in the entire movie and not one scene of anyone eating gravy on fries. What sort of adventure doesn't include a helicopter ride. As far as the actual story is concerned, if you've watched a Hallmark movie before then you already know what is going to happen.