Northern Lights of Christmas

This movie follows the typical Hallmark formula...guy and girl don't get on at first but fall in love during the movie. I appreciate that the makeup and hair of the female actors is more realistic and not so overdone, as it is in many Hallmark movies. Disregard the comments of jmlang-180-760580, as I am guessing he/she never lived in Alaska. I lived there for years and, depending on where you are located, there is plenty of bright light in the winter. People wear sunglasses during the winter so they don't suffer permanent damage to their eyes. The sun reflecting off the snow can cause snow blindness.

Zoey Hathaway (Ashley Williams) really wanted to be a full-time pilot, but when she inherits a reindeer farm in the town she grew up in, she has to decide what she wants to do with the property. Ranch hand Alec Wynn (Corey Sevier) is resentful of her initial plan to sell it, but will fond memories of her hometown, reconnecting with old friends in a town where everyone knows her name and a blossoming friendship with the slowly thawing demeanour of Alec change her plans?

'Northern Lights of Christmas' has tons going for it if you enjoy the Hallmark brand of Christmas movies. Leading lady Ashley Williams is always a class act in these flicks, delivering so much genuine excitement and warmth, and she gets bonus points for those stunning eyes of hers (and let's face it, a lot of the time these films are ALL about that eye acting!). Leading man Corey Sevier has a rugged handsome quality and restraint to his performance that never drifts into that more grating 'pretty-boy' over-cuteness that often appears in these movies...although many of the female viewers of these probably don't mind that anyway! The rest of the minor cast are all friendly and charming, really helping to bring home that sense of community that is so important to the best of these type of films.

Yes, it falls back on that wonderful 'distorted reality' that comes out in so many Hallmark Christmas movies where every single little niggling problem or issue is perfectly resolved by the finale (actually all in the space of about five minutes in this particular instance!), but the lead and minor cast are constantly likable, the close community aspect is inviting, everyone will love the adorable animals, and the Alaskan backdrops add all the snowy atmosphere you'd want to see in one of these Christmas films...and you'll definitely decide within minutes that moving to a breathtaking reindeer ranch is the only logical next step in your life!

8 out of 10 for this tasteful effort if you're an unashamed Hallmark Christmas junkie - raises hand on that one.

Now scouring my box of personal files to see if I was due to be left a reindeer ranch in any inheritance I might have missed...

Maybe it's time for Hallmark to create a few GOOD movies for Christmas instead of 30+ barely watchable movies.

This one wasn't the worst but it's far from becoming a classic. So, so many things that are unbelievable in this movie. Too many to list really but here's a few: 1. If they are so far north the can see the northern lights is it daylight at 6am there in winter? 2. Do ppl ride motorcycles in the snow and ice and extreme cold of winter in Alaska? 3. Why spend so your entire savings on a festival to sell the farm? Would it not have sold otherwise? 4. How do you revive the ranch, refresh the barn, decorate numerous trees and plan an entire festival in less than a week?

I could go on....

Lately many Christmas movies suffer from overdone makeup main characters that makes them look more like dumb cocottes than charming leading ladies. Not in this movie. Here all the characters are more or less likable and there is a nice and charming feeling of happiness all along the film. This, combined with a modern style but not agressive leading lady who happens to be a plane pilot makes it enjoyable and worth watching. Beautiful Alaskan landscapes, inviting community and a more or less plausible story. Actors do it right and the movie succeeds in creating an endearing snowy Christmas atmosphere without being corny, silly or cloying. Not strange if you end wishing to have your own ranch in Alaska.

'Northern Lights of Christmas' is a long way from being one of the worst Hallmark Christmas films, of the 2018 batch and overall. It is also a long way from being one of the best. 2018 was a very mixed year for Hallmark when it came to their Christmas output, most ranging between lacklustre and just above average with some very bad and surprisingly good ones as well. So very variable which was not surprising for such a big batch of festive films from that year.

As far as Hallmark's Christmas output goes for 2018, 'Northern Lights of Christmas' is somewhere around average middle. That is very much applicable for their Christmas output overall, the film is around average middle in this regard too. 'Northern Lights of Christmas' is a film with good things and moments, but for me it also had a lot of shortcomings (a few of them being the usual Hallmark gremlins). So feelings are somewhat mixed here.

Shall start with the good things. The production values are quite nice, the scenery being beautiful even. Regardless of questions about authenticity the film for me was easy on the eyes. Some of the soundtrack is nostalgic and appropriately festive. There is evidence of charm and heart and the joy of Christmas is captured well.

Corey Sevier does have a stereotypical role done to death in other Hallmark films, but actually is very charming in it and doesn't come over as too uptight and certainly far from dull. The supporting cast are better than average.

That cannot be said unfortunately for Ashley Williams, really did want to be another reviewer that liked her in 'Northern Lights of Christmas' but sadly that's not the case. Am another person that felt that she tried too hard to the point that she got annoying and rather shrill, she has a lovely smile but overuses it. Her chemistry with Sevier has sweet moments but on the most part it doesn't sparkle enough and when it comes to the development it's both rushed in how too quickly the relationship evolves and also under-baked. The characters are too much like recycled cliches.

Which is pretty much the case with most of the story too, especially in the final third capped off by the as ever too neat and hastily resolved ending. Everything is obvious and there are too many things that happen too conveniently or come over as contrived. The dialogue has too much awkwardness and over-sentimentality with a lot of cheese thrown in too. The music tends to be too loud and doesn't always gel tonally.

On the whole, rather mixed feelings here. 5/10