MickyG333

5.8 stars.

I stumbled on this movie hidden in the deep crevices of where all the movies disappear. I did a massive search through several popular platforms to find anything I haven't seen yet, or any new Christmas films to add to my repertoire. There I found 'The Christmas Ticket', and needless to say, it is another in a long line of mediocre Hallmark-type movies this holiday season. I am beginning to see why unadvertised movies are generally awful. It makes sense. Why would any platform advertise dreadful movies? I wouldn't go as far as to say this is dreadful, but it certainly is not very entertaining. One obvious clue that people are unaware of this movie is the absence of reviews (mine is the second).

The story is interesting, about a woman discovering her relative had a winning lottery ticket that wasn't cashed in, and now she has to find it before it expires. Makes for a potentially fun story, but they dropped the ball.

6.4 stars.

I would really like to give this film a higher rating, but in all honesty, I must be true to myself. I don't watch Hallmark and GAF and UP movies solely for the religious message, because I have a lot of other platforms and materials I readily access for this. I watch these supposedly feel good movies for an uplifting and entertaining experience.

While 'Timeless Tidings of Joy' is somewhat uplifting, it's far from entertaining. The dialogue is not particularly stimulating, but rather it expresses one simple theme, which is to emphasize charity over profit. I agree with the statement, but aren't Holiday family movies expected to provide some entertainment along with the preaching? I am not watching these movies for the sermon, I'm watching for romance and a little fun and even some adventure (the sermon comes last).

What about the adventure? The potential adventure is curtailed by the script, which diminishes the fun stuff (e.g. Time travel) and embroils it with a discourse on the importance of giving to the community over giving to yourself. Fact is, I don't need a time travel trope to point out the obvious lesson, so it's a waste of good fantasy material. On the other hand, everything is so wonderfully expressed with MOST aspects of the production, such as the lighting and music, even the acting was decent. However, the dialogue and general subject matter of the conversations was a killjoy. In other words, the conversational elements of the film are lacking, while the technical aspects are flawless.

5.6 stars.

The usual emotional tug is absent and I'm doing my best to get through this lackluster story. When I watch romance films, the primary thing I look for is that indefinable "it" factor. 'The Christmas Bookshop' has none of "it". Perhaps the music is repetitive and the acting is somewhat stilted, but that's not all that stifles the entertainment value. The worst aspect is the unimaginative dialogue.

I am trying to watch all the Christmas releases this year and so far I am utterly disappointed. Another 90 minutes of precious life down the tubes.