Director Peter Benson and writers Mark Famiglietti and Michael Testa bring a. delightful new film to Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas. This was the first new movie in their slate of new releases this season, where Princess Vitoria of Zelarnia ( Fiona Gubelmann) needs a break and wants to decompress from her fast-paced royal life in Zelarnia. She chooses to take a much-needed vacation to Peaceful Pines Ranch in Montana, where she meets former baseball star Huntley (Warren Christie), leaving them with a choice to live happily ever after.
Take the Throne or Skip It?
My wife and I love to don our favorite Christmas blankets and sit down to watch these movies every year. In fact, Countdown to Christmas is almost our own personal Super Bowl and a way we have bonded in our marriage. We look for the fun and light-hearted aspect of these films that provide a much-needed escape that delivers in story and characters we care about.
Fiona Gubelmann (Princess Victoria) brings a lot of heart and energy to this film as the leading actress. She has a certain sense of warmth to her character that quickly draws you in. Warren Christie (Huntley), who stars opposite her as the leading man in this film, provides a soft tenderness to him as well, making the two have an insane amount of chemistry, which is something that can make or break these movies. Aside from the two leading actors, we also have an injection of humor from David Kaye, who plays her assistant Gabriel. Everyone knows their roles and plays them to perfection, which helps sink you into the warmth of the plot.
Christmas Magic
I am a city kid through and through, but having the film take place in small-town Montana brings forth a strong sense of community and a different scenery from our usual films, all at the same time. All of this gets the audience to buy into the film and fills them with a sense of joy. The movie hits on every beat you would want out of a Hallmark film. It’s not the best one they have put out; however, it is one of the better films they have released this year. The chemistry between our leads, the setting, and the story all bring together the Christmas magic that will help get you sucked into the Holiday spirit!
Overall Grade: 4.5/ Christmas Wreaths!
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