**Spoilers likely ahead**
I deducted two stars because some secondary characters didn't seem to get any development except a start A and an end at B. It seemed more like the type of thing that go cut for time. As an example, the mean boss that becomes the town's mean old man gets a end of the movie moment where his Christmas spirit returns, but we never every had an idea why he was so grumpy. Even a couple lines about his dead wife (making that up) and estranged daughter (also making that up) would have helped. Anyway, that's really all I found to complain about the movie...oh, the movie snow is not great, but better than some I've seen. At least they have a small mix of real snow and store fluff. Not worth star deduction or anything.
As for where the other 8 stars come in, I really think some reviewers have missed the point. I've seen comments on how campy or corny the movie. That is entirely the point of the film. It does a very good job of hitting all the camp moments of your typically Hallmark/Lifetime Christmas movie and does so in an even more exaggerated way to poke fun at them. I'd say this is one of the funnier made-for-TV holiday movies we've watched. It also benefited from some very nice chemistry between the two sisters - their disparate personalities remain refreshing because they actually seem to connect and interact well together still. I will say, the movie jumps off the rails a bit at the very end, but it doesn't really matter. By that point, your story is well and good. I might have preferred the guys instead for new meets and not somehow transported from the Christmas town, but heck, it's not much more of a magic stretch than the girls experience.
I would highly recommend this movie if you are into watching Hallmark/Lifetime-esque holiday movies for what they are and can recognize the tropes common in them. It will make your viewing much more enjoyable.
I deducted two stars because some secondary characters didn't seem to get any development except a start A and an end at B. It seemed more like the type of thing that go cut for time. As an example, the mean boss that becomes the town's mean old man gets a end of the movie moment where his Christmas spirit returns, but we never every had an idea why he was so grumpy. Even a couple lines about his dead wife (making that up) and estranged daughter (also making that up) would have helped. Anyway, that's really all I found to complain about the movie...oh, the movie snow is not great, but better than some I've seen. At least they have a small mix of real snow and store fluff. Not worth star deduction or anything.
As for where the other 8 stars come in, I really think some reviewers have missed the point. I've seen comments on how campy or corny the movie. That is entirely the point of the film. It does a very good job of hitting all the camp moments of your typically Hallmark/Lifetime Christmas movie and does so in an even more exaggerated way to poke fun at them. I'd say this is one of the funnier made-for-TV holiday movies we've watched. It also benefited from some very nice chemistry between the two sisters - their disparate personalities remain refreshing because they actually seem to connect and interact well together still. I will say, the movie jumps off the rails a bit at the very end, but it doesn't really matter. By that point, your story is well and good. I might have preferred the guys instead for new meets and not somehow transported from the Christmas town, but heck, it's not much more of a magic stretch than the girls experience.
I would highly recommend this movie if you are into watching Hallmark/Lifetime-esque holiday movies for what they are and can recognize the tropes common in them. It will make your viewing much more enjoyable.