Christmas Island

Just finished watching this wonderful Hallmark movie & I believe this might just be the PERFECT Hallmark Christmas movie. Is it predictable? Yes. Is it schmaltzy? Yes; but it's not exactly a "cookie-cutter" movie either. It did have everything I want in a holiday movie & I'm happy to see them (for once) NOT making Canada a stand-in for America. It's to see Nova Scotia being Nova Scotia. The acting is superb & I was very impressed by the child actors especially. They & the whole cast seemed like a real family. Seeing Peter MacNeill in anything makes me smile. Definitely a must watch every year now!

8.9 stars. Here is why this is my bread and butter Hallmark type of story. First, we have two leads that I love to pieces, in every film they are sure to entertain. They are a most pleasant surprise in 'Christmas Island'. Skarsten was in a film where she's a nanny for the royal family, I think it's called 'The Royal Nanny'. I loved her in that, but also in a couple others she really shines. Probably just the fact I find her very attractive, the perfect type for me. She is a first class lady, and after seeing this, I'm moving her up a few slots into my top 3 Hallmark gals. And Mr. Walker, he knows how to elicit a hearty laugh or a tearful eye. He is one of the best leading men of the whole Hallmark franchise. In the beginning of this story his character Oliver is a real grinchy sort, but that's only because he's in a bad mood and takes his job as air traffic controller very seriously (a bit too much). Kate, as a pilot, is actually the more fun-loving character, eager to be friendly, poke a joke, be silly, but he did not reciprocate initially. After they get to know each other, feelings and impressions change rapidly and the mutual attraction becomes electric. I'd rate this in the top five steamy romances (Hallmark style of course), even though it's not "steamy" per se, but very stimulating if you know what I mean. These two have a way with each other. He feels she is the best thing since sliced bread, and she feels the same, but she is responsible for flying a wealthy family to Europe as soon as the weather clears, so it's difficult for them to get invested in this new romance. The story is developed further and explores the relationships of this rich family that Kate is piloting across the Atlantic. Their characters are well developed and very likable. The boy is too young and amateur an actor, however the daughter is an absolute delight and well on her way to serious stardom if she maintains this level of performance. The parents are both endearing and charismatic. The whole cast is amazing and the synergy is undeniable. It's impossible not to fall in love with every personality on 'Christmas Island', including Oliver's sister (the mayor) and father (post office manager). What an exceedingly rich and entertaining film, but above all else, just a wonderfully sappy love story that really hits your heart in all the right places. As always, with my favorites of the faves, it speaks for itself and is one of the best Hallmarks of 2023. I am happy to say it out-performed 'Santa Summit' and anticipate the only contender will be 'Biltmore Christmas', which I'm going to save for later (best for last). If Hallmark keeps with this trend, 2023 will be the best lineup ever.

No matter who is co-star is - and there have been some very good ones - Andrew Walker is such a surefire bet for Hallmark. Has he ever made a bad movie for them? I don't think so. He is great here with Rachel Skarsten. Christmas Island tells the story of a VIP jet pilot (Skarsten's Captain Kate Gabriel) and the family she is flying to Europe for Christmas ending up getting waylaid at Christmas Island in Nova Scotia. Enter Walker's Oliver, playing the town's air traffic controller. It turns out that Christmas Island is like your standard small town that you know well from multiple Hallmark movies, so all the old tropes are there...just on an island. Still, Walker's performance makes the cliches seem less cliched. Aside from the inevitable romance between Kate and Oliver - their chemistry is good, so that's a box ticked - there is a good message in this movie about time spent with family during the holidays.

Fun different storyline. A female pilot getting stranded. It IS kind of like ALL the movies where cars are breaking down leaving passengers stranded while a cute mechanic fixes the car and waits for parts, but it's different enough. I like how she knew how to fix his truck. Instead of him being the one to fix it. The Sharp family. I love how there's a snobby uncomfortable rich family. The dialogue is great. Well written script. Flows well. Very believable acting. The main actor has fun with his acting. He's cute. Rachel Skarsten is delightful to watch. She is a wonderful actress. She's great at portraying different emotions, the proper emotions for each scene. She's so cute. The couple has cute chemistry. It's not sparks-a-flyin chemistry, but it's cute. The cheesy music when they first kissed was too much. It should have just been a sweet simple kiss. The music sounds like it was the end of some epic love story, which it was not.