Take 3: Hailey Dean Mysteries: A Will to Kill Review

On June 19, 2018June 24, 2018 By 18cinemalane5 Comments

As Hailey Dean Mystery Month came to a close, I was blown away by the response for my review of Hailey Dean Mysteries: A Marriage Made for Murder. Of June 2018, it is my most popular movie review with 34 views and counting! With that said, I thought it would be appropriate to review the next Hailey Dean movie as well as the final chapter in this specific trilogy of the series. I have to say that Hailey Dean Mystery Month has been such a pleasant surprise for me! The movies in this trilogy have not only gotten better with each film, but the series as a whole has gotten stronger! Now that I’ve seen Hailey Dean Mysteries: A Will to Kill, the moment of truth has come to find out what my thoughts are on the film. Well, what are you waiting for? Let’s solve this case together!

Hailey Dean 6 poster — *Hailey Dean Mysteries: A Will to Kill poster* created by Crown Media Family Networks and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. Image found at https://www.hallmarkchannelpress.com/Shows/PRShowDetail?SiteID=143&FeedBoxID=845&NodeID=302&ShowType=&ShowTitle=Hailey+Dean+Mysteries+A+Will+to+Kill.

Things I liked about the film:

The acting: The cast in Hailey Dean Mysteries: A Will to Kill, as well as the rest of the movies from Hailey Dean Mystery Month, has consistently brought the best of their acting abilities to the table! This is especially the case (no pun intended) for Kellie Martin. Her acting talents were showcased very well in this film and the strength of her talents really shined in the scene where the guilty party is revealed. I was also impressed with Chad Lowe’s performance. Before Hailey Dean Mystery Month, I had never seen any of Chad’s acting performances, so I honestly didn’t know what to expect. Looking back on all three films, I think that Chad has consistently pulled off a good performance every single time!

The mystery: In Hailey Dean Mysteries: A Will to Kill, the central mystery is centered around who killed Hailey’s fiancé, Will. The only other mystery movie (that I can think of) from Hallmark’s second network that dealt with a cold case was Garage Sale Mystery: The Wedding Dress. This was a very interesting and creative direction for the Hailey Dean series to travel, especially since the character of Hailey Dean usually solves murders that are less than a year old. There were also details and clues surrounding the case that I felt added intrigue to the overall story.

The pace: In both of my reviews for the previous Hailey Dean films, I’ve mentioned that I was not a fan of each movie’s pace. The pace for Hailey Dean Mysteries: A Will to Kill, however, was very steady. This allowed the story and its events to have a natural progression.

OYHKOT0 — Newspaper image created by Zlatko_plamenov at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-psd/newspaper-mockup_1386098.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/mockup”>Mockup psd created by Zlatko_plamenov – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What I didn’t like about the film:

The comedy being toned down: Every mystery series on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries either has a character or certain moments that bring comedic relief to that specific film. Most of the humor in the Hailey Dean series comes from the interactions between Hailey and Fincher. While there were comedic moments between these two characters in Hailey Dean Mysteries: A Will to Kill, there wasn’t as much comedy in this film as in the two Hailey Dean films that came before it.

Sabrina’s reduced appearance: In my review of Hailey Dean Mysteries: 2+2=Murder, I talked about how I didn’t like the story that the character of Sabrina was given. I also talked about how Sabrina wasn’t really given a story in Hailey Dean Mysteries: A Marriage Made for Murder. In Hailey Dean Mysteries: A Will to Kill, Sabrina was barely in the film. Like I said in my Hailey Dean Mysteries: A Marriage Made for Murder review, her character could have written out of this movie and it wouldn’t have made a difference.

317324-P8VMXF-91 — Tools of a writer image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/camera-and-coffee-near-notebook-and-accessories_2399437.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/vintage”>Vintage image created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

My overall impression:

I really enjoyed Hailey Dean Mysteries: A Will to Kill! This was a great conclusion to Hailey Dean Mystery Month! Before the release of Hailey Dean Mysteries: 2+2=Murder, I was skeptical if a month being dedicated to what I thought was Hallmark Movies & Mysteries’ weakest series could work. Now that I’ve seen and reviewed all three Hailey Dean Mystery Month films, I can honestly say that I feel this series has definitely improved! After watching Hailey Dean Mysteries: A Will to Kill, I started to wonder where the story would go from this point? I do want the series as well as Hailey Dean Mystery Month to continue, so hopefully Hallmark Movies & Mysteries will have new Hailey Dean movies ready for next June.

Overall score: 8 out of 10

What are your thoughts on Hailey Dean Mystery Month? Which mystery series would you like to see get its own month? Please tell me in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: Waffle Street Review

On June 17, 2018June 19, 2018 By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

In the movie and novel, Wonder, Auggie Pullman said “Everyone in the world should get a standing ovation at least once in their life because we all overcometh the world”. This quote has not only become a kind of unofficial motto for 18 Cinema Lane, but also my mission for this blog: to give movies or movie related subjects that I care about a “standing ovation”. So, when I came across a film called Waffle Street, I knew this would be no exception, especially since it seems like so few people have talked about the film. Based on a true story, the premise behind this film sounded, to me, like the kind of story that could be uplifting and inspirational. It also seemed like this movie could be filled with lessons and morals that audience members can not only find relatable, but also take away and apply to their own lives. With all that said, you’re probably wondering if Waffle Street is truly deserving of this “standing ovation”. Let me whip up and serve my review so you can find out!

Waffle Street poster — *Waffle Street* poster created by MarVista Entertainment. Image found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Waffle_Street_Official_Movie_Poster.jpg

Things I liked about the film:

The acting: I thought that the cast of Waffle Street was good. However, the two stars that I felt were the most talented were Danny Glover and Julie Gonzalo. Three months ago, I said in my review of The Sweetest Heart that Julie has shined on Hallmark Channel since 2016. In Waffle Street, Julie still finds a way to shine as her performance was one of the best parts of this film! I’ve also seen Danny in the original Lethal Weapon film and, most recently, The Christmas Train, so I knew he had good acting talents. Danny’s portrayal of Edward Collins was great!

The morals and lessons: Something that I liked about Waffle Street was the morals and lessons that the story was trying to share with the audience. As the character of James “Jimmy” Adams (portrayed by James Lafferty) travels on his journey of personal growth, he comes across moments that present lessons about hard work, goal setting, and not easily giving up. He also is given morals about honesty, putting in a good effort into everything you do, and that no occupation is perfect. The morals and lessons from Waffle Street seem relatable and inspirational, as well as having the ability to touch people’s lives.

328349-PA6D1I-520 — Waffle and maple syrup as best friends image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/friendship-day-background-with-cartoon-food_2416674.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What I didn’t like about the film:

A slow pace: In my opinion, the pace of Waffle Street was slow. Because of this, most scenes felt longer than they needed to be.

Too much exposition: In about the first thirty minutes of the film, the story is loaded with exposition. While exposition is an important component to any movie, especially if it involves a true story, it feels like it was served up (no pun intended) in Waffle Street a little too soon. There was even exposition given about the restaurant in the film, but its delivery just felt random. Having the story’s exposition dispersed throughout the film is a creative choice that I think would have worked better for this film.

An unlikable lead couple: Though this movie is based on a true story, the way the characters of James “Jimmy” Adams and Becky Adams were portrayed in the film made them appear unlikable. There were times when both of them seemed selfish and weren’t overly bothered by what their significant other wanted. In the film, James and Becky barely had a conversation with each other and when they did, the topic didn’t seem very important. The way the couple was portrayed in Waffle Street didn’t give me the impression their relationship was a healthy one.

Not enough character development: In Waffle Street, the only character that I felt was given the appropriate amount of character development was James “Jimmy” Adams. Because of the other characters’ lack of character development, it made them seem like they had no greater purpose in the story other than being a part of James’ life experience. Even though there were several characters throughout this film, I didn’t feel like I truly got to know most of them, but only became familiar with them. Out of all of them, I, as a member of the audience, only got to know three of the characters in Waffle Street.

An unnecessary toilet scene: One of the lessons that Waffle Street teaches its audience is that every occupation has an unglamorous side to it. While this lesson is important to learn, the way this movie executes this lesson was definitely not needed. In the film, James has to clean a toilet that is so clogged up, he has to fix it with gloved hands. What makes this scene unnecessary is the creative team behind this movie decided to literally show their audience the dirty toilet (twice). It was so disgusting, I had to look away from my TV screen until the toilet scene was gone.

61511-OANU9Y-551 — Diner image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/american-vintage-restaurant-hand-drawn_902205.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/food”>Food vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

My overall impression:

Waffle Street is a very average film. While I admit there are good lessons and morals that can be found within this story, I can think of movies and stories that share these exact same themes, but in a better way (a good example: Cooking with Love). What’s disappointing about this film is that it had the potential to not only be a good movie, but to also share a story that deserved to be told through a cinematic lens. However, the overall execution of this film, in my opinion, did not do this true story justice. Though I don’t believe the overall film deserves a “standing ovation”, I definitely think the cast does, especially Julie Gonzalo and Danny Glover. Even if Waffle Street wasn’t as good as I had hoped, I will continue to talk about movies that I feel need to be talked about more.

Overall score: 5-5.1 out of 10

Have you seen Waffle Street? What inspiring, true story do you think deserves a movie? Tell me below in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: Hailey Dean Mysteries: A Marriage Made for Murder Review

On June 15, 2018June 15, 2018 By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

Welcome back to Part 2 of my reviews for Hailey Dean Mystery Month! If you read my review for Hailey Dean Mysteries: 2+2=Murder, you would remember that I thought the movie was a decent start to this three part movie event. Since these three Hailey Dean movies have a overarching story, I decided to review Hailey Dean Mysteries: A Marriage Made for Murder. Like I did with the last Hailey Dean movie, I watched this film with an open mind and continued to give Hailey Dean Mystery Month a fair chance. So, what did I think about this Hailey Dean film? What direction do I think this series is moving in? You’ll just have to read my review of Hailey Dean Mysteries: A Marriage Made for Murder to find out!

Hailey Dean Mystery 5 poster — *Hailey Dean Mysteries: A Marriage Made for Murder* poster created by Crown Media Family Networks and Hallmark Movies & Msyteries. Image found at https://www.crownmediapress.com/Shows/PRShowDetail?SiteID=143&FeedBoxID=845&NodeID=302&ShowType=&ShowTitle=Hailey+Dean+Mysteries+A+Marriage+Made+for+Murder

Things I liked about the film:

The acting: Just like in the previous Hailey Dean film, the cast in this movie was good. There were also some really good stand-out performances. Two of those came from Matthew MacCaull and Sarah Grey! Though the character of Jonas wasn’t in the movie as much as some of the other characters, Matthew still found a way to shine in this film. Sarah’s performance was so memorable, it lingered in my memory for days after I watched the film. Sarah’s portrayal of the character Nicole made me wish that Sarah would get a starring role in a Hallmark movie!

The mystery: In Hailey Dean Mysteries: A Marriage Made for Murder, there were some creative choices that were made that I don’t often see in other mystery series on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. One example of this is who ends up finding the murder victim. Usually, the protagonist is the one who ends up finding the murder victim by sheer accident. In this installment of the Hailey Dean series, it’s the widow of the murder victim who ends up finding the murder victim. I thought this was an interesting way for the mystery/movie to start. Also, the mystery itself was well-written.

The on-screen chemistry: As I’ve already mentioned in this review, Matthew MacCaull gave a really good performance in this film. He also performed really well alongside Kellie Martin as Hailey’s boyfriend. Jonas and Hailey’s relationship came across as very believable and charming, thanks to the acting talents of Kellie and Matthew. I also felt that Viv Leacock and Alvina August had good on-screen chemistry, with the possiblity of Fincher and Meghan starting a dating relationship exciting! I’m really looking forward to seeing how the story unfolds for these two on-screen couples!

38045-O1CZXU — Art tools image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/flar-art-tools-pack_835368.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/paint”>Paint vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What I didn’t like about the film:

A slower pace: The pace of Hailey Dean Mysteries: A Marriage Made for Murder was slow. However, it was not as slow as it was in the previous Hailey Dean film.

A lack of story for Sabrina: In my review of Hailey Dean Mysteries: 2+2=Murder, I talked about how I didn’t like Sabrina’s story. In this movie, Sabrina wasn’t really given a story. At times, it felt like Sabrina was there for the sake of being there. This character could have written out of this movie and it wouldn’t have made a difference.

Psychological consultation — Therapy session image created by Pressfoto at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/businesswoman-talking-to-her-psychologist_860909.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background image created by Pressfoto – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

My overall impression:

I liked Hailey Dean Mysteries: A Marriage Made for Murder more than Hailey Dean Mysteries: 2+2=Murder! In such a short amount of time, this series has found its footing and is starting to get stronger. After watching this installment of the Hailey Dean series, it not only made me want to watch more Hailey Dean movies, it has gotten me excited to see the final movie in Hailey Dean Mystery month! In my review of Hailey Dean Mysteries: 2+2=Murder, I shared how skeptical I was about the Hailey Dean Mystery series being given its own month. Looking back, I realize it was a better decision than I had originally thought! Be sure to come back to 18 Cinema Lane when I review the next installment in the Hailey Dean series!

Overall score: 7.5 out of 10

What do you think about the Hailey Dean series? Are you enjoying Hailey Dean Mystery Month? Tell me in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: The Perfect Bride: Wedding Bells Review

On June 10, 2018July 17, 2018 By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

With all this talk of wedding themed movies, I realized that the only wedding themed movie I’ve reviewed so far is Wedding March 3: Here Comes the Bride. This gave me a good excuse to watch The Perfect Bride: Wedding Bells and review it for my blog! The Perfect Bride was one of my favorite movies from Hallmark’s “June Weddings” line-up last year! So, when it was announced that Hallmark would be giving this movie a sequel, I couldn’t have been more excited. Kavan Smith and Pascale Hutton have quickly become popular within the realm of Hallmark, especially after their characters, Rosemary and Lee, became an official couple on When Calls the Heart. With fantastic on-screen chemistry on one of Hallmark’s popular shows, it seemed like a good idea to cast both Kavan and Pascale as the lead protagonists in a Hallmark production. Though I can only speak for myself, I feel that having Kavan and Pascale lead a Hallmark movie together was one of the best decisions in Hallmark movie history! After reading all these great things about the first Perfect Bride movie, you’re probably wondering how I felt about the sequel. You’ll just have to keep reading my review of The Perfect Bride: Wedding Bells in order to find out!

The Perfect Bride Wedding Bells poster — *The Perfect Bride: Wedding Bells* poster created by Crown Media Family Networks and Hallmark Channel. Image found at https://www.crownmediapress.com/Shows/PRShowDetail?SiteID=142&FeedBoxID=845&NodeID=302&ShowType=&ShowTitle=The+Perfect+Bride+Wedding+Bells.

Things I liked about the film:

The acting: The Perfect Bride: Wedding Bells had a good cast. I liked seeing the various character interactions, especially since the majority of the characters in this movie are from the first movie. Speaking of which, Kavan Smith and Pascale Hutton’s performances were the highlight of this film, just like they were in the first movie! Both of their talents are so well-rounded and versatile, with each actor complimenting the other.

The on-screen chemistry: Last month, I said that Torrance Coombs and Fiona Gubelmann had the best on-screen chemistry in any Hallmark movie this year. However, Kavan and Pascale’s on-screen chemistry takes the number one spot for best on-screen chemistry among the Hallmark movies in 2018! Like in the first movie, Kavan and Pascale came across like they truly got along with each other. Their on-screen chemistry was believable and enjoyable to watch!

The humor: The Perfect Bride: Wedding Bells had the right amount of humor. I felt like it really complimented the romantic elements the film had to offer. I also think that Kavan Smith had such great comedic timing!

152398-OUS8J8-399 — Wedding couple image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/hand-drawn-wedding-invitation-with-happy-couple_1259848.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/wedding”>Wedding vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What I didn’t like about the film:

A slower pace: The pace in The Perfect Bride: Wedding Bells was slower than in the first movie. It picked up when Nick and Molly started planning their wedding, but only by a little bit.

Too many conflicts: There were three major conflicts in this movie: Nick and Molly preparing for their wedding, Molly having to work with her ex, and Nick organizing his first art show. It like these conflicts were competing between each other for the attention of the audience. Because of this, things that made the first movie so memorable, like the Bridal Boot Camp itself, ended up getting overshadowed.

The planning-a-wedding-in-an-unrealistic-time-period cliché: This movie, unfortunately, adopted one of my least favorite Hallmark movie clichés. What’s worse about this cliché in The Perfect Bride: Wedding Bells is that almost all the supporting characters remind the protagonists that they don’t have to plan a wedding in an unrealistic time period. There are even times when the protagonists remind each other about this dilemma. At first, this was funny because I felt like these characters were representing my opinions as an audience member. As the movie goes on, this became annoying because anyone who has seen enough wedding themed Hallmark movies would know how this cliché plays out.

61555-OB5ZO0-824 — Wedding couple with cameras image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/original-cards-for-wedding-photography_913021.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/logo”>Logo vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

My overall impression:

The Perfect Bride: Wedding Bells was a good movie, but not as good as the first one. It felt like a step backward, kind of reminding me of how I felt after watching All of My Heart: Inn Love. After watching the sequel, I ended up feeling more disappointed that I had hoped. Kavan and Pascale deserve to lead a really good to great Hallmark movie, especially because of how talented they are individually and as a pair. Both of them shine so bright in their own movies on Hallmark as well as on When Calls the Heart! Hopefully, Kavan and Pascale can continue to be cast together in more Hallmark productions as the years go on.

Overall score: 7.6 out of 10

Have you seen The Perfect Bride: Wedding Bells? Do you want to see Kavan Smith and Pascale Hutton star in more Hallmark movies? Share your thoughts in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: Hailey Dean Mysteries: 2+2=Murder Review

On June 6, 2018 By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

If you’ve read my reviews for Reap What You Sew: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery and Darrow & Darrow: In the Key of Murder, you would know that I enjoy the mystery movies that Hallmark Movies & Mysteries offer. Each film feels like a thrilling adventure where the protagonist is always willing to bring viewers along for the ride! While there are mystery series that I really like, such as Darrow & Darrow, I feel that the Hailey Dean series is the network’s weakest. I liked Hailey Dean Mystery: Deadly Estate, but I wasn’t a fan of Hailey Dean Mystery: Murder with Love and Hailey Dean Mystery: Dating is Murder. When Hallmark announced that June would be Hailey Dean Mystery Month, I, honestly, thought that the Aurora Teagarden series should have gotten its own month instead. However, I recently watched Hailey Dean Mysteries: 2+2=Murder and gave the idea of Hailey Dean Mystery Month a fair chance. What did I think of the first of three Hailey Dean movies? Keep reading to solve this mystery!

Hailey Dean Mystery 4 poster — *Hailey Dean Mysteries: 2+2=Murder* poster created by Crown Media Family Networks and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. Image found at https://www.hallmarkchannelpress.com/Shows/PRShowDetail?SiteID=143&FeedBoxID=845&NodeID=302&ShowType=&ShowTitle=Hailey+Dean+Mysteries+2+Plus+2+%3d+Murder

Things I liked about the film:

The acting: The cast of this Hailey Dean movie was good. In the scene where the guilty suspect is revealed, Kellie Martin and Keith MacKechnie gave one of the most powerful performances they ever have in any Hallmark movie they’ve starred in! There were other actors in this movie that had stand-out performances as well. One of them is Viv Leacock, whose comedic timing was perfect. His portrayal of Fincher Garland is great and I hope that Viv is cast in more Hallmark movies!

The mystery: In almost all of the mystery movies on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, the body of the murder victim is shown within about the first twenty minutes of the film. In Hailey Dean Mysteries: 2+2=Murder, the victim was first deemed missing, their deceased body found later in the film. Characters who end up going missing in these mystery movies disappear later in that specific film’s story, so I think this was an interesting and creative way to start the mystery/movie. As for the mystery itself, I feel that it was well-written.

The dialogue: Not only was the dialogue in this movie well-written, it was also well-executed by the cast! What the characters said felt like natural conversation, with some of the actor’s lines sounding creative and clever. The best line in this movie was when Fincher tells Kellie, “I want to live to see tomorrow’s burrito”.

Burrito wrap sandwich — Burrito photo created by Jcstudio at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/burrito-with-rice_1055227.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/food”>Food image created by Jcstudio – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What I didn’t like about this film:

The pace: In most of the mystery movies on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, the film’s pace has been a bit faster than the movies on Hallmark Channel. This is caused by the suspense of the mystery as well as a balance of the film’s subplots. The newest Hailey Dean movie, however, has a pace that is slower than what I had hoped. Because of this, moments that should have been suspenseful and shocking felt like the energy was zapped out of them.

Sabrina’s story: I was surprised that Sabrina didn’t have any connection to the mystery in this movie, especially since she played a significant role in the previous film. She was given a subplot that I was not a fan of. It wasn’t that her story was bad, it just didn’t add anything to the overall movie.

168714-OVJRD7-558 — Chalkboard image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/mathematical-operation-written-on-blackboard_1357576.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Backgroundimage created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

My overall impression:

Hailey Dean Mysteries: 2+2=Murder was not as good as Hailey Dean Mystery: Deadly Estate, but it was better than Hailey Dean Mystery: Murder with Love and Hailey Dean Mystery: Dating is Murder. It was a decent start to Hailey Dean Mystery Month, but I hope the other two movies are stronger than this one. As a movie blogger and Hallmark fan, I want the Hailey Dean series to be a great series. I have seen mystery series on Hallmark’s second network that had less-than-stellar starts, but became stronger as the series went on (an example: the Flower Shop Mystery series). There have also been mystery series that had great starts, but fell apart at the end (another example: the Murder She Baked series). While I don’t know what the future will hold for the Hailey Dean series, all I know is I will continue to watch the rest of the movies in Hailey Dean Mystery Month and maybe I’ll review them for 18 Cinema Lane.

Overall score: 7 out of 10

Have you seen any of the Hailey Dean movies? What is your favorite movie series on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries? Please tell me what you think in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: Flicka: Country Pride Review

On June 1, 2018June 2, 2018 By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

Anyone who has read my Sunset Over Hope Valley re-cap posts would know that my favorite character on When Calls the Heart is Tom Thornton. And anyone who has read the Season 5 finale re-cap post would know how disappointed I was by Tom’s absence in that episode. As a fan, I have found a way to make up for the dissappointment. According to his IMDB Filmography, Max Lloyd-Jones (the actor who portrays Tom Thornton) starred in the film, Flicka: Country Pride. It just so happened that this movie was airing on television recently, making this movie reviewing experience too good to pass up. Before watching this movie, I:

Have never read My Friend Flicka by Mary O’Hara.
Have never watched the My Friend Flicka television show.
Have never seen any of the previous Flicka films.
Did not watch a trailer or read reviews for Flicka: Country Pride.

I had no idea what to expect from this film. This was the second straight-to-DVD and third/final film in the Flicka trilogy, so my expectations were set low. How did Flicka: Country Pride turn out to be? Keep reading to find out!

Flicka Country Pride poster — *Flicka: Country Pride* poster created by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. Poster image found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flicka_3_Country_Pride_movie_poster.jpg

Things I liked about the film:

The acting: While the cast of Flicka: Country Pride was good, the three stand-out performers were Kacey Rohl, Teryl Rothery, and Max Lloyd-Jones! I had never seen any of Kacey’s acting performances before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect of her performance in this movie. However, Kacey’s performance in Flicka: Country Pride blew me away as she successfully helped carry this film alongside Clint Black and Lisa Hartman! I’ve seen Teryl perform in five Hallmark movies, as well as Cedar Cove, and she was a great addition to this film’s cast! Besides When Calls the Heart, I’ve seen Max in six movies and several episodes/video clips of Switched at Birth. What I’ve noticed after watching these projects, including Flicka: Country Pride, is that Max has always appeared to put in a 100% effort and all the talent he has into the roles he is given.

The cinematography: For a straight-to-DVD film, and just as a film in general, there was good cinematography! Some of the best scenes in Flicka: Country Pride were the scenes that involved any of the characters riding horses. The camera angles and editing that was used for these scenes helped add a sense of excitement and intrigue.

The incorporation of grief: In most movies featuring a young, grieving protagonist, the focus on grief appears self-contained for the young protagonist. In Flicka: Country Pride, however, we get to see how grief affects the other characters surrounding the young protagonist. What’s also interesting is how grief influences the choices and ways of seeing the world for some of these characters in the film. I felt this was a great choice for the creative team behind this movie as this concept is not always explored in family/children’s films.

The on-screen chemistry: When I was watching Flicka: Country Pride, I felt that Max Lloyd-Jones and Kacey Rohl had good on-screen chemistry! Their relationship on-screen appeared so believable, that it looked and felt like they truly cared about each other. The friendship that both Max and Kacey displayed in this movie came across as very life-like, with both of them acting like they really got along with each other.

Tom Thornton Flicka 3 screenshot — Max Lloyd-Jones: The star of this review. Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.

What I didn’t like about this film:

Some predictability: During my viewing of Flicka: Country Pride, I noticed there were some moments in the film that felt predictable. It wasn’t like a typical Hallmark Channel movie, where you, more often than not, know most of the movie before even watching it. However, there were some story points that I was able to correctly guess before it happened.

An insufferable bully: While Siobhan Williams did a really good job portraying the character of Kacey’s bully, I really did not like Siobhan’s character. Not only was she annoying, but she could easily get under someone’s skin. Also, I can’t believe Siobhan’s character was named Stephanie Meyers (I’m not making this up). Either that was pure coincidence or someone really didn’t like the Twilight series.

Lindy and Toby’s relationship: Clint Black and Lisa Hartman had good on-screen chemistry in Flicka: Country Pride, but I felt like their relationship was not highlighted to the level that it could have been. In the movie, Lindy and Toby try to pursue a romantic relationship. However, compared to the other storylines and subplots, this particular story element didn’t feel like it went anywhere. It seemed like it just got lost in the shuffle.

The ending: To me, the ending of Flicka: Country Pride was too much of a cliffhanger. Toby tells Lindy that he has a surprise for her, but we never get to find out what that surprise is. The fact that this movie is the last in the Flicka trilogy makes this ending even worse. Based on the ending, my guess is the creative team behind Flicka: Country Pride planned on making a fourth movie, but they never got around to it.

horse saddle - soft focus with film filter — Horse with saddle photo created by Topntp26 at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/stallion-black-equine-race-sky_1104246.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background image created by Topntp26 – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

My overall impression:

Flicka: Country Pride is a good movie! In fact, this movie surpassed my expectations! What’s great about this movie is if you watch it without ever having seen the other Flicka films preceding it (like I did), you won’t have a difficult time following along with the story. I’m actually glad I saw Flicka: Country Pride because now it raises an interesting question: how come we, the Hearties, have never seen Tom Thornton ride a horse on When Calls the Heart? In all the seriousness I can give as a movie blogger, I think Tom being able to ride a horse would make a lot of sense. I feel this way because:

I would be willing to guess that Max Lloyd-Jones gained some horse riding experience while working on Flicka: Country Pride.
In Season 2, Tom did mention his family had a farm.
Not only have we seen Jack and Charlotte (Tom and Jack’s mom) Thornton ride a horse on When Calls the Heart, but Tom and Jack’s dad/Charlotte’s husband was a Mountie.

Hopefully, if Max Lloyd-Jones returns to When Calls the Heart to reprise his role as Tom Thornton, maybe we’ll see him finally ride a horse. As for Flicka: Country Pride, I would definitely recommend this film!

Overall score: 8 out of 10

So, what did you think of this review? Are you encouraged to give Flicka: Country Pride a chance? Let me know in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: Royally Ever After Review

On May 25, 2018June 1, 2018 By 18cinemalane3 Comments

Because I haven’t reviewed a Hallmark Channel movie in two months, I decided to review Royally Ever After. 2018 has become the year of the “royal” movie. Whether to commemorate Harry and Meghan’s wedding or to keep up the network’s success with the ratings, Hallmark continues to create fairytale-esque stories set against a contemporary backdrop. Royally Ever After is Hallmark’s fourth “royal” themed movie for this year. This breaks the record for most “royal” movies released on Hallmark in an individual year! Since 2011’s Smooch, “royal” themed movies have become a staple on Hallmark Channel. Out of the twelve “royal” themed movies that Hallmark has made in this seven-year time-frame, I have seen nine of them, with most of these movies being really good. So, where does Hallmark’s newest “royal” story rank among these movies? Find out in my Royally Ever After review!

Royally Ever After poster — *Royally Ever After* poster created by Crown Media Family Networks and Hallmark Channel. Image found at https://www.crownmediapress.com/Shows/PRShowDetail?SiteID=142&FeedBoxID=845&NodeID=302&ShowType=&ShowTitle=Royally%20Ever%20After&IsSeries=False.

Things I liked about the film:

The acting: The entire cast of Royally Ever After was great! Everyone gave a performance that felt so believable and convincing. However, Fiona Gubelmann’s performance was the one that shined the brightest! Not only was her portrayal of the character of Sara believable (like the rest of the cast), but it was also very genuine. Fiona’s performance was such a joy to watch and I hope she continues to be cast in Hallmark movies.

The on-screen chemistry: Torrance Coombs, like Fiona Gubelmann, gave a good performance in Royally Ever After. Though this was Torrance’s first role in any Hallmark movie, he proved that he, just like Fiona, has what it takes to lead a Hallmark production. Together, both Torrance and Fiona gave such a great performance, that their on-screen chemistry was convincing. In fact, I feel that Torrance and Fiona had the best on-screen chemistry in any Hallmark movie this year (so far)! Both of them came across as if they truly got along. The other couples in Royally Ever After also had good on-screen chemistry! Sara’s parents (portrayed by Fiona Bell and John Guerrasio) and Daniel’s parents (portrayed by Carmen du Sautoy and Barry McGovern) appeared as if they truly belonged together.

The scenery: Royally Ever After was filmed in Ireland and the country’s beauty really shows in this movie! The natural landscapes were magnificent to look at and a highlight in the film! Hallmark does not film in Ireland enough, so I hope more Hallmark productions get filmed there in the future.

Not relying on “Hallmark royal movie” clichés: One of my issues with these “royal” movies is that they, more often than not, lack difference between the films. They almost always follow the same beats and patterns, sometimes making me wish Hallmark would retire from the fairytale-esque storytelling. Royally Ever After, however, broke away from most of those clichés and felt like a “breath of fresh air”. One example of this is having the prince’s sister trying to sabotage the protagonists’ relationship instead of the prince’s mother. These creative choices made me enjoy Royally Ever After even more!

114885-OOYJTA-978 — Princess tiara image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/ornamental-princess-crowns_1109199.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/gold”>Gold vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What I didn’t like about the film:

As I reflect on this movie, I can’t think of anything that I didn’t like about the film. To me, this is the closest to being a “perfect” Hallmark movie that I’ve seen in a very long time.

Old castle in the mountians. — Castle photo created by Photoangel at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/old-castle-in-the-mountians_1286237.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/tree”>Tree image created by Photoangel – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

My overall impression:

I really loved Royally Ever After! In my opinion, this is the best “royal” movie Hallmark has ever made! I felt so happy after watching this film, feeling that this was time well spent. I would love it if this story continued through sequels, possibly with the first wedding themed “royal” movie that could be titled “Wedding Ever After”. If you get the chance, I would highly recommend Royally Ever After!

Overall score: 10 out of 10

Have you seen Royally Ever After? What’s your favorite “royal” movie from Hallmark? Let me know in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: Avengers: Infinity War (SPOILER-FREE) Review

On May 17, 2018May 17, 2018 By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

The day has finally arrived for me to review my most anticipated movie of 2018! Successfully avoiding possible spoilers, I had excitement and anticipation riding on my shoulders. This movie was definitely a cinematic event, probably one of the biggest this decade has ever seen. Avengers: Infinity War has been dominating the box office recently, dethroning previous champions and achieving almost every record imaginable. With the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) celebrating a milestone birthday, the hype for this film was absolutely real. But is Avengers: Infinity War worthy of all this attention and popularity? While you’re reaching for the stars, make sure to check out my review of Marvel’s newest installment; Avengers: Infinity War!

This review has no spoilers ahead!

Avengers Infinity War Bucky poster — Bucky and his friend, Bucky, really wanted to get a picture with the *Avengers: Infinity War* poster! Photo taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.

Things I liked about the film:

The acting: The entire cast of Avengers: Infinity War was fantastic! Everyone put everything they had into their acting performances and it truly showed in the film. All of the comedic and dramatic timing was perfectly executed, as all of the actors and actresses’ portrayals appeared natural and believable. Because of the superb job from the cast, it helped me as a movie-goer put emotional investment into the characters.

The cinematography/special effects: All of the special effects in Avengers: Infinity War looked beautiful! Not only were the different environments pretty to look at, they all felt so distinctive and life-like! I also really liked the character designs of the CGI villains, especially Thanos. They all looked and felt very real, helping to make these characters come across as believable.

A balance of comedy and drama: While Avengers: Infinity War is a film that has a more serious tone, there are comedic moments that help prevent the movie from being “doom & gloom” from start to finish. The insertion of the jokes never felt forced, as they were both well-written and well-executed. But whenever there were dramatic moments in the film, it felt like it matched the overall tone the creative team behind this movie was trying to achieve.

Thanos as a villain: When watching Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos ended up scaring me. One reason for this is how Thanos felt like he was justified in creating and attempting to execute his plan. The other reason is how Thanos felt like nothing could stand in his way of his goals. Both of these aspects of Thanos made him one of the most memorable villians in the MCU.

Avengers: Infinity War logo created by The Walt Disney Company and Marvel Studios. © Disney•Pixar. All rights reserved. Marvel and Avengers Characters: ©2017 Marvel. Image found at https://marvel.com/.

What I didn’t like about the film:

The ending: Since this is a spoiler-free review, I can’t really elaborate on why I don’t like the ending. What I will say is that I felt like it was shocking just for the sake of it. Also, it didn’t seem to make a lot of sense to me.

The end-credit scene: Like I said about the ending, I can’t explain why I didn’t like the end-credit scene. All I’ll say is I felt it didn’t make a lot of sense and to me, was not worth the wait.

Bucky and Thor at the movies — My friends were excited to see *Avengers: Infinity War*! Photo taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.

My overall impression:

Avengers: Infinity War was a good movie! There are a lot of things that this film did right, such as effectively balancing both comedy and drama. However, I didn’t think this was a great film. Going into this latest Marvel movie, I knew this would be a “set-up” film. But I was hoping that it wouldn’t be Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 all over again, where the majority of the events in the film happened for the sake of setting up the next film. While Avengers: Infinity War is a better movie than the seventh Harry Potter installment, it still felt like a “set-up” for the next part in the Avengers story. Because the next chapter in this saga is coming in about a year, I’m only bothered by some of the events in the movie to a certain extent. Hopefully “Avengers 4” will be a better film than what we ended up receiving this time around.

Overall score: 8.5 out of 10

Have you seen Avengers: Infinity War? Was it worth all the hype for you? Please tell me what you think in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: Avengers: Infinity War (SPOILER-ZONE) Review

On May 17, 2018May 22, 2018 By 18cinemalane4 Comments

If you read my spoiler-free review for Avengers: Infinity War, you would know that I gave the movie an official score of 8.5 out of 10. While I explained some of the reasons why I gave Marvel’s newest installment this score, I wasn’t able to go into depth about the other reasons for this score. Spoilers were the only reason why I didn’t elaborate on the things I didn’t like about the film. Because of this, I wanted to create a separate post where I could talk about the things from this movie that made me feel that this movie was good but not great. Since I already reviewed Avengers: Infinity War, this post will be more of a discussion/companion piece to the spoiler-free review. Now that introductions have finally been made, let’s talk about the spoilers from Avengers: Infinity War!

Be aware that there are spoilers ahead!

Avengers Infinity War Thor poster — Thor really wanted to get a picture with the *Avengers: Infinity War* poster! Photo taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.

Avengers: Infinity War feeling like a “set-up” film: In my review of Avengers: Infinity War, I talked about how I was disappointed that some of the key events in this movie felt like they happened for the sake of setting up the next part of the story. The biggest example of this is when Thanos successfully gathered all the Infinity Stones. Throughout the film, Thanos’ quest to achieve a balance in the galaxy seemed way too easy. Sure, the Avengers and Guardians put up a good fight, but it seemed like the creative team behind Avengers: Infinity War made Thanos just too powerful. Before I saw Avengers: Infinity War, I had predicted that Thanos would get all but one of the Stones. That way, the conflict of the next Avengers film would be of Thanos trying to track down the last Stone, while the Avengers and Guardians went to great lengths to protect it. However, because the creative team behind Avengers: Infinity War knew they were essentially creating a second part to this particular story, this creative decision felt like Thanos got his way too easily, giving the heroes a forced conflict for “Avengers 4”.

The stakes not feeling big enough: While there were stakes in Avengers: Infinity War, I felt like the stakes made did not create as big of an impact as it could have been. The characters the creative team behind Avengers: Infinity War chose to kill off (before Thanos got his way) are Loki, Heimdall, the Black Order, Gamora, and Vision (twice). Basically, it seems like the creative team chose characters that felt like easy targets. While I found Gamora’s death to be shocking and Vision’s death to be sad, it didn’t seem to emotionally affect many of the superheroes featured in this movie. If the creative team behind Avengers: Infinity War wanted to make an emotional statement (for the superheroes in the film and for their audience), they would have created an outcome that negatively affected one of the bigger heroes (example: Captain America or Iron Man). This way, the other heroes could use their emotional responses as fuel to defeat Thanos.

Making favorite heroes disappear: Speaking of “set-ups” for the next Avengers film, the ending of Avengers: Infinity War felt like a painfully obvious and forced “set-up” for “Avengers 4”. This was caused by almost all of the superheroes featured in this movie turning into dust as a result of Thanos’ plan being successful. Personally, I didn’t like the ending for several reasons. It felt too ambiguous and sudden for the general movie-going audience, not providing an explanation to where the “disappeared” heroes went. The specific superheroes that the creative team behind Avengers: Infinity War chose to have “disappear” didn’t seem to make a lot of sense. Why would they choose to have Spider-Man “disappear” when we know that a Spider-Man sequel is coming next summer (in fact, it’s premiering two months after “Avengers 4”)? Why would Black Panther be one of the “disappeared” heroes after the MCU gave him his own stand-alone movie, causing him to become one of the most popular and marketable superheroes in the MCU’s roster? The one “disappearance” that upset me the most was Bucky’s. Not only is Bucky my favorite superhero in the MCU, but it frustrated me that he was on his way to finally start thriving, only to have those potential opportunities taken away from him. He had been through so much in the course of the Captain America trilogy, was taken out of cryo-freeze in the Black Panther end-credit scene, was finally cured because of Shuri (which bothered me that no one acknowledged this in Avengers: Infinity War), got a new prosthetic arm (which looked absolutely gorgeous), was featured in this movie at all, was able to fight alongside the other heroes, only to have him disappear? Also, Steve Rogers/Captain America already lost Bucky while they were in the Army, so what would be the point of Steve losing his friend again? Speaking of Captain America, out of all the superheroes that stuck around, most of them were the “original six” Avengers (Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, Thor, Hulk, Hawkeye). Keeping those heroes around felt so painfully obvious that the creative team behind Avengers: Infinity War want to possibly recreate the “classic” Avengers line-up from the first Avengers film. Even some of the heroes that the creative team behind Avengers: Infinity War chose to keep around that weren’t a part of the “original six” didn’t appear to make sense. Out of all the Guardians, why would they have Rocket be the only one that stays? Since I knew going into Avengers: Infinity War that the “disappeared” heroes are going to appear in the next Avengers movie (because of announced sequels and IMDB Filmographies), the ending wasn’t as emotionally affective for me.

That end-credit scene: Going into Avengers: Infinity War, I knew there would be an end-credit scene (especially since that’s an MCU staple). After that ending, I was hoping that the end-credit scene would, at least, make up for it. Sadly, this was not the case. All that happened was Maria Hill and Nick Fury “disappearing” into dust (which, again, didn’t seem to make sense) and the Captain Marvel logo being shown on a beeper-type device. To me, the decision to tease the arrival of Captain Marvel didn’t appear to make sense from the perspective of a general movie-goer. Why would Marvel hint at Captain Marvel’s appearance when we the movie-goers haven’t even been officially introduced to her yet? Wouldn’t it make more sense to dedicate the only end-credit scene to Ant-Man, especially since he wasn’t in Avengers: Infinity War and the next MCU movie is Ant-Man and the Wasp? Because of the end-credit scene, it, honestly, makes me skeptical about whether Captain Marvel can successfully fix the mess that was left at the end of Avengers: Infinity War.

As you can tell, I’m not pleased with some of the decisions that the creative team behind this movie ended up making. One of the reasons why the MCU is so successful is because they’ve built a strong sense of trust with their audience/fans. But after this ending, it seems like that trust has been tarnished to a certain extent. Because I am simply a movie blogger, there’s not much I can do about the situation. However, I can only speak for myself when I say that I will take Dale Travers’ advice from Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Lost Without You to “trust the timing”. Let’s not forget that we still have “Avengers 4” coming up and the marketing campaign for that film could, highly likely, start later this year. Hopefully, some of the “disappeared” heroes can show up in the advertisements, which would give fans peace of mind that their favorite character is going to be okay. Who knows, maybe the release date for “Avengers 4” could get pushed forward, like Avengers: Infinity War, so we can see the film early? All I’m saying is to let things surrounding this franchise take its course. It’s great how some fans have found creative ways to deal with their feelings about the ending, such as Youtuber, AmyLynn Craig, teaming up with her friend to save Spider-Man. It’s also great how people have been able to find each other to discuss how they feel, such as Rachel, from Rachel’s Reviews and Hallmarkies Podcast, talking about the movie with her friends, Trevor and David. But please remember, these are Marvel productions and, so far, Marvel has steered their ship pretty well. I just hope the creative team behind “Avengers 4” takes the feelings of their audience/fans into account while they’re making their next film.

What are your thoughts about Avengers: Infinity War? How do you feel about that ending? Share your thoughts in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

If you want to see the videos that I referenced in this post, just type the name of the channel (AmyLynn Craig, Rachel’s Reviews) or the names of the videos (“Our Spidey Mission! *Infinity War Spoilers* (2018 Disney Vlog #4)”, “David and Rachel vs Infinity War (Spoilers)”, “Talking Infinity War w How to Love Comics [SPOILERS]”) into Youtube’s search bar.

Take 3: Darrow & Darrow: In the Key of Murder Review

On May 13, 2018 By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

With eight series currently in circulation, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries has been very busy keeping fans on the edge on their seats, providing compelling mysteries that will keep viewers involved in each film’s story. One series in particular is Darrow & Darrow. After making its debut last year, Darrow & Darrow has quickly become an important component in the web of franchises from Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. With memorable characters, a well-written script, and a good mystery, Darrow & Darrow won over my heart. As I was excited for the sequel, I was also disappointed when I found out the next movie would be centered around a murder mystery. This is because the mystery involved in the first movie did not have any murders, going against the grain from other mystery series on Hallmark’s second network. Did this change in the series affect my enjoyment of the film? Find out in my review of Darrow & Darrow: In the Key of Murder!

Darrow & Darrow 2 poster — *Darrow & Darrow: In the Key of Murder* poster created by Crown Media Family Networks and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. Image found at https://www.crownmediapress.com/Shows/PRShowDetail?SiteID=143&FeedBoxID=986&NodeID=307&ShowType=&ShowTitle=Darrow%20and%20Darrow%20In%20the%20Key%20of%20Murder&IsSeries=False

Things I liked about the film:

The acting: The cast in the Darrow & Darrow sequel was very strong! Everyone gave such great performances and complimented each other at the same time. The one cast member that impressed me the most in this movie was MacKenzie Porter. She did an excellent job not only with her acting performance, but with her singing performances as well! I also liked seeing Geoff Gustafson in a film outside of the Signed, Sealed, Delivered series because it allowed him to work with new material, keeping his acting performances interesting and entertaining. Geoff is a talented actor and it was good to see him in a role that is different from what most Hallmark fans are used to.

The mystery: Even though the sequel was a murder mystery (like most films on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries), it was compelling and intriguing. With enough suspects and clues, it allowed viewers to solve the case alongside the protagonists. Also, the charm of the series was never lost amid the darkness of the crime.

The on-screen chemistry: Just like in the first Darrow & Darrow film, the on-screen chemistry between Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Tom Cavanagh was fantastic! Both Kimberly and Tom pulled off a great performance individually and as a pair. Their line delivery was spot-on and their portrayals of Claire and Miles truly appeared like their characters got along. I’m really looking forward to seeing where Claire and Miles’ relationship goes from here!

269703-P5H9WI-853 — Magnifying glass image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/magnifying-glass-with-fingerprint-in-flat-style_2034684.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/flat”>Flat vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What I didn’t like about the film:

Some of the side stories: While the story of Joanna working on the pro bono case was well-written, I was not impressed with Lou’s story. It felt like a repeat from the first movie, where an exceptionally gifted young person (Lou in this case) is having difficulty relating to their peers. I also didn’t like the story amongst the other lawyers at the Darrow & Darrow law firm. To me, this and Lou’s story just didn’t have a big impact on the film’s overall story.

Little girl in baseball outfit — Baseball girl image created by Brgfx at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/little-girl-in-baseball-outfit_2204168.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by Brgfx – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

My overall impression:

This was a really good continuation in the series! I ended up liking this movie just as much as the first movie! Hallmark Movies & Mysteries has done an excellent job when creating a newer mystery series that feels different from the other series they offer. While the series is only about a year old, it has plenty of room to grow, as more stories are still waiting to be told. Hallmark has not made any announcements about a continuation in the Darrow & Darrow series, but I hope more movies get made in the near future! This series has only gotten better and I can’t wait to see where the direction of this series goes!

Overall score: 8-8.5 out of 10

Have you seen the Darrow & Darrow sequel? What you think about the Darrow & Darrow series? Let me know in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen