ReaderKenka
Let's be realistic.
ScoobyMint
Disappointment for a huge fan!
SeeQuant
Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction
Mabel Munoz
Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?
SimonJack
After seeing "Moonlight and Mistletoe," I wondered why Hollywood or TV hadn't come up with the idea for such a plot long before 2008. Kudos to Hallmark for having an original and interesting plot. It seems like a natural, and the setting of this TV film in Chester, Vermont, apparently gave the community a tourism shot for the next several years. While the story is a good one, this movie unfortunately suffers in a number of areas. The screenplay seems to skip a beat here and there. Some of the situations are overly hokey or a little hard to believe. The most obvious is Nick's accident and injury. His runaway horse-drawn sleigh crashes into a tree? The film is billed as a drama, romance, family movie – no mention of comedy. So, we're to believe that a horse that had been pulling Santa's sleigh for more than 20 years all of a sudden went wild (in its old age) and ran its sleigh head-on into a tree? A somewhat lesser, but still very obvious far-fetched scene is toward the end when Holly all of a sudden is in love with Peter. Until that scene she was so-so, even a little attracted to Ben. But when Ben turns out to be a bad guy, Holly suddenly falls for Peter. It's a bit much. Perhaps the writers and/or director could have had this build up a little earlier – and not have it appear right on the heels of Ben's fall from grace. Finally, the acting. Most of the cast were passable to good only. Tom Arnold as Nick was just enough overboard in his enthusiasm (I know, it's a part of his normal persona), that he came across as being oblivious to his dire circumstances. And, while Candace Bure portrayed the hectic Holly as a businesswoman, I think it was overdone to the point that we in the audience can't buy her sudden return to earth with her nostalgia for the past. If her fast-paced, hectic busy-ness had been reduced just a bit, the return to normalcy would have seemed more natural and believable. The exaggeration of those two performances detracted considerably from the story. This film isn't bad, but it misses its potential for a number of these shortcomings. Most people may enjoy it once, but aside from some pictures of toys, I doubt that the fast action of Holly and her dad will keep young ones interested.
Rpdsf
Candace Cameron Bure is Holly a business woman who is wrapped up in her own world. She begrudgingly returns home to help her injured father. She's at first condescending and unsympathetic towards her father, Nick played by Tom Arnold, along with treating Peter, her fathers helper, like he's beneath her. She's soon smitten over a like businessman whom she meets through an old high school friend. Knowing nothing about the guy, she's drawn into a deal she believes will help save her father's failing business. For a businesswoman, she's naive in letting his good looks and her attraction to him overshadow her good sense. Without reading the contract herself, she just takes the businessman's word for it and introduces him to her father suggesting he will save his business. The opposite is true however in that the contract may actually force her father to lose his business. It's then up to her and Peter to undo the damage done.Being a hallmark movie, there is a love interest, misunderstandings and of course a happy ending. A family friendly movie.
utgard14
Holly (Candace Cameron Bure) grew up helping her father Nick (Tom Arnold) run his Santaville Christmas theme park but now she is a successful sales executive without any Christmas spirit. When her dad is hurt, she has to return to Santaville to help out and discovers the bank is about to foreclose on the place. She tries to find a way to save Santaville while dealing with her daddy issues and two potential suitors.Nice little Christmas TV movie. Nothing groundbreaking but sweet, sentimental, and charming. Candace is beautiful and very likable. Tom Arnold's great although he sounds like he has a cold throughout the whole movie. One of Candace's guys is a little too good to be true. He's handsome, kind, and "went to college for like a decade and got several degrees" before going to Santaville to work for free making toys while he waited for Candace to come back because he met her once as a kid. Yeah right. But stuff like that is to be expected from this kind of movie. This is the first Christmas TV movie Candace did. She's done several more since and they're always pleasant and enjoyable.
MartianOctocretr5
Overall, a pretty good story for a Christmas season diversion. A year round Santa's village type place is suffering budget problems, and nearing bankruptcy. Tom Arnold stars as the owner/operator of the sentimental amusement center, but his dedication and festive spirit are not matched by any business sense. The place has fallen from better times, and is now nearing extinction through bankruptcy or sale.Tom Arnold is usually an annoyance in any movie he appears, but he was pretty good this time out. He plays Nick as confused and frustrated yet faithful to his dream. Nick feels lost, as the world doesn't seem to care about this Arctic fantasy wonderland any more, even though several locals express fond memories of the once popular resort. He maintains that childlike hope that the crowds will soon return. To him, the era of this magical place is not over; it never will be over. Enter Nick's daughter, a shrewd businessperson, who Nick fools into returning to her home town. She thinks she's there to tend to her ailing father. The only thing that's sick is the business, with thousand of dollars worth of unpaid debts, and creditors closing in. The shrewd businesswoman relies more on a sentimental approach, appealing to people to rally together to save the landmark institution. The sparks over their different approaches to Santaland, and a mysterious visitor to the town who woos Nick's daughter, provide for the main conflicts.Some events seem just a bit too convenient for the story, but with enough Christmas spirit like Nick has, the movie works. Acting and direction are up to par for this style of movie. There's a nice spirit and message to it, and plenty of heart.