Very few times in history have sequels been as good, or even better than the original film. And, succeeding sequels seldom match the second film/first sequel, and so on. The exceptions are notable and among the great films of all time - The Godfather, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings. But most often, sequels are well below their originals, and the next sequels are disasters.
So, Hallmark and its team had a challenge cut out for it with this film. On first blush, "Marrying Father Christmas" would seem to be a no-brainer. Picking up on the "Engagng" the year before, it had only one way to go, and everyone who know that. But to make it go, it would have to have something new, a different twist, or a surprise or two. The latter is what this film has, and that makes it a good sequel. Not as good as the original, nor of the first sequel. But good enough to still be very enjoyable, entertaining, and heads above many other Christmas films at year's end.
Two surprises and one twist give this film a very good plot, and the couple of new faces who come with the surprises add to the excellent cast. Frankly, but for the superb performances by all of the main actors in the first two films, I probably would not have watched this film. That's because one pretty much knows what to expect from the title and buildup. So, then, the reward is in a very well-done screenplay with a couple of subplots that add much interest and enjoyment to this TV film.
The first big surprise is the appearance of Miranda's previously unknown uncle, Charles Finley. The second is the former friend of Margaret and James Whitcomb, Tommy Reid, who now is attracted to Margaret and she to hm. A twist that keeps the happy planned wedding uncertain is Margaret's over zealous injection in the wedding plans to the tune of trying to get the location moved. And, then a final surprise twist is the wedding itself and Miranda's escort. I guessed that one just before it came about.
There's just one real hole or problem with the screenplay. When Miranda hears from Finley (played by Bill Dow) that he is her uncle, one can understand the shock and disbelief. But the idea, expressed by Ian later and quickly dropped, that he might be someone just trying to cash in on the situation, couldn't be plausibly carried out in the film because there was nothing to cash in on. But the hole is this - Miranda so doesn't want to believe it at first, that she doesn't even want to hear more explanation from the man when Charles tries to explain to her. That only comes much later, after much trepidation, her receiving childhood pictures of her mom that came from Charles, and her feeling of guilt and wanting to connect with her uncle.
All of that consternation could have been avoided if she had just listened to what he had to say at the outset. But she didn't. Now, while most people would see the problem in that, especially for Miranda's character, there is a caveat to it. And that is that had she listened to Charles right away, there would have been about 15 minutes of less movie where that situation occupied her time and discussions with Ian. And that would have meant the need to fill some more time with something else - perhaps a romance with Margaret and Tommy. But it wouldn't have been nearly as interesting, and the writers knew that. So, they had to include the hard to believe hole of Miranda not wanting to hear more - remember, this is the girl who set out on a quest to find her roots and family. And the probably reasoned, aptly, that the audiences would soon get over that and just want to see what happens next and how it will play out.
This is a fitting film for the climax of a trilogy that should become a Christmas holiday favorite for many people.
So, Hallmark and its team had a challenge cut out for it with this film. On first blush, "Marrying Father Christmas" would seem to be a no-brainer. Picking up on the "Engagng" the year before, it had only one way to go, and everyone who know that. But to make it go, it would have to have something new, a different twist, or a surprise or two. The latter is what this film has, and that makes it a good sequel. Not as good as the original, nor of the first sequel. But good enough to still be very enjoyable, entertaining, and heads above many other Christmas films at year's end.
Two surprises and one twist give this film a very good plot, and the couple of new faces who come with the surprises add to the excellent cast. Frankly, but for the superb performances by all of the main actors in the first two films, I probably would not have watched this film. That's because one pretty much knows what to expect from the title and buildup. So, then, the reward is in a very well-done screenplay with a couple of subplots that add much interest and enjoyment to this TV film.
The first big surprise is the appearance of Miranda's previously unknown uncle, Charles Finley. The second is the former friend of Margaret and James Whitcomb, Tommy Reid, who now is attracted to Margaret and she to hm. A twist that keeps the happy planned wedding uncertain is Margaret's over zealous injection in the wedding plans to the tune of trying to get the location moved. And, then a final surprise twist is the wedding itself and Miranda's escort. I guessed that one just before it came about.
There's just one real hole or problem with the screenplay. When Miranda hears from Finley (played by Bill Dow) that he is her uncle, one can understand the shock and disbelief. But the idea, expressed by Ian later and quickly dropped, that he might be someone just trying to cash in on the situation, couldn't be plausibly carried out in the film because there was nothing to cash in on. But the hole is this - Miranda so doesn't want to believe it at first, that she doesn't even want to hear more explanation from the man when Charles tries to explain to her. That only comes much later, after much trepidation, her receiving childhood pictures of her mom that came from Charles, and her feeling of guilt and wanting to connect with her uncle.
All of that consternation could have been avoided if she had just listened to what he had to say at the outset. But she didn't. Now, while most people would see the problem in that, especially for Miranda's character, there is a caveat to it. And that is that had she listened to Charles right away, there would have been about 15 minutes of less movie where that situation occupied her time and discussions with Ian. And that would have meant the need to fill some more time with something else - perhaps a romance with Margaret and Tommy. But it wouldn't have been nearly as interesting, and the writers knew that. So, they had to include the hard to believe hole of Miranda not wanting to hear more - remember, this is the girl who set out on a quest to find her roots and family. And the probably reasoned, aptly, that the audiences would soon get over that and just want to see what happens next and how it will play out.
This is a fitting film for the climax of a trilogy that should become a Christmas holiday favorite for many people.