7.7 stars.
Almost every film in the the fall of 2023 has been a notch above the standards we have been exposed to since 2018. After viewing over 500 Hallmark films ranging mainly from 2005 through 2022 in the past year, I can confidently say my hunches can be considered facts and my opinions are ironclad (that's how I feel at least). First of all, I noticed the movies this fall and winter have really appealed to my tastes and probably most other viewers' tastes as well. The direction and writing and performances all step in line. Take the best of the best films since 2018, it seems maybe 1 in 3 was decent, but this year the odds of a good one are doubled and several far exceeded my expectations. I am beside myself with one after another after another that does not disappoint. 'A Merry Scottish Christmas' could easily bring us a sequel, solely because of Scott Wolf. He is cool and silly and his screen presence has not faded in 30 years. I detected an increase in quality and production values of most Hallmark films sometime around early October 2023, and this film is no different, although it's not at the tippy top of my ratings (it's missing a bit of pure entertainment), it's still quite fascinating and varies from the usual formula. The scenery is good, but the people are original, peculiar, and personable. So very much a Fall 2023-esque feeling that reverberates with this film and I like it. Wolf is a welcome change, and Chabert is her usual self, but enhanced by Wolf and the Scots.
Almost every film in the the fall of 2023 has been a notch above the standards we have been exposed to since 2018. After viewing over 500 Hallmark films ranging mainly from 2005 through 2022 in the past year, I can confidently say my hunches can be considered facts and my opinions are ironclad (that's how I feel at least). First of all, I noticed the movies this fall and winter have really appealed to my tastes and probably most other viewers' tastes as well. The direction and writing and performances all step in line. Take the best of the best films since 2018, it seems maybe 1 in 3 was decent, but this year the odds of a good one are doubled and several far exceeded my expectations. I am beside myself with one after another after another that does not disappoint. 'A Merry Scottish Christmas' could easily bring us a sequel, solely because of Scott Wolf. He is cool and silly and his screen presence has not faded in 30 years. I detected an increase in quality and production values of most Hallmark films sometime around early October 2023, and this film is no different, although it's not at the tippy top of my ratings (it's missing a bit of pure entertainment), it's still quite fascinating and varies from the usual formula. The scenery is good, but the people are original, peculiar, and personable. So very much a Fall 2023-esque feeling that reverberates with this film and I like it. Wolf is a welcome change, and Chabert is her usual self, but enhanced by Wolf and the Scots.