New romantic comedies are coming to the Hallmark Channel in the New Year!
I'm not ready to dive into the January rom-com's, quite yet, but Hallmark has released the news, so I'm sharing it all with you.
All four of the new movies take place internationally, and will star Shenae Grimes’Beech, Laci J. Mailey, Markian Tarasiuk, Julie Gonzalo, Rhiannon Fish, and more. Get ready for your *Winter Escape* with Hallmark.
See what's airing this January 2025...
HALLMARK CHANNEL:
Love Of The Irish
Premiere Date: January 4, 2025
Starring: Shenae Grimes-Beech, Stephen Hagan and Moira Kelly
Storyline: Tired of her bad luck, Fiona takes her mom on a trip to Ireland to turn things around where she meets a charming single dad who helps her make her own luck.
When Call the Heart - Season 12
Premiere Date: January 5, 2025
Starring: Erin Krakow, Kevin McGarry, Pascale Hutton, Kavan Smith, Jack Wagner, Chris McNally, Viv Leacock, Natasha Burnett, Andrea Brooks, and Kayla Wallace
This January, Melissa Gilbert guest stars on the all-new season of When Calls the Heart.
Polar Opposites
Premiere Date: January 11, 2025
Starring: Rhiannon Fish and Markian Tarasiuk
Storyline: Emma needs to get to Antarctica to reach her father and travels to South America but can't get on a boat for the last leg. She sneaks onto a cruise ship and meets engineer Andy.
The Perfect Setting
Premiere Date: January 18, 2025
Starring: Laci J. Mailey & David Elsendoorn
Storyline: An aspiring jewelry designer returns to Belgium to visit her grandfather and hopefully win the Valentines Day Diamond Contest.
My Argentine Heart
Premiere Date: January 25, 2025
Starring: Julie Gonzalo and Juan Pablo Di Pace
Storyline: Abril goes to Argentina to save her family ranch from being bought by her ex. But when outside forces threaten the ranch the pair must come together, rekindling their love in the process.
HALLMARK MYSTERY:
The Jane Mysteries: A Deadly Prescription
Premiere Date: January 9, 2025
Starring: Jodie Sweetin and Stephen Huszar
Storyline: Jane seeks justice for a teenager who’s wrongfully imprisoned for murder. She and Detective John work together to prove the teen’s innocence and help reunite him with his mother.
Movie Reviews:
(This movie first premiered on Hallmark+)
🔎 Review: The Jane Mysteries: A Deadly Prescription -
Family-friendly? Yes -
Recommend? Nope -
I did not watch the Jane Mystery from last year, so maybe there was something in that movie that would have made me appreciate this one a bit more. Or maybe not. Anyway, I am starting from scratch with this series. And it is a big No for me. Because...
* The mystery is boring, and it is not too difficult to solve. Also, the culprit is shown about 2/3 into the movie.
* The acting is bad. Jodie Sweetin may be okay in some romcoms, but in a more serious role like this, she is in over her head. She overacts and simply cannot be taken seriously. Stephen Huszar, on the other hand, was too low key and seemed like he was never into his role. And there is absolutely no chemistry between these two.
* The script has too many cringe-worthy subplots and one-liners which make Jodie's character come across at times as silly or careless or unknowledgeable or rude.
* And what is with the songs? Jodie must have in her contract that she is to sing a few songs in these movies, because, while yes she is a very good singer, they are uncalled for and stop the flow of the movie.
Here's an example that includes some of the problems I have mentioned: Jodie and Stephen enter a nightclub where they are to be inconspicuous. The owner tells Jodie the singer can't perform and can she step in(?!), and the next thing you know she is belting out this song on stage like she has been singing it her whole life!
Okay, I guess you can tell that I didn't care for this movie at all. I will not be bothering with the other two movies in this series, so. sorry, I won't be doing any other Jane Mystery movie reviews. -Mark25
🔎 The Jane Mysteries: A Deadly Prescription - This is the second film in The Jane Mysteries, and I’m still not feeling that certain spark between Jodie Sweetin and Stephen Huszar’s characters.
The relationship I appreciate the most is the one between Jane (Jodie) and the woman who plays her aunt. Since her aunt has been going through a hard time since her husband’s passing, it’s nice to see Jane being there for her and continuing to search for clues to his cold cases.
Which gets me to my next point… this is a murder mystery; therefore, the movie is best suited for pre-teen age and up. Otherwise, it is a family-friendly movie.
The mystery itself is fairly intriguing with a number of suspects.
If any of you are fans of the Christmas movie, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (you know, the one with Uncle Ralph), then you might recognize one of the suspects as the guy Jen is supposed to marry, Richard (the guy with the shiny shoes). His hair is a little longer in this, so he looks a little different, but yeah, it’s him. I did a quick check of his IMDB, and it looks like this is his first movie with Hallmark since TMWTOT. Interesting, huh?
Anyway, if you really enjoy mysteries, then you might want to check this one out. ~Net
Besides this line-up, hopefully, there will be some good films coming our way in 2025!
Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
Blessings to you all, Net
*images via: Hallmark Media
Sounds good. -Maria
ReplyDeleteMaria, I hope you enjoy these! :)
DeleteI don't agree with comment about Jodie Sweetin. She is a good actress I really like her. As far as boring try comparing with all the boring christmas and romantic movies where plot is evident in the first second!. I hope she continues and makes many more mystery movies
DeleteI can only hope they are btter than last Jine's Passport To Love Collection which were pretty mediocre.
ReplyDeleteThe Irish one's out for me.
On paper anyway the other three all look interesting.
Davuid Elsindoorn was superb in My Norwegian Holiday so there's hope there.
Fingers crossed My Argentine Heart can live up to the quality of its lead actors Julie Gonzalo and Juan Pablo Di Pace who was sensational in the amazing Raise A Glass To Love - Florence
Florence, I was thinking the same thing regarding the Passport to Love movies. Sometimes, I feel like they've run out off ideas, so they just rehash the same story, but set it in a foreign country to give it a different look.
DeleteMaybe something we'll be good after all, but I'm wondering if there is enough interest here to draw viewers back in after Christmas. It's likely they are banking on the support of the "When Calls the Heart" fans to do that.
I’m not sure any of these tempt me. I wasn’t crazy about the international movies they did this summer, so I’m not really looking forward to these.
ReplyDeleteAllie B, I know just what you mean. Hopefully, some of these will be an improvement, but I would personally rather see Winter Wonderlands and Valentine's themed movies (late January). At least one of the movies in January is Vday themed, though.
DeleteWhat??? I’m not ready for this. Seriously, Hallmark, let us have Christmas. They should wait until December 26th every year to reveal this.
ReplyDeleteYes, I love that idea!!! It would give us a little something to look forward to on the 26th anyway.
DeleteCover ears tightly and say, “la la la…this isn’t happening…” or cover ears tightly and say, "la, la, la I can’t hear you”. That's me every year when the first bit of movie news that isn't related to Christmas movies comes out.
ReplyDeleteJim, I love it!!! Your response is the best.
DeleteSorry to interrupt your regular scheduled programming. Now... back to Christmas!!! :) :)
Jim, La, la, la... you crack me up!! 🤣 I'm picturing you standing behind the Christmas tree with your hands over your ears, shaking your head, no, no, no! The funny thing is that you and I both will probably still be doing that in February! We need deep breaths and candy canes! And Net, your response was funny! Now back to our regularly scheduled Christmas programming. ~~Jane
DeleteJim I thought the same thing! 😂 I am full force in the Christmas spirit so not even thinking about January…I’ll be sad to take my tree and all decorations down 😢 but nice to know we will have some new movies to get us through the cold winter months.
Delete~Paula
I have terrible post-Christmas withdrawals in January. Jane, it actually takes me until around the end of February before I even start to think that life CAN actually go on without Christmas directly in it. Before that, I just DON'T understand how ANYONE can accept that Christmas is over, and lights and trees have to come down and we HAVE to go on with life...lol. I say this year is the year that we revolt and refuse to let that happen. Maybe our new president will sign an edict that makes it illegal to take down any Christmas decorations.
DeleteI’m holding out hope for word on Signed Sealed Delivered: To the Moon And Back. I hope they give that to us in January. It’s finished so there’s no reason to make us keep waiting.
ReplyDeleteMe, too! Hopefully, we won't have to wait too long to see the next SSD! :)
DeleteNote: Hallmark Mystery has added "The Jane Mysteries: A Deadly Prescription" to their January, 2025 schedule.
ReplyDeleteThis movie previously premiered on Hallmark+, and you can read reviews above from Mark 25 and me! :)
Will we see Mistletoe Murder on Hallmark Mystery
ReplyDeleteI pass on movies with Ms. Sweetin. Sorry. Sounds like I did not miss anything.
ReplyDelete-Gabe’s Mom
January movies look promising.
ReplyDeleteIt will be nice to see Stephen Hagan again. He was Leo in Royal Christmas with Lacey. I might watch that one cause of him. I do not really love the traveling to other country movies. Though the Antarctica sounds interesting, though it will likely be cheesy as they seem to have Rhiannon Fish in movies where she acts silly or is the comedy relief.
ReplyDeleteSabrina
Hey, Net! I just read your review of the Jane mystery. That’s cool that “Richard” is in this. I may have to watch just to see him.
ReplyDeleteThe title of this month long event has officially been changed to A Winter Escape.
ReplyDelete(THANK GOODNESS! I never liked New Year New Movies, too long of a title.) -Maria