Two of the Best Hallmark Movies I've Seen All Year

    I'll be honest with you... Hallmark Channel doesn't always impress me with their movies. You can probably relate. So many times I've started a movie only to turn it off half an hour into it. Maybe even less then that. But recently I watched two of their Christmas movies, and I was pleasantly surprised and entertained the whole way through. And those two movies would be... Drum roll please....

    Three Wise Men and a Baby, and Time For Him to Come Home for Christmas!

    These two movies were great, and for different reasons. They both also happened to star Tyler Hynes, so that's interesting. Is he the secret sauce here, or something? Lol! Both movies were entertaining, and actually had some heartfelt emotion. The one being that of brothers healing, the other of heart-tearing tension and forgiveness. (Which is a good thing BTW.) So I thought I'd come on here and give a quick review of each movie and tell you why I thought they were so great.

WARNING!! SPOILERS BELOW!!!

Thee Wise Men and a Baby

    Funny. That one word sums up this movie and why it was so great. It was the funniest Hallmark movie of the entire year. You know what... maybe the funniest of the past few years. It was so fun, and so different than your average Hallmark style movie. Romance was not the main plotline here, which ordinarily would be a turnoff for me. But this movie was so funny it didn't need romance at the center.

    The movie stars not one, not two, but THREE of Hallmark's star men. Andrew Walker, Tyler Hynes, and Paul Campbell. The three men play brothers who have to come together to care for a baby that a single mother left at the fire station Walker's character works for. Oh, and did I mention the fact that this movie was written by two Hallmark stars as well? Paul Campbell and Kimberely Sustad did a fantastic job bring us a movie that celebrates mothers and all they do, shows the wonderful bond of brotherhood, and makes you laugh out loud time and time again. And there's even a sprinkling of romance throughout the story as well.

    The combination of Walker, Hynes, and Campbell worked very well. (Even though they look nothing like brothers. Lol!) The comedy was great, as well as the writing. Oh, and the baby... Precious! He was so sweet and cute!

    The romances, though limited, worked well in this movie. They weren't front and center to be sure, but they actually helped move the men's stories along, and helped them to heal and grow as people. They weren't just fluff and stuff, but actually contributed to the characters' personal journeys.

    Watching the guys struggle to take care of Thomas (The baby) was hilarious, and served to bring the sort of estranged brothers back together after having their father leave them. Over all the movie was hilarious, sweet, and heartfelt.

Time For Him to Come Home for Christmas

    I didn't know if I was going to like this one. I watched the first movie in this series and wasn't impressed, I started the second and never finished it, and never even bothered with the third and fourth. But the fifth caught my attention, and, after reading a pile of positive reviews for it on Facebook, I decided to give it a try. And... I'm so very glad I did. I absolutely enjoyed it, and to be honest... I think it's one of the best movies Hallmark has put out all year.

    Where do I start? First off, it was original. Not your usual Hallmark movie with the girl chasing a promotion, and the guy trying to bulldoze the girl's favorite building or takeover the family farm. In fact one of the reasons I enjoyed this movie so much was because it wasn't about business. It was about... people. Best friends who secretly care for each other more than friends. People who care about other people. People healing from grief and guilt.

    Secondly, it had a plot twist that I somehow never saw coming. (And I usually figure these things out before my friends, so I'm not sure what happened here. :D ) Thirdly I enjoyed Tyler Hynes and Holland Roden as best friends turned lovers. I've never seen Holland in anything before and I enjoyed her character. She's quirky, determined, and sweet. (Not to mention quite pretty.) Her and Hynes worked very well together and I would actually like to see them team up for another movie or two.

    And finally... I LOVED the romance! Oh my goodness the tension! The drama! Hallmark movies usually don't effect me like this, but the misunderstanding between Hynes and Roden was painful. (In a good way to be sure!) I mean, that awkward hug? Agh! So much tension! And FINALLY I got a Hallmark style movie that didn't mess up the one thing you wait for the entire movie for. The kiss. I don't know what happens, but I've seen multiple movies where that romantic moment gets rushed, or the camera angle is weird, or someone's head gets in the way, or it just falls flat. But thankfully none of these were the case this time, and the moment when they finally kiss was worth the wait.

    I absolutely recommend giving both these movies a try. They were a delightful change from the typical Hallmark movies I'm used to. 

    Have you seen either of these movies? What did you think of them? Feel free to let me know your thoughts in the comments below or on my Twitter page. Have an amazing day! God Bless!

    P.S. Need a last minute Christmas present for that Heartie in your life? Feel free to stop by the Heart and Family Mercantile and see if you find anything that catches your eye! https://heart-and-family-mercantile.myspreadshop.com/