All I Need For Christmas | 2024 Christmas Movies

The title for All I Need For Christmas reminds me of those Blake Shelton Time For Christmas movies. Thankfully, this is not in that series. So let’s see what it is.

Maggie (Mallory Jansen) is a singer/songwriter who is having trouble getting her career off the ground, blaming technology for making all music sound the same. After her touring gig has been cancelled, she returns to her family’s Christmas tree farm for the holiday. There she meets Archer (Dan Jeannotte), a man with family troubles whose tech company is about to launch two new apps for musicians. Maybe the two of them can help each other in more ways than they originally thought.

When I turned this movie on, I didn’t think I would like it. Boy, was I surprised. In these sort of movies, one of the main characters is usually kinda terrible and they get turned around by the others. On the contrary, both of these people are fairly nice. Sure, Maggie is a little mean to Archer at the beginning when she finds out he runs a tech company but she quickly learns that she was wrong and actually apologizes to him. TWICE! And Archer tries everything he can to stay a normal, even-keeled person, even when his sister, Piper (Emily Tennant), tries to push his buttons.

Despite All I Need For Christmas airing on the subpar Hallmark Mystery channel, I do recommend watching it. It has the perfect synergy between cheesy, saccharine, and conflict. I think this is one that almost anyone would enjoy.

Rating: Can I pet them pigs?

BeBe Winans' We Three Kings | 2024 Christmas Movies

In past years, the Lifetime Christmas movie offerings have been awful. Somehow they have really been coming around this season. BeBe Winans' We Three Kings is another hit for the channel. I am definitely surprised.

Three years after their mother’s death, the three King sisters - Lydia (Lisa Berry), Gracie (Faith Wright), and Abigail (Bethany Brown) - have lost their connection with each other. After their father, musical legend Lincoln King (BeBe Winans), gets into a car accident on an icy road, the sisters are forced back together to deal with their grief and heal their family wounds.

This was such a touching movie. I’m overlooking the minor flaws in the script because everything else was so good. I loved the way the sisters argued, the way sisters do, and were able to look back and apologize properly for the terrible things they said. If I needed to say something bad about the movie, honestly, it would be that it wasn’t long enough. I would have liked them to spend a little more time healing the sisterly bond instead of it simply being an apology with helping out at the store. But nothing was really lost without seeing that. It just felt short, that’s all.

Rating: I would like a sequel but I’m not sure how they would do it

Christmas With A Kiss | 2023 Christmas Movies

Christmas With A Kiss is from Hallmark’s Mahogany line of movies. While I am not the target audience for the Mahogany line, sometimes they are my favorite movies of the season.

Mona (Mishael Morgan) is a social media influencer living in New York City. She comes home for Christmas to help her family run their annual Christmas Carnival. During the 10-day festival, she reconnects with her high school boyfriend, Fletcher (Jaime M. Callica), and meets Dez (Ronnie Rowe), a journalist writing an article about the Carnival.

I had some mixed feelings about this movie. On one hand, the romance was a nice, slow burn. I like when the romantic feelings take awhile to settle in because when they fall in love immediately, it is a little creepy. On the other hand, those of us that watch Hallmark romance movies know that Dez was set up as The One - either despite the fact that they didn’t get along or as a result of it, I’m not sure. And, to be honest, Dez kinda sucks. Sure, he had some nice “family guy” things going on but he also insulted everything that he didn’t agree with. He needed a good kick in the butt before getting into a relationship with anyone. Granted, Fletcher didn’t deserve to be with her either. I wish there was a third, better option for Mona.

Rating: Not as fun as a carnival

Merry Liddle Christmas Baby | 2021 Christmas Movies

In 2019, we had a Merry Liddle Christmas. Last year, we had a Merry Liddle Christmas Wedding. This year, we’re having a Merry Liddle Christmas Baby. This is a very active Christmas family!

Jacquie (Kelly Rowland) and Tyler (Thomas Cadrot) got married, had their honeymoon, and bought a new house. Now they are expecting a baby! The rest of the Liddle family is back to celebrate the soon-to-be new member of the family and, of course, Christmas. Nothing can go wrong this time, right?

The first movie in the series was terrible. Somehow, they managed to make the characters more likeable and turn everything around for the second movie. Thankfully, they keep the family love going for the third installment. As usual, the carefully laid plans all get messed up but the family comes together to fix the problems. I’m glad they ditched the bratty kids and selfish sisters. The Liddle family is better when they are looking out for each other instead of themselves.

If you enjoyed Merry Liddle Christmas Wedding, you will enjoy Merry Liddle Christmas Baby. I’m glad that this series with an almost entirely black cast has found its footing. There is a setup for a fourth movie and I’m actually looking forward to it. As long as they don’t go back to the first movie, I will gladly continue to watch the series.