Review Planes, Trains and Christmas Trees [Videoland]

direction: Marta Borowski | Scenario: Sera Rose Pickering | ejaculate: Katherine Davis (Kylie), Olivier Renaud (Brett), Richard Wu (Ellie), Markida McKay (Dani), and others | game time: 85 minutes | year: 2022

It’s November, which means it’s Christmas time in the United States! After all, in this distant country they do not celebrate Sinterklaas, so once the pumpkins and Halloween cobwebs are removed, countless boxes with Christmas lights, balls and pieces soon appear. In addition to the physical decorations, Christmas is also a time for family, fun, and of course, watching a very specific genre in the world of movies: Hallmark Christmas movies. Planes, trains and Christmas trees He has the dubious honor of adapting so perfectly to this brilliant genre.

Hallmark Christmas movies are romantic comedies produced for the Hallmark Television Channel. Every year this channel releases a whole host of Christmas movies to spread the Christmas spirit in countless living rooms. They have proven to be so successful every year that other studios and channels have also started producing this type of film. This year, Videoland has brought the full range of these products from 2022 to the Netherlands, with no success yet to be seen. These films have beautiful, simple, predictable plots, one-dimensional characters, and themes like family, solidarity, and the power of Christmas.

in Planes, trains and Christmas trees Event planner Kylie and sports director Brett can no longer travel to New York due to a snowstorm raging across the country. The trains are no longer running either, so Brett offers Kylie to stay the night at his uncle’s guest house until transportation is possible again. Kylie reluctantly accepts the offer and they end up together at the house of Uncle Eli, who has to prepare for his small town’s Christmas festival. However, Eli breaks his wrist the next morning, so it’s up to Kylie and Brett to save the Christmas Festival.

Therefore, the story of this film is held together by coincidences that are difficult to believe. For example, Brett and Kylie are the only two passengers who have to go to New York at the time, Uncle Eli’s city happens to be a short drive from the airport, and Kylie happens to be an event planner only when the event needs to be planned.

There’s also an impressive bit of thought put into overall logic that must be taken into account when modifying the script. For example, Brett and Kylie have to take shelter with Uncle Eli because, according to Brett, it’s already dark, but they arrive at the boarding house with bright sunlight shining through the windows and a snowstorm, which seems to be so severe that no transportation is possible, It amounts to approximately the amount of snow that falls in the Netherlands in March.

The lack of continuity is also evident during some conversations, such as when Kylie draws the same square centimeters three times when crafting a gift with Brett for his niece Dani. Because the focus of the scene is on the conversation, not on drawing the gift, this repetition isn’t too annoying, but it shows how the filmmakers didn’t put much effort into this movie.

On the other hand, the actors put little effort into their performances. They all play their characters extremely exaggerated, with the finesse of a wrecking ball and the authenticity of a Disney remake. The actors don’t have the best scripts to work with, but it’s still a shame that Olivier Renault, who plays Brett, is the only one who can hold himself back sometimes, and is therefore the only one who’s truly funny.

Kylie in particular is not well written. She begins the film as an annoying, arrogant, uptight know-it-all who, with her sarcasm, rolling eyes, and workaholic mentality, you should apparently find funny, but she’s not at all. She and Brett provide some good chuckle moments throughout the film and the closer Christmas Eve gets, the quieter she becomes, so in the end she’s a great main character, but this is after a very bad start.

Despite all of these flaws, it’s almost impossible to really hate this movie. The positive mood is forced, but it comes through the excessive Christmas decorations, the sleigh bells in the background music and the cheerful swirling snowflakes create a wonderful Christmas atmosphere. Planes, trains and Christmas trees And with this movie, all the other Hallmark Christmas movies prove once again that it’s not about the quality of Christmas decorations, it’s about the comfort that twinkle lights add to the dark winter months.

Planes, trains and Christmas trees It can be seen in Videoland.