Jingle Bell Run review (2024)
As a Christmas rom com, Jingle Bell Run is strictly middle of the pack.
It does earn enough points to make for a decent recommendation thanks to its fresher premise and entertaining leads Ashley Williams and Andrew W. Walker. Even if they lack much romantic chemistry.
Williams, a veteran of the Hallmark/Lifetime romance circuit, stars as Avery, a risk-averse teacher who is fine living in her take zero chances lifestyle. That’s not good enough for her sister, Ruby (Caitlin Howden, The Last of Us), who signs her up for a reality TV show. One where partners team up to decipher clues and travel around the world on some sort of amazing race. But to avoid a lawsuit, let’s just go with The Great Holiday Dash.
Avery is paired with Wes (Walker, another romance movie regular), a retired hockey player who still yearns for that sense of competition. The two met previously in a disastrous meet cute so they’re not thrilled to team up, but eventually work through their differences to focus on the $2 million prize.
Liberally borrowing the format of The Amazing Race, complete with a slightly quirky host (David James Lewis), works out pretty well for Jingle Bell Run. It provides an easy framework for writers Tom McCurrie and Stephanie Sourapas to come up with sensible obstacles for Avery and Wes without resorting to the usual rom com tropes.
One of the better subplots involves the show’s producer Dirk (Hamza Fouad) selling the idea that an on-screen romance with Avery would help make Wes the star of the series.
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Interestingly, Williams and Walker don’t have much chemistry. Or at least the script doesn’t do enough to sell the idea that Avery or Wes would suddenly find the other so appealing. Yes, there’s the quiet moment where Avery gets to know Wes on a deeper level, but it doesn’t seem to truly light a spark between the two.
Whatever the case, Williams and Walker are both fine with their performances. They’re pros in this genre and know exactly how to make their characters likable and enjoyable as they play off each other and the supporting cast.
Emilio Merritt and Brad Harder are two gay chefs randomly paired together as a team while Teana-Marie Smith and EaeMya ThynGi are an older mother and an aspiring playwright who join forces in hopes of making their dreams come true. This foursome, along with the occasional pop-ins from Fouad and Lewis, make for a fun ensemble that keeps Jingle Bell Run heading to the right destination.
Fortunately, the rom com within a reality show movie format can still thrive even if the leads don’t have much spark. Director Lucie Guest does an excellent job of capturing the tone and spirit of The Amazing Race on a film with a fraction of the budget. Set design from Rusty Ross is also well done as Ross keeps the background elements firmly reflecting the Christmas season.
Jingle Bell Run is hindered to a noticeable degree by the lack of obvious chemistry between Williams and Walker. Ultimately, rom coms/romance films do need that well-earned feel-good moment where the leads have that quasi-passionate kiss just before the end credits roll. We get the kiss sans the passion, but enough of the other aspects do come together well enough to warrant checking out Jingle Bell Run.
Rating: 6 out of 10
Photo Credit: Hallmark
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