MOVIE REVIEW: NORTHPOLE (2014)

It was only a matter of time before my wife got me to watch a Hallmark Channel movie. Somehow, this one came to us on DVD, which is why I count it on my rating scale. Had we just watched it broadcast on TV, I don’t think it would have counted. That may be an arbitrary decision, but that’s how I roll with these things. Northpole is not the sort of holiday movie that I would choose to roll with if it were up to me, but compromise is important in a relationship, and there are worse things to watch than this TV-movie.

The North Pole has become a bustling metropolis, but needs the world to be filled with cheer and holiday spirit to function properly. With something amiss in the world, Santa sends a young elf named Clementine to investigate. In a Colorado town, she finds a young boy named Kevin whose mother is overprotective and a bit of a holiday killjoy. Clementine works with Kevin to bring his mother around to seeing and feeling the joy of the season in an effort to rekindle the magic that fuels Santa’s workshop.

This is a fairly middle-of-the-road holiday movie, and I suspect it’s pretty middle-of-the-road for a Hallmark Channel movie as well. You’ve got a woman whose spirits are in a funk, and a cast of characters who each bring a unique approach to helping to pull her out. There’s also some romance and a little bit of magic along the way to boot. It feels like a very cookie-cutter setup but with a Christmas twist.

I get the sense that the filmmakers are aware how basic the plot is, but kudos to them for just owning it. There’s nothing overly dramatic, no attempts at overacting, and no attempts at groundbreaking or unique filmmaking techniques. None of that is necessary because these folks know their target demographic isn’t looking for that here. Hallmark fans just want a cute little puff piece that leaves them with a heartwarming happy ending. With these sorts of films, the destination is more important than the journey.

The big draw here is former Saved by the Bell star Tiffany Thiessen. Viewers of a certain age are more likely to watch this because she is in it. Seeing her as a single mom is certainly a change-up, but I have to admit that I haven’t followed her work since the left Bayside High.

The rest of the cast delivers their lines on par for what this film needs to be. No one stands out, as this isn’t a star-making vehicle. It exists to make a certain demographic smile when the credits roll and nothing more. It succeeds at that, because my wife likes happy endings. I myself am not the target demographic, but Northpole is inoffensive enough for me to maintain a neutral reaction to it. You can watch far better holiday films, but you can also watch far worse.

FINAL RATING: 2.5 out of 5