When Sparks Fly (2014) (TV) Directed by Gary Yates

Every holiday has a lame movie made about them by now, so sure, why not the 4th of July as well!

Probably shouldn't be too harsh on this movie though. After all, it's a made for TV movie, that aired on the Hallmark Channel. You should know what you are in for when you decide to watch a movie like this and be prepared for its bittersweetness and dozens of formulaic clichés. It's also definitely far from the worst movie around but by saying that I'm not saying that the movie is a very good one to watch as well.

It's always disappointing to watch a movie that isn't even trying to do anything special or surprising with its characters or story. Seriously, this movie is predictable from start till finish and absolutely nothing that happens in it comes as a surprise. You can see all of the 'twists' coming from miles away already and as soon as a certain character or plot line gets introduced in the movie you already know what's going to come next and how things are eventually going to end up like. And indeed, within the first 15 minutes I already figured out how this movie was going to progress and eventually end. And not because I'm THAT clever but because the movie is THAT formulaic and predictable,

Things aren't ever build up very well within the movie and the writing too often comes across as too convenient and lazy. This also is very apparent when looking at the characters within the movie. When it is required for a character to act dumb and goofy, he/she acts dumb and goofy, while absolutely nothing prior to that moment ever indicated that we were ever dealing with a dumb and goofy character. Character's personalities change, whenever it's required for the story or just to evoke a certain emotion. It's hard to care about characters who constantly change, without any logical reason, within the context of the story. It makes them too unpredictable and obviously not in a good and positive sort of way.

I also have to say that one of the other reasons why the the characters weren't working out too well was the casting. Not saying that any of the actors are terrible in this movie but there isn't ever a good enough chemistry between any of them. This is a big problem for the movie since in essence it's supposed to be a romantic one, in which we are supposed to feel for the characters and care about them hooking up with each other. None of the couples feel or look right really when they are together on the screen. No sparks flying there!

But still, one of the things that always bothers and annoys me the most about these sappy made for TV movies is that every single character is always so extremely kind, supportive and understanding. Makes you wonder what world the writer lives in. No matter how great the problem or difficult and complicated the situation is that some of the characters get themselves mixed up in, you just know that everything is going to work out just fine, since no one is ever going to get mad within this sort of movie or is going to make life difficult for anyone. This of course also adds to the reasons why the movie is an extremely predictable one to watch.

Well, if Hallmark movies are your kind of thing, then by all means, watch this movie but if it isn't, then there is absolutely no reason for you to ever go see this movie, since it has absolutely nothing special or original to offer.

5/10

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