Kidnapping in the Grand Canyon - Review
Brooke finishes her rounds at the hospital and goes home to pack. She and her friend, Chandra, are celebrating the friendship anniversary by hiking the trails of the Grand Canyon. Brooke has activities planned, including the Bright Angel Trail. Photographer Chandra rolls her eyes at Brooke's efficiency. In Chandra's line of work, the best moments are unplanned. The women drive to their hotel and settle in but can't find a pizza restaurant that delivers. Chandra finds a flyer for a local pub and suggests they visit.
Brooke and Chandra laugh about their friendship when Brooke hears a man yelp in pain. She runs over to the bartender's aid and sees he has glass stuck in a large gash on his hand. She informs him that she is a doctor, pulls the large glass fragment out of his wound, and wraps the area. Brooke tells him to go to the hospital for stitches immediately to avoid an infection. Brooke and Chandra walk towards the front door, and Nate bumps into them. He is a tour guide for the Grand Canyon and offers to show them around. Brooke politely turns down his offer, but Chandra can see the chemistry between them. Brooke finds Nate attractive but wants to focus on their friendship this weekend. Also, Brooke isn't over losing her boyfriend, Ezekiel.
Nate overhears Brooke and Chandra debating about their hike and interjects. Brooke wants to stick to her plan, but Chandra wants to take off-trail sites. Nate knows them well and offers to guide them. Brooke relents. Nate, Chandra, and Brooke sit after hiking for an hour. Nate offers them some protein bars. Brooke notices a small rip in her packaging. Nate notes that the candy got torn during the hike and offers to switch. Brooke decides to keep it, and they talk.
Brooke wakes up in a cave with a rope around her wrists and ankles and Chandra sleeping by her side. Tara tells Brooke that Nate kidnapped them like he did to her. Nate enters the cave as Chandra wakes up. He took Brooke because Tara got an injury during her abduction. Brooke takes the cloth off Tara's leg and sees an infection. Brooke asks Nate to hand her a first aid kit from her backpack, and Brooke dresses Tara's wound. But she warns Nate it won't be enough. The infection will spread without an IV and antibiotics. Nate gives Brooke aspirin, but she joylessly laughs. Tara needs something more potent. Nate kisses Tara and promises to return to his 'fiancée' with the medicine. He grabs Brooke to use her medical license to get the necessary medication.
Chandra and Tara sit in the cave. Chandra asks Tara why Nate took her as Chandra tries to undo the ropes. After three months of dating, Nate proposed to Tara. Tara thought Nate was sweet, but it was too soon. So she said no to marriage. He kidnapped her and put a ring on her finger a week ago. Chandra promises to free Tara and get to safety. Will the three women survive Nate and the elements of the Grand Canyon?
This movie follows the same guidelines as Vanished in Yosemite. Two women go on a National Park trip, and one is flirty with a random guy. That guy tries to kill them both. And the viewers painfully watch them make mistakes before reclaiming their strength and fighting back. The final fight is the film's saving grace. But it doesn't grab your attention. These film slates are Lifetime's answer to Hallmark's National Park Romance series. Instead of finding romance with a helpful stranger, they discover evil and death. Save this on your DVR when you need to kill two hours yelling at the screen.
I give it 3 out of 5 stars
I'm still here - Saundra
Who's to say I would save you? I'm on vacation - Brooke
So, what's your story? Why are you here - Nate
There's no one around here - Tara
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As Luck Would Have It: Murder 101 - Review
Detective Lisa and her partner, Detective Rick Anderson, sit in the car and listen to the radio. Anderson turns on the 'As Luck Would Have It' podcast. Lisa rolls her eyes at the expressive host and turns the radio off when the host, Gabbi Luck, says Lisa's name. Gabbi is a retired criminology dean and professor. And she is Lisa's mom. Anderson inquires why Lisa doesn't want to listen to the show. Lisa believes her mother's conjectures are not facts because Gabbi has never done fieldwork. Gabbi focuses on theory, not detective work.
Gabbi visits her friend, Dean Charles, and interrupts his meeting with Professor Brian. When Gabbi was the dean, Brian wanted to make tenure, but Gabbi thought Brian was too young. However, Charles is considering giving Brian the coveted position. Brian leaves, and Gabbi notices the broken window in Charles's office. He brushes it off as par for the course. Gabbi mentions that vandalism never happened when she was the dean because everyone loved her. Gabbi is the guest lecturer at Charles's request. Afterward, Gabbi sits with Charles and discusses her future. Gabbi admits that she misses teaching but doesn't regret retiring. A woman, Christy, approaches Charles during his conversation with Gabbi and demands to talk to him. Charles tells Christy to make an appointment with his secretary, Emma. Christy storms off, and Gabbi can feel the tension. She warns Charles to stop having affairs with his students because his wife, Meghan, could find out. Charles assures Gabbi the relationship is over. Gabbi leaves to have lunch with Lisa.
Lisa meets with Gabbi for lunch, and Gabbi can see that Lisa is uneasy. Lisa requests that Gabbi stop talking about her on the show. Gabbi accepts Lisa's requests. Then, Gabbi asks Lisa about her job and love life. Lisa gives abrupt answers and makes a harsh comment about Gabbi. Lisa blames Gabbi's affair for breaking up her parents' marriage. Lisa tried to call Gabbi earlier, but Gabbi left her phone in Charles's office. Gabbi decided to get it in the morning.
Lisa's boss, Captain Taylor, calls Rick and Lisa into his office. Someone killed Charles, and Taylor wants them to find the murderer. Rick worries that someone could construe Lisa's involvement as a conflict of interest. However, Taylor believes Lisa will solve the crime faster to clear Gabbi's name because earlier they found Gabbi's phone at the murder scene. Can Lisa solve the crime before Gabbi is the latest subject of the podcast?
This film is part one of a three-part series and will command your attention. Gabbi is strong and fabulous. And she doesn't pull her punches for anyone. Gabbi appears to give Lisa space but has a direct line into Lisa's workplace. She is friends with Captain Taylor and the department clerk. Gabbi remains relaxed with each biting word from Lisa. She understands Lisa's frustration and anger towards her. And the audience needs to have the same compassion, too. Lisa has one side of a complex story. However, Lisa and Gabbi will come together in the end. So keep watching. With all the family drama, the plot spins an intriguing mystery. You have viable suspects and a red herring. Also, the writers didn't go for the easy choice for their culprit. It allows viewers to play along. This film is a promising start to a new mystery series.
I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars
Layups don't make careers, 3-pointers do - Lisa
I'm fabulous - Gabbi
Quiet is good. Quiet means things are peaceful - Rick
My list of enemies is none of your business - Charles
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Napa Ever After - Review
Napa Ever After - Hallmark - 2 hours and 0 minutes
Real estate lawyer Cassandra sits with her friends and expresses her work concerns. Cassandra hasn't gotten the ruling on her most recent case. If she loses, her boss, Joyce, could fire her. Her friends tell Cassandra to leave her job because it stresses her out, and they can take a long-awaited trip to Napa Valley to see where Cassandra spent her childhood. However, Cassandra wants to stay the course. And she avoids Napa because of family tension. Then, Cassandra gets a call informing her that her grandmother, Emma, died. Cassandra will return sooner than expected to pay her respects.
Cassandra goes to work, and her assistant, Hank, tells Cassandra that Joyce wants to see her immediately. Cassandra squares her shoulders and prepares to get fired, but Joyce promotes Cassandra to partner because she won. Cassandra accepts the job but asks for two days off to attend Emma's funeral. Then, she will return ready to give work 100%.
Cassandra sits at her desk when a lawyer calls about Emma's vineyard. Emma left everything to Cassandra. Cassandra plans to settle her grandmother's estate and sell the vineyard after the funeral.
Cassandra travels to the vineyard and finds Emma's best friend, Isabel, in the home. After the funeral, Isabel hands Cassandra letters from Emma. Emma reconciled with Cassandra's daughter and wanted Cassandra to keep the land in the family. Cassandra decides to take a 6-month sabbatical from work to run the vineyard.
Isabel greets Cassandra at Emma's home and introduces Cassandra to the vineyard manager, Alec. Cassandra remembers running into Alec and refusing his help to fix a flat tire. Isabel informs Cassandra that Alec knows more about the land than anyone. And as Emma aged, he helped Emma run the vineyard and manage the crew. Cassandra asks Alec to give her a crash course about running a vineyard, and Alec and Isabel laugh.
Seeing the vineyard needs a lot of work, Cassandra goes to the bank to obtain a loan. The bank manager tells Cassandra the land is underwater because Emma mortgaged it to the hilt. Cassandra goes to Alec with this concerning information. She wants to turn things around so the vineyard can run itself. Alex explains everything the land will need, but it will take more than six months. Then he gives Cassandra more unfortunate news. The vineyard only bottles the vintage wines. They don't make wine or host events anymore. Cassandra needs to turn it all around or sell her family's legacy. It's time for Cassandra to roll up her sleeves, ask for help, and find love.
This film is what you expect. A big-city attorney goes to a vineyard and finds peace in open spaces with a handsome widower and single father. The ending isn't a surprise. The movie separates itself because Cassandra learns about her mother and Emma reuniting through letters. Also, Emma appreciated her daughter's artwork and quietly bought a piece. Cassandra also uncovers why her mother left the vineyard and how her parents felt about it. One final yell puts everything into perspective and helps Cassandra guide her decisions. Those moments make this film worth watching.
I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars
Well, of course, I'm going to sell it. What other choice do I have - Cassandra
So, a damsel in distress she is not - Alec
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