I honestly didn’t know what to expect when starting ‘The Merry Gentlemen’. After just seen the trailer I thought to myself why not? Christmas is nearly here! Unfortunately, I simply could not connect with the characters and at times I felt so awkward for the characters that I wished I could just stop the movie. For those who don’t know me, I always finish a movie; I need to see how it ends, no matter how I feel about it.So, for me to say this is a big deal!

Now the movie focuses on a former dancer Ashley (played by Britt Robertson) who returns to her parents’ small town and discovers their financial struggles. Ashley decides that she needs to save their performing venue with the help of Luke (played by Chad Michael Murray). From the first meeting the two characters have met I simply could not feel the sparks and connection between the characters, although I tried not to judge too quickly.

Unfortunately, despite the talent of the actors the connection between them felt awkward and at times one-sided which made the movie seem like it would last an eternity. While the cast was great the storyline, characters dynamics , connection and attempts at humour often felt very robotic failing to create the magical atmosphere.

Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t watch ‘The Merry Gentlemen’ – in fact, you definitely should! However, don’t expect the sparks , connection and magic between the two characters. Instead, watch it for the experience. Why the experience? Well Danny (Maxwell Caulfield), Luke (Chad Michael Murray), Rodger (Marc Anthony Samuel), Troy (Colt Prattes) and Ricky (Hector David Jr) gave their all and delivered exceptional performances together and it’s worth seeing. If you are confused by what I mean I will add a photo for whose who might still be confused.

I’ve said it before and I will say it again: Christmas movies are very challenging.They can either succeed or fail turning into background noise during the festive seasons. ‘The Merry Gentlemen’ is definitely not for everyone but the dancing certainly has the potential to engage everyone.

And that’s a wrap on my thoughts. Oh, wait – my rating is 4 out of 7. Sorry, Netflix but you might need to add a bit more magic!