The Charge

One note can change your life.

Opening Statement

Somewhere along the way, I was tagged as the go-to reviewer for The Note franchise. Congratulations me!

Facts of the Case

When we last left newspaper columnist Peyton MacGruder (Genie Francis, General Hospital) and her sports editor boyfriend King (Ted McGinley), they had just entered into a grown-up relationship full of love and smiling. Also, Peyton recently reunited with her daughter, who she had given away as a baby.

The sequel picks up with Peyton receiving a note from a reader challenging her on a column she recently wrote about the conflict between the heart and mind when pursuing love…or something. Anyway, the big news is King proposes and Peyton pulls a dick move saying she'll think about it. King's upset, Peyton's daughter is fearful she'll be ignored by her mom, King's son is rebuffing his dad and wants to go art school, and the newspaper industry is going into the toilet, though that doesn't have anything to do with the movie but we always try to roll in current events in our DVD reviews.

The Evidence

Ah, King and Peyton, it's so nice to see you again. I don't know how many more installments in the esteemed Note series we (meaning "me") have to look forward to (meaning "assigned to review by my editor while he laughs maniacally"), but judging by the sentimental grist that has yet to be ground, I think the Hallmark Channel can conceivably churn these things out long after the killer space robots take over Earth.

All of the matters of the heart are hit on here: confusion over entering into a marriage, betrayal over the thought of your mom seemingly leaving you for that guy from Revenge of the Nerds, anger at your dad for not supporting your art school dreams, irritation over your beloved's refusal to cowboy up and marry you. There are just so many emotions tossed into this bubbling cauldron of sentimentality. Dare I say it, the The Note 2 is possibly the greatest Hallmark Movie ever made? Yes, I dare.

Between the feelings-stuffed plot and the rest of the elements that go into a saccharine love outing like this—a sweeping, syrupy score, multiple scenes that culminate in tears and/or an embrace, a deliriously happy ending, extensive scenes involving adults talking about important stuff—the folks behind this sequel have crafted a Frankenstein's monster of melodramatic genre conventions. And I don't really mean that as a criticism, because for what it is and what it's trying to do, The Note 2 succeeds.

Much of that success can be attributed to the fine work between Ted McGinley and Genie Francis. The two have obviously embraced their characters and really give themselves over to their respective storylines. There is true chemistry there and that's fortunate, as their characters' relationship is the film's driving emotional engine…or whatever. I mean, this thing could have used a lot more explosions, stabbings, and somebody get me a medium-rare Porterhouse, stat!!!

The DVD: A solid 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, backed by a 5.1 Dolby Digital surround mix, and supplemented with three okay featurettes—"Heart Healers: Genie Francis and Ted McGinley," "Mother and Daughter: Genie Francis and Katie Boland," and "How It All Began: Notes on The Note."

Closing Statement

You'd have to offer me a bucket of pirate Dubloons to sit through this again, but I can't deny its supremacy on the Hallmark feel-goodery stage.

The Verdict

Not Guilty. Hugs for everyone!

Similar Decisions

• Cruel Intentions
• Losing Isaiah
• Tortilla Soup
• The Bridesmaid

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