“Never Underestimate a Baker.”
I’ve said since they started that I view the Hannah Swensen mystery movies as an alternative universe to the books. Any fan of both has to do that thanks to the changes the books have made to Hannah’s personal life. We get another deviation with One Bad Apple, the newest movie in the series.
Hannah (Alison Sweeney) has taken a job teaching a baking class at the local college thanks to a recommendation from Bradford Ramsey (Oliver Rice). Bradford teaches English lit, and he has a reputation for being a harsh grader.
When Hannah and Bradford combined their classes, an accident in the kitchen leaves them and their students shaken. However, when Hannah finds Bradford’s dead body, she can’t help but think it was no accident. With the end of the quarter fast approaching, Hannah knows the clock is ticking to find the killer. Can she do it?
So, what big change does this movie have? They have written out Detective Mike Kingston since actor Cameron Mathison wasn’t available. Not having Mike around for a Hannah adventure just feels wrong, but I get it. In real life, actors aren’t always available the way characters are in a book. Fortunately, they’ve left the door open for his return.
In his place, they have added Victor Webster as Chad Norton, the local DA. I liked his character and look forward to seeing him again in future movies, but I’m not completely sure we really need him in the franchise.
Fans of the books are probably shouting exactly what I was when I heard Cameron Mathison was out. We don’t need a new love interest. We already have Norman (Gabriel Hogan). I am happy to report that Norman does have a larger presence here than he’s had in the last couple of movies. I really enjoyed getting to see more of him and hope that continues.
I was also thrilled to see that Lisa Durupt was back as Andrea. The way the four Swensen women play off each other is wonderful. We got some great scenes with them as the movie progresses.
So, how about the mystery. I couldn’t remember which plot this was until I heard the name Bradford Ramsay, but then I knew exactly what the setup was in Apple Turnover Murder. Of course, they really changed it, but I didn’t mind. I didn’t have the killer pegged until exactly when Hannah figured it out. And I had a lot of fun along the way.
As always for this franchise, the acting is fine. I felt like it was better than a typical Hallmark movie.
I have to give a special shout out to star Alison Sweeney, who not only stars as Hannah but wrote the movie.
These movies are the longest running of Hallmark’s current mystery franchises. I’m continuing to enjoy them. If you enjoy the, too, you’ll like One Bad Apple.
The mom as a PI spinoff.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to believe this series has been around for almost 10 years even though I just discovered it a few years ago. A lot can happen in an actor's career during that time. I really missed Cameron Mathison (he's one of my favorite actors), but it's amazing so many of the original cast members are still making these movies. I love Norman and agree that we don't really need another love interest. I didn't mind the new character, but at this point I'm Team Norman. I love that the books are different than the movies. It makes each one less predictable, although I did identify the killer almost immediately in this movie. I still really enjoyed it, though. And I'm allergic to apples and therefore can't eat them, so I didn't have to worry about cravings. :)
ReplyDelete