Megan and Wendy are back with a new episode of Girls Gone Hallmark, where they dive into Hallmark’s latest movie, “A Costa Rican Wedding.” In this lively review, they chat about mischievous monkeys, physical comedy, and why it’s been a rough week for Rhiannon Fish. Tune in for all the laughs and insights on Girls Gone Hallmark!

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About “A Costa Rican Wedding” – Hallmark (2024)

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• Directed by Colin Theys. Colin loves an on location Hallmark movie, having previously directed “A Greek Recipe for Romance” and “Love in the Maldives.” He has 24 directing credits and balances his work with Hallmark with movies like “A Predator’s Obsession” and “My Father’s Murder in Greece.” 
  
• Juliana Wimbles wrote “A Costa Rican Wedding.” She has 6 writing credits that include “A Whitewater Romance,” “Love in the Maldives” and “The Dog Lover’s Guide to Dating.” In addition to writing Juliana is an actress who is has appeared as Lisa in the Hannah Swensen Mysteries. She has also had a recurring role on the series “The Good Doctor.” 
  
• Rhiannon Fish stars as Emily. She recently appeared in “Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Tale of Three Letters” as well as “My Norwegian Holiday” and “A Picture of Her” for Hallmark. She has 27 acting credits and two projects in the works, both for other networks, 
  
• Christopher Russell plays Ryan. Christopher has 80 acting credits and appeared in both “UnREAL” and “Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce.” He makes a ton of TV movies, bouncing between Hallmark and other networks, For Hallmark you’ve seen him in “Chasing Waterfalls,” “The Most Colorful Time of the Year” and “The Secret Gift of Christmas.”
  
• Brittany Carol plays Phoebe. This is Brittany’s seventh acting credit but she has four additional projects in production including the titles “Perhaps I’ll Die Today” and “A Nanny to Die For.”
  
• CJ Hammond plays Jamal. This is CJ’s 15th acting credit, but his first appearance on Hallmark. Earlier this year he appeared in “The Beach House Murders” as well as “She’s Obsessed with My Husband.” 
  
• Kourtney George plays Tyesha. Kourtney has 8 acting credits, and this is her first Hallmark movie. She was in the 2019 movie “A Holiday Change,” now streaming on Peacock. 
  
• “A Costa Rican Wedding” was filmed on location in Costa Rica. 
  

Watch the Trailer for “A Costa Rican Wedding”

Our Thoughts on “A Costa Rican Wedding”

We go into each of these ideas in more detail in the podcast episode, but we’ll break down our thoughts here, too!

What We Liked

While “A Costa Rican Wedding” has its ups and downs, there were definitely standout moments that we appreciated. For starters, the film was a visual postcard for Costa Rica. The beautiful landscapes and scenic views made us want to book a flight immediately.

We also found ourselves surprisingly entertained by the physical comedy, especially courtesy of Rhiannon Fish (Emily). Two standout scenes include her hilarious reactions to a tarantula on her shoulder and a slippery tumble down a rain-soaked hill. These moments felt genuine and added a lighthearted touch to the movie.

A memorable character that won our hearts was Esteban, the monkey guy. His role in saving the day by finding the lost backpack was both amusing and endearing. Plus, those white-faced ‘rally monkeys’ added a fun twist.

We have to give a nod to Christopher Russell (Ryan). Wendy recently likened him to a budget Aaron O’Connell, but in this movie, he proved his mettle. He and Rhiannon carried the film with their chemistry and elevated performances.

What We Wished For

Sadly, not everything about “A Costa Rican Wedding” was picture-perfect. Outside of Christopher and Rhiannon, the rest of the cast felt like they were in a different movie. The supporting characters were largely unlikable, and their performances lacked the polish of our leads.

The storyline had several “make it make sense” moments. For instance, changing wedding venues at the last minute because of one guest seemed implausible, especially when there were only six guests. Emily’s decision to carry family heirloom rings in her tiny backpack rather than on her person was baffling.

We found the over-the-top nastiness of the mother of the bride unnecessary. Her constant ridicule was not only unwarranted but also took away from the overall enjoyment of the film. Even the bride seemed more concerned about her wedding than her best friend’s well-being, making us question their priorities.

Did You See That?

In our “Did You See That?” segment, we noticed a few interesting details. First off, when Emily and Phoebe meet at the beach and sip on cocktails, the cups had Wahlburgers branding. A quick search revealed that Wahlburgers once had a location in a now-shuttered hotel in Costa Rica. Talk about random!

Another noteworthy scene was the swimming sequence at an unmarked waterfall—a possible shoutout to “Chasing Waterfalls,” another Hallmark film starring Christopher Rusell! Intentional or not, it added a fun layer of depth.

Our Rating

After weighing both the high and low points, we rated “A Costa Rican Wedding” two and a half stars. While the visual appeal was strong, the film’s inconsistencies and less-than-stellar supporting cast kept it from soaring higher.

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