'Countdown to Christmas' movie review: 'Cherished Memories: A Gift to Remember 2'

This follow-up to the original sweet romance "Cherished Memories: A Gift to Remember 2" (premiering Nov. 24 as part of the Hallmark Channel's Countdown to Christmas) is the Hallmark sequel you didn't know you needed this holiday season.

In short: As Darcy (Ali Liebert) and Aiden (Peter Porte) celebrate their second Christmas together, an unexpected guest and a fight to save the beloved community center unites everyone for an unforgettable holiday.

The original movie was a pretty high-concept little rom-com - and it's a surprisingly nice change of pace to follow the pair in a traditionally structured Hallmark flick. One year after bookstore owner Darcy helped an amnesiac Aiden and restore his memories, "Cherished Memories" picks up with the couple as a well-established couple. This movie has two intertwined plots, with Aiden crafting the perfect holiday gift and Darcy trying to save a local rec center.

While both story threads do not seem to have much in common at first glance, "Cherished Memories" roots both storylines in the value of memories. Without wanting to spoil anything, Aiden comes up with the perfect gift for Darcy that harkens back to one of her most precious recollections - he spends the rest of the story working out how to make his idea a reality. Meanwhile, Darcy is heartbroken over the imminent closing of a beloved communication landmark, a place where generations of people in the community have made their own memories.

Because it's a sequel, "Cherished Memories" offers something absent from most Hallmark movies: the opportunity to feature a couple completely in love, from start to finish. There's no crazy plot that threatens their bliss - the movie just gets to revel in their contented couplehood. The story is confidant enough in its thesis and themes that it doesn't concoct some lame threat to their sweet relationship.

The plot is driven by Darcy and Aiden problem solving their way through their respective dilemmas. This works elegantly as Darcy tries to save the rec center and Aiden works on his gift - because both story arcs are fundamentally compelled by their mutual love for each other and their value of memories. The movie's few bumps come from its added plot lines - "Cherished" already features two parallel plots, so adding a subplot involving a struggling new author and Darcy's feud with a competing bookstore is just some fat that can be trimmed or reworked.

Final verdict: Liebert and Porte made Darcy and Aiden one of the most endearing and adorable couples in the 'Countdown to Christmas' catalog.

Score: 4 calling birds (out of 5)

"Cherished Memories: A Gift to Remember 2" is rated TV-G and has a running time of 90 minutes. The movie premieres on The Hallmark Channel on Nov. 24.