TV Movie Review: "Royal Hearts"

Synopsis: Kelly Pavlik (Cindy Busby) is a college literature professor who hopes to teach at Oxford soon; she also happens to be a hopeless romantic.  Her father, Hank (Josh Brolin), is a ranch hand in Montana.  When a man visits Kelly at the university, he says he has important news for her and her father: that Daddy-O is heir to the throne of a distant European country.  Hank never imagined himself as a king; he has always been a man of the land.  When they arrive, Nikolas, the king of the neighboring country, has his eye on Kelly...but, so does the stable boy, Alex.  As a hopeless romantic, Kelly is swept off of her feet by the king...but, is he the right one for her?

The Good: I enjoyed the performances in this movie, and the ending was rather touching.  Beautiful scenery abounded, and the soundtrack was decent.

The Bad: Great production values don't make up for a lackluster plot.  This movie's storyline is both inane and predictable.  You know which guy Kelly will choose; the country Hank is king of doesn't even exist; the ending isn't really a surprise...yeah, this was a bit of a mess.  It reminded me a bit of The Princess Diaries, but that had a better story and a much more attractive female lead.

Conclusion: People go nuts over anything related to royalty.  The recent announcement that American princess Meghan Markle and her hubby, Prince Harry, have a baby on the way made headlines everywhere.  Even fictional princes and princesses are a big deal; one of Nintendo's biggest franchises is named for Princess Zelda...though, you play as a guy named Link! Talk about confusing! Unfortunately, in many cases, royalty doesn't do it for me.  People often talk about their favorite Disney princesses, but my favorite characters from the House of Mouse have always been ones like Lizzie McGuire, George of the Jungle, or Mike Wazowski.  So, this movie didn't appeal to me; unless you're obsessed with princes and princesses, it probably won't to you, either.

Score: 2/5