1 out of 5

Directed by: Kevin Fair

While SSD the TV series mostly kept its Hallmarkness in check, the feature length additions to the series have gone headfirst into the genre, and ‘The Impossible Dream’ is the worst of the worst, with patriotism and religion smothered all over the thing, taking any fun out of the “who sent the letter” mystery and turning it into a soapbox pursuit, with tears and dramatic songs playing over montages.  Even the character chemistry – which was really what kept the show going for me, as I enjoyed everyone’s contribution to the Dead Letter Office team – gets shuffled to the fringes in favor of love-triangle subplots that I guess are meant to balance with the main overwrought plot about tracking down a long-lost, stranded soldier based on her cryptic letter.  When those little moments of fun interactions do pop up (particularly – as usual – between Norman and Rita), some intended heart-wrenching moment / scene is around the corner to sit on the fun and suck its thumb.

I’m glad the series is still trucking along, but I do wish the film format wouldn’t convince the creators that heavy-handed is the only way to go; a light and bouncy mystery would do me just fine.