Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Operation Nutcracker’ on Hallmark, A Sweet, Romantic Caper About A Party Planner Who Finds Love While Searching For A Missing Nutcracker

Hallmark

The Hallmark Channel’s Operation Nutcracker was really portion of Hallmark+’s Christmas successful July movie slate, and it’s making its web premiere connected nan transmission during their Countdown to Christmas. This saccharine romance is an homage to family and Tchaivovsky’s The Nutcracker, wherever a statement planner helping shape a kindness auction is tasked pinch uncovering a priceless nutcracker that has gone missing. Starring Ashley Newbrough and Christopher Russell, nan festive and nosy movie is saturated pinch nan Christmas spirit.

OPERATION NUTCRACKER: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: Nutcrackers! So galore of them. The movie opens pinch a montage of a mini service of these militant, shell-crushing soldiers, each 1 much glittery and festive than nan next. And past we trim to an moreover much ornamental scene, that of a edifice lobby being dressed up for for an upcoming wedding that will beryllium held there, planned retired by a very discerning woman.

The Gist: Lottie Morgan (Ashley Newbrough) is simply a sought-after arena planner, she’s sewage an oculus for beauty and item and that’s why nan reputable, philanthropic Warby family is considering her to scheme their upcoming Christmas kindness auction. The centerpiece of this auction is simply a rare, valuable nutcracker, nan waste of which will thief raise money for a section children’s hospital. But Lottie has to alert to Boston to make her transportation to nan Warbys successful bid to triumph nan business.

As Lottie arrives to nan airport, she crosses paths pinch a bearded (like, comically fake-bearded), rugged-looking traveler who happens to beryllium Tristan Warby (Christopher Russell), nan achromatic sheep boy of nan very family she’s readying to meet. Tristan has been tasked pinch transporting this priceless nutcracker to Boston – and, LOL, he has thrown it successful his luggage, wrapped successful thing but a rag. Lottie chats pinch this tiny stranger, explaining that she’s flying to Boston to meet nan celebrated Warby family, but Tristan doesn’t fto connected that he’s 1 of them. Despite being full strangers, these 2 person a definite spark. Thanks to an overbooked flight, everyone’s carry-on luggage has to beryllium checked, and astatine nan baggage carousel, a alien grabs Tristan’s suitcase pinch nan nutcracker successful it.

The adjacent day, Lottie shows up to nan palatial Warby location extracurricular Boston and who should reply nan doorway but Tristan. He was expecting her. After she makes her business transportation to Tristan’s mother Erica, she learns she sewage nan job. Tristan is connected manus to thief pinch thing she mightiness request earlier nan event, and erstwhile he offers to show her nan nutcracker that nan arena is built around, Lottie is excited to spot it… isolated from that nan suitcase Tristan opens doesn’t incorporate a nutcracker. The alien astatine nan airdrome took it. Tristan and Lottie make it their ngo – dubbed “operation nutcracker” – to covertly find nan missing valuable, while Erica is nary nan wiser.

Meanwhile, nan different feline who has nan nutcracker, his sanction is Dave and he’s nan begetter to Joey, a young woman who feels abandoned by her dada because he useful and travels truthful much. Dave has planned to make this Christmas memorable by giving Joey a coveted ballerina doll that’s for illustration nan Cabbage Patch Kid aliases Tickle Me Elmo of its clip – intolerable to get, and yet Dave sewage one. But Dave is shocked to study that there’s nary doll successful his suitcase, conscionable immoderate measly aged nutcracker.

Tristan, Dave, and Lottie each walk nan adjacent fewer days trying to telephone nan hose and study their missing bags (but a very inept luggage handler proves nary thief for immoderate of them), and Tristan and Lottie effort alternatively to way Dave down pinch nan clues he’s near wrong his bag. After respective adjacent calls wherever they almost-but-not-quite find him (but they do prosecute his woman to thief pinch their auction, unaware of who she is), nan bags are swapped and, agelong communicative short, each is correct pinch nan world.

Our Take: As a vacation romance movie, I spent nan mostly of my viewing acquisition wishing I could outcry astatine Lottie and Tristan “Just kiss, you idiots!” The characters are instantly attracted to each other, astatine first arsenic an guiltless flirtation (Lottie moreover jokes astir their container mix-up arsenic a “meet cute” moments aft they meet) and past arsenic thing much meaningful arsenic they activity together and unfastened up astir their lives. While these movies ever return their clip and fto nan characters get to cognize 1 another, successful this case, it’s conscionable benignant of evident that these 2 hotties should beryllium together from nan get-go, nan attraction is palpable. As a romance, nan film’s biggest crime is simply making america hold to agelong for them to admit their feelings.

As a caper, 1 wherever Tristan and Lottie are trying to retrieve nan missing nutcracker and Dave is nan man opinionated successful their measurement (with his ain container to recover, and a girl to impress), it’s a small much frustrating. Dave is initially group up arsenic a villain successful his family, nan “Cat’s successful nan Cradle” dada who useful truthful difficult he’s ne'er home. Except that he is a doting dad, it’s not arsenic if he’s trying to debar his family. Call maine defensive, nan trope of an over-worked genitor is often unfairly villainized successful films for illustration this (I’m besides looking astatine you, Scouting for Christmas). But nan much egregious point is Dave’s choices; since he feels there’s nary dream of getting his container pinch nan ballerina doll back, alternatively he conscionable gifts Joey nan nutcracker that belongs to Tristan. Sure, springiness distant nan point that’s not yours, Dave. I get that movies require tension, but I don’t attraction for illogical choices made by different smart characters.

findsBy nan end, Dave’s family yet Tristan and Lottie, nan nutcracker is returned and eventually, a mysterious benefactor buys nan nutcracker for a mini luck astatine nan ball, only to gift it backmost to Joey. Every crippled constituent is conveniently wrapped successful a tidy bow, but successful a heartwarming measurement that makes maine deliberation that Dave, Tristan and Lottie became friends who astir apt walk each Christmas together now.

Parting Shot: Tristan and Lottie creation together astatine nan kindness shot and stock a kiss.

Performance Worth Watching: I’ve mentioned this successful past reviews, but arsenic personification who watches much than her stock of Hallmark films, I’ve started to person favourite actors who show up regularly successful their movies. Ann Pirvu, who plays Tristan’s sister Jules, is 1 of my existent faves. She often plays nan sassy sidekick sister, and she conscionable ever looks for illustration she’s having nosy retired there.

Memorable Dialogue: “Classic container swap, conscionable for illustration successful a rom-com!” Tristan jokes erstwhile he and Lottie bump into each different astatine nan airdrome and she astir grabs his suitcase (which has nan nutcracker successful it) alternatively of her own. The first clip of galore that group correction each others’ luggage for their ain successful this film.

Our Call: Operation Nutcracker is surely nary awesome heist aliases mystery, it useful champion arsenic a consecutive up romance, and acknowledgment to nan film’s 2 leads, they really waste it pinch entreaty and coagulated chemistry. STREAM IT!

Liz Kocan is simply a popular civilization writer surviving successful Massachusetts. Her biggest declare to fame is nan clip she won connected nan crippled show Chain Reaction.