Operation Mistletoe

I am glad to see Nick Bateman back. His character is always soft spoken, and likeable. However, not liking the hair style in this one much. Jen Lilley is always good, usually the over emotional lady but this one thankfully not to the extreme. Noted she was one of the executive producers. The story is the usual, boy-girl senior year crush, boy or girl goes away, comes back years later, both now single, maybe maybe not a kid in tow. Either a meddling mother or sister. In this case sister. However, this meddling was creative and liked the brother angle. No kid this time. How come the female lead who stays home is a decorator, writer, gift store owner, radio station announcer. Why not a successful home town lawyer, financial analyst, banker. Looking forward to more Nick Bateman movies.

The problem with this movie is what plagues most films, a terrible script. There is nothing original in this Christmas rom-com, all the writers had to do was watch a bunch of Hallmark movies and copy every cliche. Have an attractive couple, add nostalgia for the past and relatives lost, throw in flashbacks to confuse viewers and have a lot of talk about Christmas traditions. There are many very fine movies that take place during Christmas, that don't have a cliched obsession with the season.

Jen Lilly is a known quantity, she's appeared in many films and always delivers a good performance. Why did the producers or director keep Nick Bateman in a white shirt, tie and jeans? The supporting cast are ok.

Aside from some recent efforts of GAC Family, Jen Lilley has always delivered reliable performances in Christmas movies for Hallmark.

I was going to steer clear of this one, thinking it was a GAC movie, where production values are generally a few levels below Lifetime and Hallmark...but this is a Hulu product, from Brad Krevoy, whose movies are generally pretty good, so I figured I'd give it a go.

"Operation Mistletoe" is just fine. It's not destined to be a classic of the genre, and isn't as good as many of the 2024 raft of holiday movies released, but it's a pleasant way to pass ninety or so minutes.

Lilley is good, and her opposite number Nick Bateman has his moments, too. Nice sets, too.

We watched the first 15 minutes hoping that the volume of the music would reduce. We couldn't even hear the dialogue because of the volume of the music. Then for a few minutes, the music went away while someone was on the phone. Then the scene went back to the small town and the music returned, as loud as before.

So unless a person is willing to read closed captions, it isn't possible to watch the movie, not being able to hear what the main characters are saying.

It looked like the kind of movie that I really enjoy so I hope eventually the music can be corrected. It was a premiere show on CW station so I surprised at this problem.

The other reviews below give you the storyline. As always with these HM/GAF productions, the stories come out of a box with about 6 different templates (either with a Christmas theme or not) and are repeated each production year. I have learned to expect nothing riveting.....I usually fast forward through about half the scenes because I easily recognize these as not advancing the plot whatsoever.

As the other reviews also point out, Nick Bateman's hair stylist must be a 12 year old skateboarder. The storyline that he is a mid-30s successful money manager with that weird comb-down hair is utterly laughable. It would not inspire the necessary confidence to secure any clientele. The scripting does him no favor either. If you are supposed to be playing a successful NYC money guy, you are not going to allow a small town realtor to appear to be your equal...nor are you going to be shy and hesitant around a woman you have crushed on for 15 years.

While I have seen Jen Lilley display a good acting range in rare other movies, here she is again relegated to a role of giggly sweetness. Combine that with her child-like face and it is hard to view her as an adult woman romance protagonist.