'Countdown to Christmas' movie review: 'Christmas at Dollywood'

The mistake that “Christmas at Dollywood” (premiering Dec. 8 as part of the Hallmark Channel's Countdown to Christmas) makes is it doesn't lean hard enough into the built-in love for Dolly Parton's iconic Smoky Mountain theme park.

In short: Manhattan event producer Rachel (Danica McKellar) travels home to Tennessee to help plan a Christmas celebration at Dollywood - but she has to contend with Luke (Niall Matter), a park manager who believes he doesn't need help.

Everyone loves Dolly Parton. She's an American establishment. And if Hallmark fans are being totally honest, “Christmas at Dollywood” leaps off the "Countdown to Christmas" schedule because of Dolly Parton. She's that undeniable. And for a Hallmark movie set in Dollywood, this movie doesn't tap into the spirit of what makes the park, or even Tennessee Christmas, endearing. Any Hallmark movie set in a location as specific and unique as Dollywood absolutely should completely immerse the audience in all things Tennessee and Dollywood. Anything less is a missed opportunity - and kinda makes the location irrelevant.

This failing is especially unfortunate because "Dollywood" just doesn't justify why an entire movie is set at Dollywood - and if it did, then it would naturally also serve as a great "commercial" of sorts. Not that any movie should just be some crass commercial for any venture, but Dollywood is just objectively a destination for visitors from across the globe -- "Dollywood" would be better served if it could soak up just a bit of the theme park's magic.

Put another way: there’s simply not enough of Dolly Parton in “Dollywood.” The movie should make people only casually aware of Dollywood want to experience the park for themselves.

Unfortunately, the bulk of "Dollywood" ... is just event planning problem solving. It's tedious to watch Rachel and Luke bicker about the arrangement of tables or try on costumes. The fact that the LED Christmas tree is glitchy ... is just a contrived plot point that takes up way too much of the story. For real: this one dumb plot element takes up a stupid amount of the movie. It's just silly for a story to resort to lame plot devices, given that both lead characters are at major turning points in their careers. "Dollywood" is at its best when its invested in Rachel's future in event planning and Luke's potential promotion. Sadly, the movie gets bogged in the dry logistics of shaking up the catering menu.

Final verdict: Starting with its annoying meet-cute, and continuing on with its piffy banter, "Dollywood" is more interested in an opposites attract exercise in mediocre storytelling than truly help the audience connect with what makes Dollywood itself attractive.

Score: 2 turtle doves (out of 5)

"Christmas at Dollywood" is rated TV-G and has a running time of 90 minutes. The movie premieres on The Hallmark Channel on Dec. 8.