Hallmark Review: 'When Duty Calls'

It seemed the future was set for newlyweds Ellie and Martin Skopic (Daniella Monet and Kelly Blatz). With Martin's stable job as a professor and Ellie set to become a deputy, everything seemed to be falling into place. But a job freeze for Ellie and a lay-off for Martin upends all their plans, forcing them to move in with Ellie's parents as they figure things out.

With the job freeze keeping her from securing a deputy position, Ellie decides to join her father's former partner Clyde Pierce (Leslie David Baker) on the volunteer force for the local police station. Ellie quickly grows to appreciate the job and the volunteer force's role in her parents' retirement community, leading her to become intent on uncovering the truth when she suspects a string of robberies is taking place in the area. But on top of having her theory rejected by Commander Chapman (Olivia d'Abo), Ellie struggles with her retired detective father Gary (Judd Nelson) discouraging her career ambitions--on top of other family problems. Can Ellie solve this mystery and prove she has what it takes to be a woman of the law?

When it comes to mood, When Duty Calls reminds me of Christmas Catch. Both are films that, while they take place within the realm of the police force and focus on a plucky protagonist working to solve a crime, they don't have the same cozy mystery feel that would put them on par with the likes of Hallmark Movies & Mysteries content. This is namely due to the film putting much more focus on Ellie's family drama and career struggles than it does on the robbery spree she uncovers. Given that When Duty Calls opens on Ellie's joyful wedding day, it was more or less confirmed from the start that this wouldn't be a crime procedural filtered through a Hallmark-ian lens. But even by those standards, When Duty Calls stumbles from how shaky it is in two crucial arenas: pace and focus.

For the first half of the movie, the story of When Duty Calls takes on the focus of a pinball, bouncing between its various plot threads. It makes for something of a frustrating watch, as the constantly shifting focus makes it hard to stay engaged with any of these stories. This works alongside When Duty Calls' at times sloth-like pacing, which stretches the plot out so thin that it feels like someone took the plot of a half-hour crime show episode and threw in some family drama subplots to make it reach 90 minutes. While the second half of the movie mostly gives these plot threads the focus they need to develop, the pacing issues are a more consistent error that weighs When Duty Calls down.

The film also suffers from a lack of finite conflict, as any obstacles that crop up for Ellie are either quickly dealt with or don't get the chance to come across as legitimate threats. SPOILER ALERT The most egregious of these is when Martin is offered a teaching position in Maine that would require him and Ellie to move, setting the stage for a major conflict in their relationship. But just when it seems this will become a conflict between not only Ellie and Martin, but between Ellie and her father, the movie instead gives Carol a random heart attack, which conveniently acts as a means for Martin to turn down the job to stay with Ellie and her family. While it's a heartwarming enough development for the couple, it does come across as the movie rejecting the chance to create a fascinatingly difficult-to-resolve conflict for its leads to tackle. Even the moderately intense climax to the burglary spree investigation falls short due to how brief and easily resolved it is. Spoilers Over

Casting is an area where When Duty Calls is much more stable, barring a few hiccups. While her star-making role in Victorious had her as a supporting character, Daniella Monet showcases her strength in a leading role. Monet brings a quiet strength and ambition to Ellie, allowing you to believe in her passion for pursuing a police career and root for her as she faces challenges. When Duty Calls also provides some nice character-developing moments for Ellie, from realizing the true worth of the police volunteer group to standing up to her father's lack of support for her ambitions. On the other hand, though, Ellie's likability takes some damage from the reckless way she pursues her investigation into the robberies, with the climax showing Ellie at her most irresponsible. Adding insult to injury is the fact that no one outside of Commander Chapman (given the role of Designated Villain in this instance) calls Ellie out on this and that Ellie herself never seems to realize the danger she put herself and her loved ones in.

Kelly Blatz is effortlessly charming as Martin Skopic, and shares chemistry with Monet that allows you to believe in his and Ellie's relationship and believe that it can withstand the changes thrown at them. Daphne Zuniga brings a touching warmth to Ellie's mother Carol (with her character's big dramatic moment that's mentioned in the Spoiler section being the only place where Zuniga's performance falters), and Judd Nelson gives a compelling performance as he takes Gary through his character arc of the movie. Despite being a former detective himself, Gary is consistently shown to be cold and hesitant to the idea of Ellie following in his footsteps. While he initially seems to set on the well-worn, much-hated-on-my-part "Controlling Overprotective Father" path, Nelson plays Gary in a way that you believe there's a loving man hidden beneath his icy exterior. Gary's backstory on why he retired from the force also brings an understanding to his harshness that deviates from where I thought his character was going, and Nelson gives a palpable sense of self-loathing to Gary's worries about having become a disappointment to his family. It's a feeling I'm sure more than a few viewers will relate to.

(SPOILER ALERT One fault regarding Gary's backstory: it highlights how ignored Ellie's third-act carelessness is. Despite Ellie essentially repeating the mistake that led to her father's premature retirement, everything still works out well for her and Gary never calls her out for not learning from what happened to him. Spoilers Over)

Leslie David Baker makes a charming impression as Clyde Pierce, with Baker and Monet's chemistry shining as Clyde and Ellie bond during their time together as volunteer partners. Gonzalo Menendez replicates Blatz's effortless charisma as Chief Deputy Ron Perez, and Olivia d'Abo maintains a sliver of likability in her portrayal of the rigid Commander Chapman. Burt Rotundo and Jeremy Shada also work in tandem with Blatz to make the subplot between Martin, Jeff, and Tyler a simple yet heartfelt addition to the film that gives Martin a chance in the spotlight.

Despite all its flaws in terms of plot and pace, When Duty Calls still offers enough to give it a wary recommendation. The cast brings forth their best efforts, the characters' relationships all feel authentic, and the emotional journeys they each take ring true in spite of a few fumbles. Add to that the film's status as a Hallmark movie where romance is not its focal point and its exploration of the very real issue of young people struggling to find employment in a broken economy, and When Duty Calls does well at balancing out its mistakes with what it does right. You might find your attention occasionally fading, but it's still a film worth giving a chance when you have some time to burn.

Score: 5.5 out of 10 ham salads.