Netflix's 'Operation Christmas Drop' Review: Celebrating longest-running humanitarian airlift mission in the world
Spoilers for 'Operation Christmas Drop'
Martin Wood's Christmas rom-com starring Kat Graham and Alexander Ludwig brings Christmas into your homes early. As expected the movie is as welcoming as Christmas movies can be, especially during this harrowing time. The pandemic may hinder plans for the holidays for many families, and sometimes a movie-night in during a lockdown can help boost the holiday feels.
'Operation Christmas Drop' chronicles a unique story to say in the least, as it doesn't involve a romance at the start. After being forced by her boss Congresswoman Angie Bradford, (Virginia Madsen) to work through the holidays, congressional aide Erica Miller ditches her family to travel to a beachside Air Force base to inquire about reasons to close down and de-fund the facility there. There she meets the handsome and determined Captain Andrew Jantz (Alexander Ludwig) who isn't oblivious to why Erica was really there and the two ends up clashing as they disagree on Erica's assignment. As reports indicated, this rom-com is the first US film to have been shot on the Pacific island of Guam.
As some may already know, the title of the movie actually refers to a real-life event carried out by the US Air Force. They use a parachute to deliver Christmas gifts to the islands near Guam. Of course with its noble cause, Erica ends up realizing why de-funding the facility isn't in fact the right thing to do. Yes, it's predictable, as Christmas miracles in holiday movies usually are, but it still warms your heart. The plot is as simple as can be, with a little romance in there, and while we're not trying to give too much away, this film is definitely a win for family time. It echoes the very real fact that the U.S. military affects so many lives in so many positive ways. It even ends up shelling out the darkness in Bradford's heart. Adults tend to forget their Christmas spirit the older they get, and it was a joy to see Erica get her's back after Captain Andrew shows her the real change they cause while they play Santa to so many families.
The movie is subtle in its themes of the family struggles with Erica having lost her biological mother and trying to get along with her step-mother and Andrew, who spends the holidays so far away from family. When Erica first left home to complete the assignment, her mindset wasn't in the best of places, but by the end of this film, it's safe to say that she had the best tropical Christmas she's ever had. It's a feel-good film, that has stubborn characters such as Bradford gain perspective on what the holidays are truly about. While semantics and logistics do play a role on military bases, sometimes the good they do on the frontlines, can't be calculated with figures and percentages determined by people sitting behind a computer. It's an eye-opener, this film, especially since it mirrors an actual U.S. tradition that has been upheld since 1952. It serves as the "longest-running U.S. Department of Defense mission in and the longest-running humanitarian airlift in the world." If that's not enough to celebrate this movie, we don't know what is.
'Operation Christmas Drop' is now available to stream on Netflix.