What it lacks in a typical Christmas movie setting, it makes up for in heart. The 2020 Netflix original holiday flick “Operation Christmas Drop” also went up in grading score at its conclusion, when it is revealed that the events are based on a real life annual tradition.
We’ve discussed before the difficulty in setting a Christmas movie in a locale that’s devoid of snowfall, and the pitfall is present here though compensated for in a pretty good way. Erica (Kat Graham) is a congressional advisor dispatched by her boss (Virginia Madsen) to a military base in Guam. Erica’s mission is to tighten the budget – i.e. gather intel that will be used to close the base. Through the course of the movie, Erica discovers an annual tradition aptly referred to as ‘Operation Christmas Drop’ in which the soldiers on the base airlift supplies, educational needs, and recreational toys to the residents of the neighboring islands.
I enjoyed the unique inclusion of the military characters, headed by cargo pilot Andrew (Alexander Ludwig) who serves as Erica’s personal guide and obvious eventual love interest. It was nice to see the soldiers behaving in a down to Earth way, and the inclusion of their joy at helping out the local natives in times of crisis shows us that the US does do a lot of good around the globe, despite an often recited poor reputation.
The rapport between Erica and Andrew is awkward in a way that works for plausibility. Erica travels thousands of miles from DC to complete her seemingly callous task. That she falls in love with a jovial soldier is the furthest though from her mind. Both Erica and Andrew have backstories that involve their respective families, and each work well at providing the necessary depth to flesh them out as real people with real life issues.
What we don’t get with snowmen, hats and gloves, and glowing Manhattan streets, we make up for with hip takes on traditional songs, fire dancers, geckos, and a snorkeling adventure. The heat of Guam is often referenced as putting the characters out of the Christmas mood which in a way lets them focus on what is actually important – delivering the supplies to the needy. The base is described by Andrew as like Rockefeller Plaza with palm trees and he’s right. Despite the tropical temps, everyone involved recognizes the season of giving.
“Operation Christmas Drop” is a feel good movie that we fully expect coming from a Netflix original Christmas tale. It does its best to be different, and succeeds with the change of pace setting and true humanitarian story that is revealed.
