★★
Directed by: Martin Wood
Written by: Gregg Rossen, Brian Sawyer
Starring: Kat Graham, Alexander Ludwig, Virginia Madsen
There is no need for a *spoilers ahead* disclaimer here as Operation Christmas Drop plays out like every other rom-com Netflix, or in fact, anyone has ever produced. However, if cheesy, generic and predictable films are your cup of eggnog then look no further.
Firstly, a brief history lesson. The premise of Operation Christmas Drop is actually based on a true event called The Christmas Drop. Since 1952, the US military has carried out an annual humanitarian mission in which they parachute cargo down to the islanders of Guam with much-needed supplies, making it the longest-running humanitarian airlift in the world.
The film centres on Erica (Kat Graham), a congressional aide sent to Guam to report back on whether the base should be closed down or not. In keeping with archetypal Hollywood character arcs, Erica starts off as a relative scrooge determined to find inefficiencies wherever she can. There to convince her otherwise is Christmas' number 1 fan, Army captain Andrew Jantz played by Alexander Ludwig who some of you may recognise from The Hunger Games or Vikings. An odd choice to say the least but good to see him breaking away from his usual alpha-male, cocky roles. Such is the way with every fictional Hallmark couple, they immediately butt heads. We are shown around the overly idyllic island paradise, heavily sanitised by Hollywood of course, where Jantz tells Erica all the reasons why the base needs to keep running.
After meeting the islanders and seeing what good the Christmas drop does firsthand, Erica soon has a predictable change of heart and takes it upon herself to convince the congresswoman to keep the base open. Character arc complete. A particularly vomit-inducing scene shows Erica giving the contents of her bag (and eventually the bag itself) to an island girl with the line "You can put your seashells in it." Talk about a Western-saviour complex.
Now it doesn't take a genius to work out how the rest of the story unfolds. For those of you bored enough to watch it, I would advise proceeding with caution as there are "spoilers" ahead. In an attempt to render the eventual outcome even more impressive, there is a typhoon forecasted at the time when the drop is meant to take place. To add to this feeling of helplessness, the Grinch-like congresswoman shows up without warning threatening to fire Erica if she doesn't file a report to close down the base. It would take a Christmas miracle to get the cargo delivered so thank goodness this is a cliché-ridden Christmas film! To keep the rest brief; the cargo gets delivered, the guy gets girl, the base stays open and everyone lives happily ever after. The end. Bet you didn't see that one coming.
While Operation Christmas Drop may arguably provide the perfect distraction during these uncertain times, there is no denying its forced, half-hearted and overtly generic nature. The two protagonists have about as much chemistry as nails on a chalkboard, so if you're a sucker for a good Christmas romance movie then prepare to be disappointed. The awkwardness is tangible as if they have absolutely no interest in convincing us of their blossoming romance.
If you're still holding out hope that this movie could perhaps be redeemed by the comedy as opposed to the romance then keep on dreaming. Not a single laugh escaped my mouth during those 90 minutes which is shameful seeing as my sense of humour means I laugh at pretty much anything. The closest I got to laughing was when Erica had a full-blown conversation with a computer-generated gecko which was so badly done, it was *almost* comical. Perhaps this was intentional and a desperate attempt at getting a laugh or perhaps they blew the budget on location instead. It's anyone's guess.
What could have perhaps saved it was its strong source material. However, Wood somehow turns this into something clichéd, tactless and quite honestly boring, managing to provide a startling commentary on Western-saviourism that cannot be ignored. In true Hollywood fashion, it's almost as if the writers themselves were oblivious of the very real world the film portrays.
I will try and give Netflix the benefit of the doubt and go so far as to say it wasn't their intention to make a rom-com but instead raise awareness of the incredible work that these humanitarians do every Christmas. If so, mission accomplished (albeit in a very dramatised way). So if you've already re-watched the vast array of trashy Christmas films Netflix has to offer then, by all means, check this one out. Just go into it with low expectations...and some crunchy snacks to drown out the godawful dialogue.
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