Operation Christmas Drop Review: This Untraditional Christmas Story Soars to Impressive Heights

If you came here for cheesy Hallmark-like antics that have become the staple of the holiday rom-com genre, then I have some news. Netflix’s latest addition to its festive roster, Operation Christmas Drop, is all business this Christmas.

That business being, of course, to bring Christmas spirit to movie-goers in need of a festive distraction. This film accomplishes that mission and so much more by captivating us with a truly special celebration of the holiday season.

This high-flying tale isn’t here to satisfy just any Christmas enthusiasts. The untraditional film warms our hearts not with snow and grand decoration, but with an authentic holiday in the tropics and the essence of giving back.

Operation Christmas Drop is based on the real-life humanitarian mission the U.S. military participates in every Christmas to bring supplies and gifts to remote islands. Kat Graham stars as Erica Miller, a congressional aide sent to evaluate and find a reason to defund the facility. Alexander Ludwig stars as her holiday-loving guide and trusty love interest, Captain Andrew Jantz.

The military base and Operation Christmas Drop aren’t just some flashy backdrop to a romance plot. They are the plot.

The daily operations of the base during the holidays and this nearly seventy-year-old humanitarian mission is the center focus of the story. And rightfully so, considering ninety percent of the film was shot on location at the Andersen Air Force Base in Guam and the actual homes of service-members stationed there.

That kind of dedication to a practically shot film makes this story feel rightfully authentic.

Instead of bringing westernized Christmas traditions to Guam, the film attempts to draw attention to authentic island culture and how these American transplants that spend their holidays away from home have come to embrace new traditions.

I cannot speak to how genuine these depictions of Guam’s cultures are. But as an outsider on this adventure with Erica, I do feel like this film goes to great lengths to make the island and its people the star of the show. It also helps to hear that production worked closely with the indigenous Chamorro Islanders during filming.

Operation Christmas Drop is not a typical Christmas movie. It takes its obligation to bring this long-standing tradition to life very seriously — almost too seriously at times. The film’s devotion to the logistics of the operation and the cost analysis inadvertently skews this film more towards feel-good than romance.

It is a no-nonsense Christmas tale, and I hate to say it but I wanted a little more nonsense.

Years of despising those overly sweet, overly cheesy holiday rom-coms should make this proper film feel like a downright win. And for the most part, the practicality and the sensibility of these characters is refreshing.

But this film could have used a little more Christmas cheer in the form of island shenanigans. Some of the best moments come when our two protagonists let their guard down and dance a little too carelessly. I would have loved to see more of that sprinkled in between the shop-talk.

None the less, I appreciate Netflix’s devotion to bringing us new additions to the holiday roster that challenge what the Christmas experience can look like.

Ludwig is an interesting choice for this film. The actor is most recognizable for his role as Cato from The Hunger Games franchise. However, he has been the driving force behind Vikings‘ success for five seasons now; and has been making his mark on the film industry for years in everything from Race To Witch Mountain to Midway.

Yet, he hasn’t exactly been a leading man in a romance, or a Christmas romance — which can be an entirely different beast to tackle.

So imagine my delight to see this actor, who has worked primarily in drama and action, win us over with Andrew’s effortless charm and unrelenting optimism in the face of a complete Christmas catastrophe.

Ludwig navigates this smooth-talking, Christmas loving, Air-Force Captain with suave that quickly turns this grand island holiday into a dreamy escape. He expertly balances the stern leadership role as a commanding officer with his character’s inability to be anything but a complete dork during the holidays.

Andrew is constantly trying to make those around him smile. It’s an energy so infectious that every time Ludwig pops up on screen you can’t help but smile too.

Just as Andrew refuses to be boxed into any typical rom-com archetypes, Kat Graham refuses to let her career-driven Erica be framed as anything less than professional and reserved. Oh yes, the “stick-in-the-mud businesswoman who learns to feel again” trope dies here and now.

Instead of jumping right into Erica’s business trip and painting our protagonist in a less than flattering light as someone who is rather stuck up and stuck in her ways, this film takes the time to develop her before jumping into the plot.

Erica’s harshness towards Andrew doesn’t come off superficial, because we’ve already seen an earnest side to her in the opening minutes that disputes this. We know how much Erica cares about her career, so the cold front we see her put up on the base is typical of a girl laser-focused on her job.

The use of Sally, her closest confidant in Washington, is another great way in which this film fleshes out Erica’s world beyond the base.

Graham has established herself as a real force in Netflix’s holiday roster. Her character’s whimsy and reluctance to fall for the cute captain and his ukulele is what ultimately leads this premise to victory. It’s a joy to discover this tradition through Erica’s eyes.

A Christmas movie with an agonizing slow-burn? I did say Operation Christmas Drop is untraditional. 

A completed lack of romance in this film would lead you to believe the main couple is completely underdeveloped. But that couldn’t be farther from the case with Erica and Andrew.

You know these two will end up together because this film isn’t that untraditional, but rather than make their affair the main course, Operation Christmas Drop makes you chase those little glimpses of their blossoming relationship. Erica and Andrew are falling in love, but they are doing so through a comforting rhythm of bickering and stolen glances.

There’s never a moment where their eyes meet and instantly Erica and Andrew’s work relationship unravels into true love. These two keep up a professional rapport until the bitter end. Yet, they manage to show their affection through incredibly personal gestures along the way.

When they finally do kiss, it’s so tender and well earned. Not to mention, Erica finally finds a way to take the words right out of Andrew’s mouth.

I don’t even care that their relationship is logistically impossible because it’s Christmas and these scrappy kids have earned their grand farewell kiss.

“This is what Christmas is supposed to feel like,” confesses Erica after a long-fought battle to keep the air-base in operation. It’s a sentiment that captures the essence of this film’s intentions perfectly.

Operation Christmas Drop doesn’t follow the same path as most feel-good festive flicks. Instead, it uses this unique holiday landscape to demonstrate how the meaning of Christmas transcends garland wreaths and thick blankets of snow.

Christmas isn’t always flashy decorations and expensive gifts. It’s giving to those who need it without the expectation of receiving something in return. This film captures that selflessness, and the exhilarating highs of spending a holiday with people that are happy to have found each other.

If you’re looking for a unique, off-the-grid Christmas movie that leans less on traditional festivities and more on the essence of the holiday itself then I urge you to bump this to the top of your binge-watching list this holiday season.

What did you think of Operation Christmas Drop? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Operation Christmas Drop is streaming now on Netflix.

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