Christmas Has Come Early

Some people think that Christmas should be celebrated after thanksgiving, while there are others who pull out their tree the second Halloween is over. Netflix seems to be the latter. They are notorious for releasing many original Christmas movies that are perfect for the holiday season way before the holiday season is even thought of. Even though December 25 is a long ways away it is never too early for a little holiday cheer. “Operation Christmas Drop” directed by Martin Wood, is one of the first seasonal films to hit the Netflix screen. 

The movie is based on a true story about an Airforce base that is located in Guam. Every year the base collects donations, gifts and supplies to deliver to secluded islands near them via airplane. Air Force pilots fly over and then drop the items onto the shore for the islanders waiting below. They do this every Christmas, bringing joy and hope to the people. Unfortunately this year DC is considering shutting down the base, so they send DC lackey Erica (Kat Graham) on a holiday “Vacation” to see if it really should be closed. When she arrives she meets cocky Christmas lover Andrew (Alexander Ludwig) who is a pilot. His job is to try and convince Erica that the base is worth saving. But as tensions rise and the deadline for the drop approaches things for the base don’t look too good. Erica arrives dead set on shutting down the location, however as Christmas Spirit and a very persistent Pilot begin to persuade her otherwise she realizes there is so much she doesn’t understand. 

This film demonstrates themes of family and the importance of people coming together to make a difference. The story builds a strong sense of community and really shows how important Christmas spirit is. The base comes together to make sure that the island people have an amazing Christmas even though many obstacles stand in their way. After the movie was over I found myself wanting to start decorating my house for the holidays. It is a heartwarming, romantic comedy that definitely satisfies that longing for some Christmas magic.