Operation Christmas Drop

Directed by Martin Wood, Operation Christmas Drop follows a congressional aide (Kat Graham’s Erica) as she’s sent to Guam to investigate a beachside Air Force Base at the behest of her penny-pinching boss (Virgia Madsen’s Congresswoman Bradford) – with complications ensuing after Erica finds herself at odds with the soldier (Alexander Ludwig’s Andrew) ordered to escort her around. It’s a workable premise that’s employed to persistently underwhelming effect by Wood, as the filmmaker delivers a generic and hopelessly, aggressively bland drama that boasts few compelling attributes – with the relentlessly glossy atmosphere compounded by an often shocking absence of style and a pair of competent yet entirely forgettable lead performances. (And it doesn’t help, certainly, that there exists not one iota of chemistry between Graham and Ludwig.) The picture’s only saving grace is its sporadic emphasis on Guam’s intriguing local culture and, also, the behind-the-scenes look at the workings of a true-life annual event, as, in terms of the latter, it’s difficult not to muster up some interest in the humanitarian efforts of the various individuals involved – to the extent that one can’t help but wish the movie had been conceived and executed as a documentary, ultimately. The final result is an exceedingly earnest and well-intentioned endeavor that contains all the dramatic heft of a garden-variety television commercial, which is a shame, certainly, given the potential inherent in the undeniably compelling subject matter.

** out of ****