Operation Dumbo Drop

If you're in the market for the most upbeat Vietnam War movie ever made, rent Operation Dumbo Drop, a silly but true story of an unusual mission to make a small village happy. As you might be able to guess from the title, this is a Disney movie.

Because of Disney Studio's unlimited budget, you'll also hear tons of 1970s songs to keep you in the mood. And the mood is comedy. There are no battle scenes, no "buy the farm" speeches from soldiers you've grown to love, and no real suspenseful plot points besides whether or not they'll get an elephant transported to the village. Ray Liotta plays the new captain who's by-the-book approach clashes with the already established captain, Danny Glover. When Ray first arrives, he finds Danny wearing a Vietnamese robe and meditating with the locals!

This is one of those movies that is truly "family friendly". The kids in the audience will love any scene with the elephant in it, and the adults will like the cast. Men will appreciate the wartime setting and macho soldiers as the only characters. Women will appreciate how nice Danny Glover and Ray Liotta look in their uniforms. Does Danny's shirt have to be unbuttoned? Does Ray's hair have to be quaffed in every scene? Yes.