Operation Dumbo Drop

The Vietnam War makes a really unorthodox setting for a Disney movie, but this movie goes along quite well, thanks to its performances. Danny Glover and Ray Liotta star as the leaders of a rag-tag American platoon in charge of guarding an elephant and its young Vietnamese trainer on a trip to one part of the divided country to another.

Because of its family-friendly base, OPERATION DUMBO DROP plays it

safe with it's war violence. But who says you need bloody, graphic action in order to make a good war-oriented film? As long as the

performances are stellar, the film wins. Case in point is OPERATION DUMBO DROP.

Operation Dumbo Drop was actually a nice movie in my opinion. Based on a true story it had a nice flowing story line full of action and family-appropriate material. Great actors such as Danny Glover helped the film come alive and send out strong messages. Not the best motion picture.. but it was fun and definitely did/does not deserve the type of criticism I often see it getting. It is a great film for a family movie night or even when you're alone and simply bored. Children and Adults alike can appreciate the exciting action (accompanied with only occasional mild violence), cute humor, and expressed morals and the importance of human kindness. History bluffs would also enjoy this since it takes place during the Vietnam War and shows some interesting details. Overall I believe the movie as a whole deserved at least a 7/10 rating.

-Amanda, Miss Movie Bluff

Not to be knit-picky, but, Denis Leary's character was not a lieutenant. He was a "Chief Warrant Officer Grade 3", or "CWO-3" for short. If there is any question of this, one should check out the close-up of Leary to note the bar on his collar with 3 black squares on it.

Should also be noted, wearing of the Beret with colored insignia and flash (patch), was not done during combat operations. The last thing anyone wanted was to be seen because there was something shiny or colorful which could give away one's position to the enemy.

Aside from those inconsistencies, Disney did a great job of putting this motion picture together.

The people chosen, did a fantastic job of being as authentic as possible. Of course, much about the real story had to be quieted down for the sake of the audiences viewing pleasure. Since the real truth of the war was the horror of confrontation.

This was an awesome film, which helped to show an aspect of people in the military, as people. And not the mindless drone killers, some in the population would have the world believe. There was much humanity by the armed forces, but, those are the news stories which the networks DIDN'T show, because it didn't have the flair and sensationalism that was desired by the various network news casts.

I do not understand the criticism that some professional reviewers give of this film about its unrealistic treatment of the Vietnam War. I was opposed to that war from about the time that it started but I never doubted the good intentions of those young men who risked their lives fighting it. What is so wrong in playing up that aspect of it? The film is, after all, based on a true story. The film seemed to me to be like a movie version of the television show MASH done for children. Everybody has good words for MASH. Nobody ever complained about doing a comedy about the Korean War. This is a good kid's film with some really fine acting by Liotta, Glover and Leary.

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.