Operation Christmas

I'll start off with saying that I really liked this film. It was obviously shot in the summer, which made all of the snow (other than the glacier scene) a little comical. The unending sunshine is also only possible in the summer in the Pacific Northwest. It's all stuff we can overlook.

The idea of meeting someone whom puts themselves in danger for the greater good is a theme used throughout the years, and for good reason. It's an underlying theme of Christmas as well. Tricia Helfer knocked her role out of the park in this film, and I'd have never found this film had it not been for her mentioning it on Twitter.

The military stuff was entirely annoying as a veteran, but I understand that most writers have only a cursory knowledge of the military when doing their writing. Firefighters say the same thing when watching firefighting movies. Writers are rarely experts in their subject matter. I'd like to have seen active duty military there to advise on dress & appearance. I'd also wished that deployments were more accurately depicted, but this isn't a film about the military. It's a film about giving, and what it means to come together as a community for Christmas. One has to understand that distinction. I, as a veteran, understand that. They did a great job with this film once you get past nit-picking, and I'll watch it every Christmas from here on out.

I saw this movie in pretty bad conditions: it was airing on French TV, and, as basically all Hallmark movies, it was targeted at middle-aged housewives, who are supposed not to be able to speak English at all and to want everything in French. So no English version available, only dubbed in French, and therefore with rewritten dialog. And for this kind of movie, let's say the writers and the dubbing actors are rarely encouraged to do their best...

So it took me a bit of time to get into it, the beginning feeling a bit awkward with the actors speaking in a voice that isn't theirs and having sometimes cheesy lines of rewritten dialog. But from when Olivia and Scott meet for the second time and the "Operation Christmas" actually starts to get prepared, I got hooked. No Santa Claus or so-called "Christmas magic" here: it's a story of real people in quite a difficult situation who are just trying to get their little share of happiness in this supposedly joyful time of the year. This is the kind of movie that relies a lot on the actors, and I guess that for such a film often considered "minor", some would just "do the job" and hurry back home for dinner. Here, the whole cast is great and does an excellent work. But one of them especially shines, and that's Tricia Helfer: she gives everything she's got to her character, and really makes you feel for this woman, torn between the excitement of a starting romance she thought would no more happen, and her high doubts about herself being able to cope with the kind of life you get with a man in the military. And let me be honest: mostly because of her performance and in spite of the awkward French dubbing, I ended up with my eyes not completely dry.

So of course, there are probably some factual inaccuracies and the ending is quite cliché. Well now, as someone else has pointed out: this is a Hallmark movie, it has to have a cliché ending. But all in all, this is one of the best Christmas movies I've seen, and if it ever reaches my side of the Atlantic as a DVD, I'll definitely buy it - and probably get another weird look from my wife for getting this kind of "girly" stuff...

It was a great story that accurately captured the apprehension and stress that military families face, something that non-military families will never understand nor completely appreciate. Hats off to the writer and to Hallmark for presenting this in such a compelling manner.

That said, it was downright insulting to see the total lack of attention paid to the actual details of any and all things military. The total ignorance of anything related to military uniforms, in particular, was beyond irritating and took away from an otherwise heartwarming story. Shame on everyone involved.

This movie is a salute to and from all United States Military Personnel and their families. It is about the hardships and unexpected situations and problems that every family faces. It definitely shows the 'unknown' that military life brings.

Tricia and Marc did an excellent job of showing the heartache that is faced by not only their situation but others' problems by other families. Tricia and Marc put everything they had into this movie especially the love their characters felt for each other. The three children were perfect in each of their roles. The music and Christmas carols were placed in the movie at the right place and time. The ending carol is a message that all of America can sleep safely tonight as our brave men and women are on guard throughout the world.

A special thanks must go to Hallmark and especially Nina Wienman (writer) for capturing the heart of the military and their families. As a Marine Veteran, I have faced a lot of the same problems that were shown in this movie including being away several times at Christmas and the extended tours of duty overseas.

This movie is a 10 even though there are some goofs/mistakes. These goofs/mistakes are way over shadowed by the message this movie brings. That message is to face the unknown with bravery, courage and honor while sharing your fear with others.

THIS IS A MUST SEE MOVIE BY ALL. If you loved 'The Christmas Card' Christmas movie, you are going to more than love 'Operation Christmas'!

I'm beginning to think that Marc Blucas is a bit type-cast, playing another soldier here and it's a shame, because those fatigues do nothing for his fine physique.

This one isn't quite as fun as "Holiday For Heroes" covering more of the serious element of army life and those left behind. I have to admit that I cried again at the end.

One of the things I don't understand is why these soldiers all need so much support. How badly are they paid that they can't even afford a Christmas tree? I would have thought the US would have treated "Their Boys" and girls much better than that as they all mean so much apparently?

The cast is all very good, the young lad is a cutey, but the little girl is just cringey and precocious.

It's a nice story, very similar to others, but it has a bit more heart wrenching than most.