Operation Dumbo Drop (1995)

31% of critics liked it
(26 reviews)
31% of users liked it
(31,499 ratings)

This old fashioned service comedy is suitable for the whole family. It is set in Vietnam during the war and chronicles the efforts of a small band of Green Berets as they endeavor to help out a beleaguered village located next to a major supply route for the Viet Cong. The leader, Capt. Sam Cahill… More This old fashioned service comedy is suitable for the whole family. It is set in Vietnam during the war and chronicles the efforts of a small band of Green Berets as they endeavor to help out a beleaguered village located next to a major supply route for the Viet Cong. The leader, Capt. Sam Cahill has been working overtime to create good relations between the American soldiers and the villagers so he can use their little town to monitor enemy activities. Unfortunately, Cahill is slated to retire and his replacement is shaping up to be the classic Ugly American. It is he who accidentally lets the North Vietnamese know that the hapless villagers have been harboring American soldiers. To punish them, the VC shoot the only elephant in the village. To help the villagers, Cahill goes against the wishes of the new leader and promises to replace the slaughtered beast in time for an important local ritual. The trouble is, the Americans have only five days in which to find and bring back an elephant; they find one, but it is 200 miles from the village. The men decide the only way to do it is to load the beast aboard a transport plane and send it to the village via parachute. Now all they have to do is figure how to engineer this feat. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 47 min.
Directed By: Simon Wincer
Genres: Comedy, Kids & Family

In Theaters: Jul 28, 1995 Wide
On DVD: May 6, 2003

Critic Reviews

Mike Clark, USA Today
Photographed by the great Russell Boyd but looking drab and washed out for 108 minutes, the movie just gets by on heart and a conversation-stopping finale.
Polly M. Robertus, Common Sense Media
A harmless, if mostly charmless, movie.
Douglas Pratt, DVDLaser
an earnest blend of comedy and action
Staci Layne Wilson, StaciWilson.com
Click to read the article.
Clint Morris, Moviehole
Three great actors. One lovable elephant.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
Endearing message about the value of keeping one's word and the camaraderie that can grow out of doing something good during a very bad war.

Read all 6 critic reviews

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Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

Chris W

Disney decided to make a family friendly film centered around a story (inspired by true events) taking place during the Vietnam War. It sounds a little unlikely, but it happened. Until recently, I hadn't seen this film since maybe around the time it came out. I can't believe… More
Disney decided to make a family friendly film centered around a story (inspired by true events) taking place during the Vietnam War. It sounds a little unlikely, but it happened. Until recently, I hadn't seen this film since maybe around the time it came out. I can't believe I hadn't reviewed it on here yet. Here's the thing, I'm not against making a movie based on this story, because it is a good story, I just don't think it should have been a family friendly Disney film. It's a about two Green Berets and a few other GIs who have to deliver an elephant to a remote village to replace their old one who was killed due to a cultural misunderstanding on the parts of one of the GBs. The title of the film should have cut out the Drop, as it gives away the climax, thus stripping away what could have been a lot of tension, suspense, and surprise. Also, given the circumstances, the film has to water down a lot of its depiction of the war, glosses over (for the most part) a lot of subtext, and plays it safe, adding in lots of schmaltz and predictability. I will say that it is moderately entertaining, but terrible history. Had this been any other studio, and not had to cater to the family crowd, it more than likely, but not necessarily, could have been a far stronger film. Maybe that's just the more mature me being grumpy because I've got a better understanding of the world than I did when I first saw this. Like I said though, as is, it is moderately entertaining, and it does have a tad bit of profanity and a few dark moments, but ultimately it plays it safe. I think the best thing it has going for it are the rockin' period tunes and the cast. I mean hell, it's got Danny Glover, Ray Liotta, Denis Leary, the guy who played Parker Lewis, and Doug E. Doug! That's awesome. These guys deserved a better and stronger film, but I think they had at least a bit of fun here, even if they all did probably just do it for the money. The movie's not great, but it's not too terrible either. It's mostly just sanitized and run of the mill. I wasn't bored watching it though, and some of it was funny, but I think if this would have been an art film and really focused on some of the subtext and cultural issues more it could've really been something.
KJ P

Witty and fun!
Jason O

Always been an extremely underrated flick, in my opinion. Back in the day, I watched it start to finish several times. Just something about this different and charming movie that I like.
Anthony L

A very sweet family film with a good cast!
Joseph E

Clever and witty.
nathometer

Bleh, sorry Adam i didn't like this one as much as you did.