The Snowman & the Snowdog

Since I did The Snowman on Christmas Day last year, I thought it best to review it's sequel, The Snowman & the Snowdog exactly one year later! Released 30 years after the first film to commorate the 30th anniversary of the first movie, this one was planned for a while, but only until they got permission from the author of the original book Raymond Briggs, were they allowed to make it (he had no involvement in the story this time round). They all also made a vow that no CGI would be used in the special & that every single cell would be hand drawn. So can this bring back the nostalgia of the original Snowman after over 30 years, or does it feel like an unecessary sequel? Let's find out!

Story: I'm not going to lie when I say that the story has many 'similarities' to the original. What I mean by that is that they literally took the same plot from the first movie & it isn't even a follow up! This one shows a different boy after his dog has died & finds the original objects used to make the original snowman, builds it & also makes a snow dog for a friend. Like the original, they both come to life & a few hijinks ensue before they go to the North Pole & then have fun at party before having to go back home, only for a magical twist as the boy is given a magical collar which turns the snow dog into a puppy. Honestly, this kinda takes away the themes of the original, although I'll give them credit that they handle the theme of the loss of a pet pretty realistically since it is an unfortunate part of life (believe me, I know) The similarities between this & the original are honestly what avoids it being it's own thing & the relationship between the boy & the snowman isn't really as heartwarming due to it focusing a bit more on him & the snowdog. Don't get me wrong, it is still charming to watch, but not quite on par with the original.

Animation: If there is one good thing about this short, it's that the animation is very well done! I love the decision they made to fully hand draw it & not use any computer animation to respect the original, & it is a sight to behold after seeing so many CGI movies & specials in recent years! And considering the amount of effort put in (seriously, it's 12 frames per second in the short & one frame took 30 hours to do) it's all worth it! The character designs & backgrounds both highly respect the original short (if not a little bit too polished. I don't know, the rough look in the original made it look better) as it has a storybook feeling to it & it is very colourful which makes it feel more Christmas-y! The character animation is also done well in a realisitic way, but I do like how it can get creative on the snowmen, penguins & the way the dog moves immediately gives him a personality. The backgrounds as mentioned, do look very detailed & I love that they go to more places like around London where we see many landmarks nowadays like the London Eye, the Shard, The Gherkin & of all things the Crystal Palace transmitting station in the flying sequence! Honestly, I don't see anything bad with the animation at all! It feels very refreshing to see a 2D animated special & I have to say, this is an example of how it can tell a story with no dialogue, just like the original!

 

Characters: Even if there aren't many characters in this, the only thing I can really say is that they're exactly the same as the original! The boy (a different one from the original) in this is pretty much the same as the one in the original except grieving for his beloved dog, which does make him pretty sympathetic, but besides that he's a fun loving kid. The Snowman is also pretty much the same like I mentioned before, although he does keep his same likeable personality. The Snowdog is freaking adorable! May be cos I'm a huge dog lover myself, but his design is so cute & he does acurately act like a puppy throughout! The others like the snowmen at the North Pole, Santa & a certain competetive penguin are all also enjoyable, so overall, while the main characters are essentially the same as its predecessor, they're still pretty good to watch!

 

The Snowman & The Snowdog may not be as good as it's predecessor, but it still very charming & it did bring the nostalgia factor back of the original when I watched it! As for the song that plays during the flying scene Light The Night by Razorlight drummer Andy Burrows, it's pretty good! May not be as memorable as Walking in the Air, but I liked hearing a more modern song & has a warm Christmas-y feeling to it which is kinda sad since we haven't had any popular modern Christmas songs like that since the 90s! Oh yeah, and I wish all of you a Merry Christmas/Happy Hannukah/Happy Kwanzaa & a very Happy New Year as we approach 2015 & I'm so glad I brought the Animation Advent Calendar back & there's no doubt I'll be doing it for a third time next year (heck, I already have ideas of what to review for it)!
Story: 7/10
Animation: 10/10
Characters: 7/10
Overall: 8/10

Dr Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas

Just wanna quickly wish everyone a Merry Christmas Eve before going into the intro for this review! If I can be very honest, like the 1964 Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer special, I have never seen this before until recently to do this review, so consider this a review from someone who did not grow up with Dr Seuss! Obviously based on the Dr Seuss children's book, this first aired in 1966 & has since become a staple in not only animated Christmas specials, but also Christmas specials in general like Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer! Directed by the legendary Chuck Jones, can this make me love Christmas as much as the Whos in Whoville, or shouldn't I have touched this with a thirty-nine-and-a-half-foot pole? Let's find out!

Story: I don't really think I need to go into what the story is because it's one of those plots that pretty much everyone knows about! Pretty much the title says it all: The Grinch wants to steal christmas from the Whos in Who-ville with his trusty dog Max & realizes the error of his ways & decides to reform when he realizes that Christmas isn't all about the materialism or the decorations or presents! May be very very basic & obviously follows the original book, but it really doesn't matter cos that's how it should be! The execution is very well done with a mix of comedy thanks to the antics between the Grinch & Max & plenty of heart after the Grinch, with that quirky Dr Seuss touch that it's known for on top! The narration throughout my Boris Karloff using the trademark Dr Seuss rhyming style also really helps enhance the plot along with the songs making it highly memorable besides the message of materialism during the holidays which is handled in a subtle matter (way better than the Jim Carey film by the way) Honestly, I can't find anything wrong with it, it's that good! The transition from book to special is very well done keeping the spirit of it intact along with great comedy & heart for this!

Animation: Despite the rather rough qualiy. The character designs are perfect for everyone in this special, all keeping the well known whimsical Dr Seuss style with the Whos & especially the green menacing Grinch with his iconic scary smile or Cindy Lou's very cute design! Another part I love is the very creative character animation, especially on the sleigh scenes with Max & the Grinch or the very creative ways he steals decorations. As for the backgrounds with Who-ville, it's all very colourful to look at with all of the decorations while adding their own quirky Dr Seuss twist on them despite the lack of detail put in. Sure, the animation may not be the best in terms of quality, but what they do with it is really good throughout & it's clear the animators paid great tribute to Dr Seuss' style from his books!

Characters: Of course, played by Boris Karloff, The Grinch despises the Whos in Whoville during Christmas cos they make a lot of noise & therefore decides to dress up as Santa & take everything from the decorations to the food they were planning to use for their Christmas banquet. However, when he sees on Christmas Day that the results in fact don't affect the Whos at all, that's when he realizes Christmas is more than just the materialism & decides to have a change of heart & return everything. Despite his rather grinch-y & grumpy ways throughout much of the special, he is pretty funny rather it be his rather creative yet sinister design or his funny interactions with the other characters (and by that I mean Max his dog & Cindy Lou) He is an excellent character & it's really udnerstandable why he's one of the most iconic Dr Seuss characters next to the Cat in the Hat! as for his dog, Max, I absolutely loved him thanks to his funny interactions with his master as mentioned before, and you can't help but feel sorry for him being forced to do the Grinch's bidding & suffering the results of some slapstick up to the point that he nearly falls down a cliff with the sleigh, although he does get what he deserves in the end. Cindy Lou only briefly appears, but I can't help but find her adorable thanks to her innocence with the Grinch stealing the Christmas & . As for the Whos themselves in Whoville, although they don't appear a lot nor do much, it's still pretty clear they're a selfless group of Whos & are in fact really good hearted judging the ending as they openly accept the Grinch when he changes his ways & the fact no decorations or food doesn't affect them at all also proves that to be the case. All the characters in this are fun & well written, with the main character bringing out the charm of the special!

Songs: Just because I didn't grow up watching this, it doesn't mean I don't know the classic songs! Trim Up The Tree is a fun song the Whos sing as we see them joyously prepare for Christmas in Who-ville, in their own unique Seussical style! Welcome Christmas appears throughout & is sung by the Whos, with very nice lyrics & tune & the version which the Grinch hears that makes him realize the true meaning of Christmas is pretty heartwarming to listen to. And what else can I say about You're A Mean One Mr Grinch? With the witty lyrics, funny & memorable visuals & Thurl Ravenscroft's singing, it is definitely a Christmas classic to remember! All the songs have the same wit & charm of Dr Seuss himself & are easily holiday classics!

Overall, How The Grinch Stole Christmas is a very charming special & is not only a hallmark in Christmas specials, but also in Dr Seuss' works next to The Cat in the Hat with  very well written story & characters, nice animation & highly memorable songs! Like Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, this will definitely be something I'll watch every Christmas & I really recommend you do if you haven't already or if you're a die hard Dr Seuss fan! And if you're wondering about my thoughts on the Jim Carey live action movie...I've never seen it but I don't really intend to cos the make up on the Grinch in that creeped me out as a kid!
Story: 10/10
Animation: 7/10
Characters: 10/10
Songs: 10/10
Overall: 9/10

Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas

This Christmas special would be one of the many unecessary Ice Age sequels taking place inbetween the third and fourth films as Peaches is a pre-teen in it. Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of the Ice Age films & the franchise really feels like it's overstayed it's welcome after over a decade & unfortunately, it doesn't look like it's going away any time soon since a fifth film has been announced by Blue Sky! With the recurring actors Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Queen Latifah, Sean William Scott & Josh Peck returning, is this special as unecessary & mediocre as all the sequels (or anything by Blue Sky for all that matter), or will this surprise me as much as Scrat's hilariously crazy antics? Let's find out!

Story: When it comes to the story, it's the generic comedy-adventure plot as Sid, Peaches, Crash & Eddie plan to go to the North Pole to get Sid off the Naughty List (which Manny actually made up on the spot after Sid destroyed his heirloom Christmas rock which comes back later since Manny attributes to its creation) before it turns out it the North Pole & Santa are actually real & everyone is put on the Naughty List after destroying most of it & they have to fix their mistake by saving Christmas (which they do of course). Like I mentioned, the story is pretty generic & it doesn't really add in any twists to make it seem original besides the fact it's set during the ice age & that it's being done by cartoon animals! Scrat's subplot involving him still wanting to get his beloved acorns is of course hilarious thanks to the slapstick, but the problem I have is that we hardly see any of it, which is weird since Scrat is normally the scene stealer in the Ice Age franchise! And the fact that there's hardly any heart put into it just makes me feel like I wasted my time watching this! I know I may be bashing this, but honestly, the writing is just generic & mediocre when getting down to it!

Animation: Although all of Blue Sky's movies & specials have very mediocre stories & characters, at least their great animation can make up for it & this is no exception! The character designs keep the same look being cartoony, but I don't think it works on Santa since he's a human (I know, the first movie also had humans, but they were neanderthals, not homosapiens like Santa!) Anyway, I will give them credit that their versions of Christmas related things like Christmas trees (which Sid apparently invented), snowmen & decorations. Even the North Pole looks really nice & the backgrounds like the aurora borealis admittedly look beautiful! As for the character animation, it is very well done on the fast paced scenes with Scrat, especially since he does things like ice skating & skiing (kinda in Sid's case), but since there isn't any action scenes besides a musical number at the end, it doesn't have much to offer on the other characters. As for the texturing, I don't think it looks as defined on the snow, fur or skin compared to the films, but it still looks good nonetheless! Overall, the animation is definitely the biggest asset in this (well, in anything Blue Sky related) & is very nice to look at!

    

Characters: When it comes to the main/recurring characters, this is around the time they turned into a group of generics! Manny is now the worrying father/cynical/straight man type of character towards his group until he realizes that Ssnta does in fact exist, Ellie has now turned into the generic loving wife & mother & is pretty much useless (yeah, this is around the time she lost her fun personality! At least in the third film she had something to do being pregnant!) Sid is the same screw-up (AGAIN!) that is pretty much a walking disaster, Diego is the same snarky sabre toothed tiger & Crash & Eddie are the same comedic relief possums. None of them are developed from the past films nor do we learn anything new about them! Well, at least all the voice actors return & do a good job with what little material that they're given! As for Peaches, she is now the generic streetwise & sassy kid character with little to no personality & reminded me too much of a Young Simba in The Lion King. As for Prancer (voiced by TJ Miller), he honestly got on my nerves thanks to his over the top & narcisistic nature & isn't developed either. Oh yeah, and Santa in this is more over the top than expected in this, but his kind heartedness we'd expect from a Santa character doesn't come into play here! In fact, the only character I really enjoyed in this was Scrat despite his very limited screen time this time round & I honestly found his antics to get his acorns more engaging than the rest of the special!

Overall, Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas is just about as mediocre as the other Ice Age sequels with a generic story & characters, but at least the animation is still pretty good! I can only really recommend this to die hard fans of the Ice Age franchise because, really, this definitely is something made more for them! For the rest, it highly depends on your thoughts on Ice Age on whether you'll like this or not! Just goes to show I still need to wait for something not mediocre (as in good) from Blue Sky...who knows! Maybe 2016 Peanuts film will surprise me!
Story: 4/10
Animation: 8/10
Characters: 4/10
Overall: 5/10

Arthur's Perfect Christmas

When I was a kid, I'd watch a lot of cartoons from CBBC, with one in particular being the series Arthur. I know, the show is still running now & there was a CGI special released around Christmas some time ago, but I decided to do this partly due to it, well, being specifically related to Christmas & for the nostalgia factor since I even loved reading the original books when growing up! Airing back in 2000, can Arthur, the gang & the residents of Elwood City put me in the Christmas spirit, or is it annoying enough to make me say 'Hey!' (sorry, I had to put that inside joke somewhere in this review!)? Let's find out!

Story: The main story of this is Arthur wanting to have a perfect Christmas despite DW wanting to do what she wants & his father wanting to do a more 'traditional' Christmas meal, including buying his mother a glass bird to replace one he broke & his uncle making an unexpected visit after his truck breaks down on his way to Florida. This really isn't the best story nor is it that interesting when writing it down, but the way it's executed is pretty good & you can feel for Arthur since he does have good intentions. It is also nice to see some the nice witty humour the show is known for thanks to things coming back you'd never expect (i.e. the vegetator Arthur was gonna get for his dad which was sold out & it turned out he gets three on Christmas Day) or the dream sequences or just the characters being who they are. Another part that is interesting for kids to learn about is other holidays during this time of year besides the religious aspects of Christmas, specifically Hannukah as Francine & her family are Jewish, along with Kwanzaa briefly due to Brain's family being African American & Saint Lucia Day as George's family is revealed to be Swedish! Sure, all of the plots are pretty predictable with Arthur & Buster's Christmases going well & Muffy realizing how much Francine means to her as a friend & why Hannukah means so much to her, I'm not gonna lie, but I have one big issue with this: DW! God, she really annoyed me & was intolerable being a spoilt brat throughout & almost made this a pain to watch whenever she came onscreen! Besides that 'small' problem & the predictability of everything, it's still a pretty good story nonetheless for something like Arthur!

Animation: For what the animation is in this, it does look rather nice despite it having the same cartoony quality as the show, in particular with the anthropomorphic animal character designs having a cartoony look without looking too cutesy & the character animation being rather good on the. As for the backgrounds in places like Elwood City, Arthur's house or the mall, it does look very nice with the Christmas-y atmosphere (especialy during the opening titles! God, it's so nice to look at!) despite the rather rough quality to it all (hey, it's a cartoon special, not a theatrical movie after all!) I will give it credit that the fantasy/dream sequences are really where the animation shines thanks to the rather bizarre imagery (in particular during Muffy & Buster's musical numbers) There really isn't much else to say about the animation thanks to the quality & rather basic aspects of it, but it looks good for what it is!

Characters: The main character, Arthur, wants to have a perfect Christmas for his family, especially with his mother's gift until things go wrong & everything ends up fine despite not exactly going as he expected & he is pretty likeable throughout as he does have good intentions. As for DW, she's pretty much a spoilt brat throughout making everyone do what she wants & wants a specific toy that she doesn't get, so I'm not gonna lie, she really really annoyed me & was pretty much intolerable during this (then again, I've always found her irritating, so that shouldn't actually surprise me)! Buster, Arthur's best friend, is the same eccentric who's worried over his mum thanks to his parents' divorce & decides to come up with a crazy idea of creating his own holiday called Baxter Day so she can avoid stress of Christmas. As for Francine, she's annoyed at Muffy for not listening to her that she can't go to her Christmas party as she has family coming over for Hannukah & Muffy doesn't believe it's as important as her when she doesn't show up until Francine teaches her a lesson. Speaking of Muffy, despite being the spoilt stuck up girl we remember her as, it is nice for her to realize that Christmas is more than just about the presents & realizing how much Francine means to her as a friend. Arthur's parents are pretty much loving parents even though David wants to have a more 'traditional' Christmas, Binky has a funny running gag over his baking yet forgetting to do trivial things like peeling bananas or shelling pecans, the Tibble twins are the same annoying twins towards DW & Arthur's grandparents are also of course the same loving grandparents to Arthur & DW. The only new character in this is Fred, Arthur's uncle & is pretty clumsy, which is pretty much his character trait other than having a good heart, especially during one scene which you won't really see coming (I won't say what it is)! Overall, it's nice to rewatch the character I remember just being who they are, even if one particular one can get really annoying!

 

Songs: Yes, there's songs in this & honestly they really surprised me! The first song, My Perfect Christmas, is pretty good with an almost big band feeling to it as Arthur explains what he wants out of Christmas, (not in terms of presents) Baxter Day is pretty catchy as Buster describes what his own holiday would be like (if not pretty ludicrous due to Buster's eccentric personality) Muffy's song I Can't Call Francine is a pretty good song as she realizes how much Francine means to her as a friend. The final song showing everyone celebrating their respective holidays is also a pretty good finale, despite the pretty generic lyrics compared to the others. The songs overall may not be the best nor the most memorable ones compared to other Christmas songs, but they're still pretty good & surprised me!

Arthur's Perfect Christmas may not be the best or most revolutionary Christmas special out there, but it's still better than I expected with great humour, mostly likeable characters, decent animation & nice songs despite the pretty generic story. I would mostly recommend this for those that grew up watching the show like me cos the nostalgia factor really can't make me hate this & it's heart is in the right place! 
Story: 7/10
Animation: 6/10
Characters: 7/10
Songs: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

Simpsons Roasting on An Open Fire

I know, The Simpsons have done A LOT of Christmas episodes, but I thought it be best apprpriate to review their very first one as my first Simpsons Christmas episode review, which also happens to be the pilot episode for the series back in 1989 after being shorts during The Tracey Ullman show. So does this episode prove that, or does it feel as unecessary as the most recent seasons (sorry, I personally think it has really overstayed it's welcome now)? Let's find out

Story: The story involves the Simpsons family as they prepare for Christmas as Bart wants a tattoo (which he gets & results in the family spending all of their Christmas money to get it removed), Homer being forced to work as a department store Santa to get money for Christmas when the power plant doesn't get their Christmas bonus (despite only getting $13 out of it)This also shows the origins of how the family got their beloved dog, Santas Little Helper, as Homer goes to a greyhound race to bet on dogs to get more money for Christmas presents & bets on him despite losing & adopts him after noticing his previous owner being abusive towards him. One part I love in this is that considering it's a Pilot episode, it does a great job at establishing the premise of a dysfunctional cartoon family & their. Although it isn't as funny as the future episodes since the humour isn't really the focus (or the pop culture references thank God!), I do like that they focus on the emotional aspects as we surprisingly get to feel for Homer as all he wants to do is give his family a perfect Christmas despite his selfish ways & financial problems (thanks to Bart's stupidity) & relationship between him & Bart is also surprisingly sweet after Bart realizes the department store Santa is his dad! As for the rest of the story, including the heartwarming moment with Homer adopting Santa's Little Helper, I consider it more of a way of establishing the characters & the setting of the Simpsons universe rather than to present a story, but it is really good in that area & the lack of humour in a way makes you think about what they really can do as you see in future episodes! I

Animation: Considering this was during the very start of the show, the animation isn't exactly the best compared to future episodes. Of course, it looks much better than the Tracey Ullman shorts thanks to the more polished character designs & animation, but it still has that rougher quality from the past seasons. The backgrounds of the Simpsons house, the department store & Moe's aren't really that special, but it is interesting to see the original design of Moe's & the power plant. The Christmas atmosphere is also well done thanks to all the decorations & the winter weather considering what Homer's main attempt is in the special! I can't much else to say other than what I've already said. It's much better than the Tracey Ullman shorts, but it still has that rough quality from the past episodes. Oh yeah, and this does not have the well known opening title sequence!

Characters: Considering this is the pilot for the show, I must say that it does a good job at establishing the characters & their personalities! Of course, Homer is the selfish, lazy yet caring dad as he legitimately wants to give his family a great Christmas & cares about Santa's Little Helper despite his ways, Marge is the, Bart is the mischievous ten year old who causes trouble, Lisa is the know-it-all that wants a pony & Maggie is the baby of the family. We also get to see the extended members of the family like Abraham Simpson, the crazy yet loving grandpa & Patty & Selma, Marge's cynical older twin sisters that constantly badmouth Homer & wonder why Marge married him. Barney (who has blonde hair in the special instead of brown compared to other appearances) is surp. Moe also briefly appears as the bartender we know & love, along with Mr Burns as Homer's sinister boss & Seymour Skinner as Bart & Lisa's school principal & this episode easily establishes Flanders as Homer's annoying neighbour (at least from his perspective)! Despite the inevitable that more characters would join as the show progressed, I must say it does a good job at establishing the Simpsons family & some of the Springfield locals!

 

Sure, Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire isn't the funniest episode from The Simpsons, but it's still pretty good thanks to the heartwarming moments & it does a great job at explaining the premise of the show & the characters we all know & love! I'd definitely recommend this to Simpsons fans who are getting fatigue over the more recent seasons because this is a pretty good reminder of how the show is capable of good writing without resorting so much to celebrity guest stars, pop culture references or whatever's popular right now!
Story: 8/10
Animation: 4/10
Characters: 8/10
Overall: 7/10

Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer

Considering I reviewed the awful 1997 Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer: The Movie last year, I thought it best to review the 1964 stop motion Rankin/Bass classic it took inspiration from AKA the one that everyone remembers! And I'm not gonna be afraid to admit it, but I had never seen this prior to me doing this review! I of course was aware of it, but I never really had the time to watch it, nor did it ever really air around the holidays, or at least in my house! Now that we've got that out of the way. So can this stop motion special live up to all the hype & be the holiday classic that everyone knows it as, or is it a case of being overrated? Let's find out!

Story: Bit obvious I don't need to go into the story & what the message of it is since EVERYBODY knows what they both are! It may be your typical fish out of water story with the message of being yourself instead of conforming into what society expects you to be & accepting yourself despite bullies trying to bring you down, but the way it's executed it really good mostly thanks to the relationship between Hermey & Rudolph. The factor that the message also brings the sad truth that even if you do eventually accept yourself, there's still going to be people who'll bully & bring you down is actually a rather good one for kids as it is pretty realistic & the answer (which is pretty much 'screw them! I'm gonna do what I want/be who I wanna be no matter what they say) is also a good way to teach children how to deal with it! The adventure aspect with Hermey & Rudolph going to the Abomidable Snow Monster is also rather fun thanks to the colourful characters they come across including everyone on the Island of Misfit Toys & Rudolph learning to be brave & to ignore the haters is also really well executed, along with the climax as they learn the same for the Abomidable Snowmonster. If there is one issue I have, it'd be the romance between Rudolph & Clarice as it really could've been taken out & nothing would change & it isn't really developed or connected to the main plot & it kinda tones down the message due to Clarice already being accepting of Rudolph despite his abnormality. Despite that tiny nitpick, despite the framework being told many times before, the execution & message are really what shines & makes it so memorable!

 

Animation: I know, it's the classic Rankin/Bass look that everyone remembers, but if I can be very honest, I'm not really a huge fan of the designs in their specials. And yes, it must've been a marvel when it first came out 50 years ago, but compared to now, it looks pretty stiff. Obviously this qualifies in the character animation as most of the movements are very very rigid along with the lip synching not being all that great. The flying scenes did surprise me with how good they were given how complicated it must've been back then & the fact they had to do movements for reindeers, humans & even a snowman does show that the animators paid a lot of attention despite the stiff overall look. As for the character designs, I do like the looks they give for the reindeers being all cute & the main characters being easily distinguishable, although sometimes it feels like they copy the models for the extras. Same goes to the background elves & if I can be honest, I'm not a huge fan of their designs (but I will give them credit that the designs of the Misfit Toys are pretty creative). Oh yeah, and despite the Abomidable Snowman scaring kids, I found his design pretty funny! The backgrounds like Santa's workshop, the snowy forests & Santa's castle also look nice & Christmas-y. I feel really bad for saying I'm not really a huge fan of the animation in this, but still, it could've been much much worse given this was made 50 years ago & it is evident that the animators put in a lot of effort given how painstakingly long it takes to accomplish stop motion animation in the first place!

 

Characters: Rudolph is of course the main character, who learns his lesson over loving & accepting himself along with learning to be brave, selfless & to not run away from his problems makes him likeable despite kind of being the typical underdog character. Hermey, Rudolph's friend & is an elf that doesn't like to make toys & would rather be a dentist which parallels nicely with Rudolph's fish out of water story & their relationship is enjoyable to watch. Santa himself is the benevolent type of leader in the North Pole despite convicing Rudolph's family to hide his nose only until it manages to save everyone & Christmas. Rudolph's father, Donner, is surprisingly pretty mean with his son's abnormality right from the get-go & tells him to conform to society, but learns to accept him after realizing what his nose can really do. However, I kinda get why they went this route in order for Rudolph to stick out even more along with the rest of the reindeer in the North Pole acting this way including Comet. Clarice is pretty much just there to be Rudolph's love interest & actually likes him even after his abnormality is revealed to everyone. Yukon Cornelieus is also a fun character as a prospector being over the top despite caring about money most of the time until he meets Rudolph & Hermey & is also the one who reforms the Abomidable Snowman by the end. The Misfits Toys are all also very memorable thanks to their interesting designs & individual personalities along with the fact they want to be loved by children despite their abnormalities The Abomidable Snow Monster is surprisingly sweet as it turns out despite his horrifying exterior, he ends up reforming thanks to Yukon. Oh yeah, and Sam the Snowman (of course voiced by Burl Ives) is the narrator of the special who recalls the events that happened. All the characters are very likeable with nice development & fun personalities so I can understand why they're still beloved today!

Songs: Of course I know all of the classic songs despite this being the very first time I watched the special! I am Old Kris Kringle is a nice introuductory song as we're first introduced to Santa along with Rudolph & his family. We Are Santa's Elves is also a fun song if not intentionally cheesy thanks to Santa's annoyed reactions to it. There's Always Tomorrow is pretty much Clarice's song to bring Rudolph's spirits up & is actually pretty nice to listen to with the sweet lyrics & calming tune even if it doesn't place emphasis on the message quite yet for Rudolph. We're A Couple of Misfits is also a rather fun song for Hermey & Rudolph & is nice to see them accept them being different from everyone else as well as each other. Silver & Gold is a nice song as Burl Ives' singing really shines (well, any time he sings actually), although it is kinda filler as it stops the story, but it really doesn't bother me cos it is a really good song nonetheless! The Most Wonderful Day of the Year is also a very fun song as we see everything from the toy's perspectives as they want to be loved by children with a catchy tune & memorable lyrics! A Holly Jolly Christmas is also a very fun song thanks to Burl Ives' singing & the lyrics also being very memorable. Oh yeah, and Burl Ives' version of Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer is of course memorable & a hallmark in Christmas songs! What else is there to say about the songs in this? Everyone knows them thanks to the fun & catchy tunes & highly memorable lyrics!

 

Overall, I get why Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer is still considered a classic with a great story with a great moral for children, fun characters & highly memorable songs despite the stiff animation. Just go & watch it if you haven't already cos right now I feel stupid for waiting until I was a young adult to finally watch it for the first! I mean, this was much much better than the 1997 Rudolph movie I reviewed last year (the one which I sadly grew up with) & I definitely intend to watch it every year now despite the animation problems!

Story: 10/10

Animation: 5/10

Characters: 9/10

Songs: 10/10

Overall: 9/10

Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas

Airing on 16th December, this would be a stop motion special of the modern Christmas classic Elf (which I absolutely love & watch every Christmas with my family & never ever fails to make me laugh no matter how many times I watch it) This is also particularly notable as the only actor to return for this is Ed Asner as Santa Claus (So no, Zooey Deschanel, James Caan, Peter Dinklage or Mary Steenbergen didn't return to do this) & the songs used in this are actually taken from the Broadway adaptation of the movie (yes, it exists!) Since Will Ferrell & Jon Favreau are out of the picture, can Jim Parsons & making this stop motion bring as much charm to Buddy & the movie, or was I right to have doubts over this? Let's find out!

Story: I know, everyone has complained from the get-go because this is pretty much one huge recap of the movie & therefore feels useless! However, I will give it credit that it does everything in a caricatured way because this special knows what it wants to be: a special like the classic Rankin/Bass specials! There's changes, of course, with the romance between Buddy & Jovie being reduced, Miles Finch being replaced by an over the top Mr Greenway who fires people all the time & there's more shown after Walter tells Buddy to get out of his life & the climax is completely different despite the message remaining the same. But there is one massive issue I have: it lacks the heart. The relationship between Buddy & his father is severely reduced & isn't as developed compared to the live action film, although I can understand why in a way due to this just being a recap & the time being compressed. However, the comedy makes up for it with subtle references to the movie (i.e the World's Best Cup of Coffee joke being referenced through a World's Greatest Dad mug), funny slapstick & essentially being a homage & parody of them stop motion Christmas special as mentioned before (in particular Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer). Sure, it may feel useless with retelling the story with a few changes here & there, but the execution is really good since the special is fully aware of what it wants to be!

Animation: Since the special wants to be like them classic stop mption specials, they treat the animation like that with over the top character caricatured designs (which don't resemble their respective actors & feels pretty mixed as I'm not really a fan of Buddy's design) & the character animation & lip synching (which incorporates 2D animation) being pretty limited (up to the point they intentionally freeze the extras in the background). The backgrounds around New York & the North Pole also look pretty good even if most of it is made of cardboard & also looks pretty basic, but that's definitely how it should be for something like this. If there is moments where the animation shine, it definitely has to be during the musical numbers, as they are staged like a Broadway show (which makes sense since the songs are from the Broadway show) & the visuals go all out & make it look really Christmas-y. Another part I love is the use of 2D animation used when telling the stories But if I had one issue, it'd be that it looks a little bit too polished compared to the rough quality of the specials. Still, even if it's intentionally meant to look limited, it does look nice & does a great job at paying homage to the Rankin/Bass specials!

 

Characters: One thing's for sure, considering this is a stop motion special & a cartoon, therefore the characters are treated like this compared to their live action counterparts! Buddy, for example, is essentially the same Christmas fanboy being naive with a good heart yet is a bit more over the top. But I know what the big question is with Buddy: Is Jim Parsons as good as Will Ferrell? Well...he's actually really good! I mean, nobody can play Buddy like Will can but Jim does a pretty good job with his voice acting & manages to make Buddy his own character rather than trying to imitate Will's performance, being a bit more goofy this time round. His father, Walter (voiced by Mark Hamil) is the same cynical man as he was in the film, but his change in heart happens quicker & is a bit nicer. As for Jovie (voiced by Kate Miccuci) she feels pretty watered down compared to her live action counterpart & is pretty much the generic love interest & is less cynical compared to the film. Buddy's stepmother Emily (voiced by Seth MacFarlane's sister Rachel MacFarlane) & half brother Michael (voiced by Max Charles) are the loving wife & kinda cliched kid who are sad over Walter's cynicism & immediately accept Buddy into their family with Michael being down in the dumps over believing in Santa thanks to his dad. Santa (voiced by Ed Asner reprising his role from the film) is essentially the same as he was in the film, except is a bit more fun & less cynical compared to the film & also narrates the special. Oh yeah, and this special's version of Miles Finch, now called Mr Greenway (voiced by Gilbert Gotfried), a hilarious over the top villain that fires everyone he sees &Gilbert Gotfried's voice acting is of course hilarious, if not too similar to his performance as Iago in Aladdin (although you could argue it's intentional due them having very similar personalities) Sure, the characters may be more cartoony compared to their live action counterparts, but that's how it should be for something like this & the voice acting is very very solid!

 

Songs: Yes, this is a musical as the title suggests, and they genuinely surprised me with how good they are! The opening 'Christmastown' is a hilarious parody of them overtly happy Christmas songs & Jim Parsons' singing voice already shines when he first appears (oh yeah, and the tune from I'm In a Store & I'm Singing from the movie makes a subtle cameo!) with the witty lyrics making this hilarious. The World's Greatest Dad is a fun Broadway style number with Jim Parson's singing shining even more & is a nice way to quickly segway into the New York scenes. If You Were Real is probably the weakest song although it is nice to see more of Michael & Emily expressing how they feel about Christmas, Santa & Walter's cynicism. Sparklejollytwinklejingley (now moved from the store Buddy works in to Walter's apartment) is a very fun number during a very fun montage of Buddy decorating the apartment. A Christmas Song sung by Buddy & Jovie at Rockerfellar Centre is also a fun number rather it be the visuals or being a nice song to lift up Christmas spirit. Nobody Cares About Santa is also a funny parody of them sad & cynical second act songs as we see the perspectives of Christmas from department store Santas & is surprisingly depressing getting down to it! There Is a Santa Claus is also a fun song for Michael & Emily after they see Santa, even if it feels a bit pointless compared to the other songs in this. The reprise of A Christmas Song is also pretty good & fun for the reasons mentioned in the first version used earlier in the special. Finally, there's The Story of  Buddy The Elf, a fun recap of the events with the visuals being really creative (which makes sense for the finale) All of the songs are very well done in terms of visuals & are very fun to listen to along with some very very good singing from Jim Parsons to top it all off!

 

Overall, Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas really surprised me as it knew exactly what it wanted to be with a well executed version of the movie with very homagonist visuals, the characters we know & love being funny with very solid voice acting & very very fun songs from the Broadway show. It definitely wouldn't hurt to watch this once this Christmas (it'll actually air on Christmas Day on ITV in UK for those interested), but if I can be honest, my recommendation would just be watching the original Elf movie because that is now a staple in modern Christmas films & is such a joy to watch no matter how old you are (and yes, Will Ferrell is easily the best thing about it along with the humour). Still, this surprised me in many ways & really, it could have been MUCH worse! It's still much better than I thought it was going to be & Jim Parsons as Buddy genuinely surprised me with how good he was!
Story: 8/10
Animation: 7/10
Characters: 8/10
Songs: 9/10
Overall: 8/10