OH no. Oh no this movie didn't. This movie did NOT use disability solely as a means to make a character pitiable. This ticks me off more than I can say.
Kieran Mahon At least people like Johnny Joestar from Steel Ball Run actually needs a wheelchair, or at least be riding a horse in Johnny's case, to get anywhere. Little Miss Perfect barely has to struggle to get anywhere. Yare yare daze...
They ahould have said that Sophiana and her family got into a massive car accident, she was permanently injured from it, and then, most importantly, ACTUALLY MAKE USE OF HER DISABILITY FOR THE PLOT INSTEAD OF JUST BECAUSE!!!
To add onto your point about Tiny Tim, "A Christmas Carol" was written and set in Victorian England, where poor people dying of various illnesses and physical conditions brought on by poverty and the extremely limited knowledge of medical science of the day, especially poor and orphaned children, was extremely common. It serves as more than just a gimmick to make the Cratchits more sympathetic because it reflects real problems of the time, and how Scrooge is an embodiment of Victorian England's wealthy turning their noses up at those less fortunate. This special that seems to be set at any non-specific point in the modern era chose to give their cutesy Mary-Sue a cane cuz.
Right? If they wanted to really drive home a disabled kid, they should've given her something that reflects today's problems. Make her rely on insulin that the orphanage doesn't wanna pay for. Now we have a reason for her to be outcast, and a reason for her disability, that reflects modern day problems.
In case you were wondering, Madison Davenport, who voices Her, has been in bit parts before and since this movie, including 'From Dusk Till Dawn' and 'Shameless.' Speaking of the voice cast, when I learned that Norm McDonald died, Buster was the first thing that came to mind. Not the greatest legacy...
I was actually surprised that Sophiana wasn’t voiced by Fluttershy’s actress Ashleigh Bell. The voice sounded like Fluttershy if it was a tiny bit lower and less of a whisper
Somewhere, Tiny Tim wakes up in a cold sweat. "I've been replaced!" he whispers, and then immediately falls back asleep bc Sophiana isn't nearly as iconic or effective.
Musical Hell in Hellsing Ultimate, the Catholics had a piece of the cross.... and it apparently gave anyone super powers if they stabbed the piece in their hearts
DemonicRemption No, I’m sorry, but that’s not allowed. Hugh Jackman played the Easter bunny, and we all know what happened the last time Hugh Jackman fought vampires. We got “Van Helsing”.
@@jalix9574 Well I did say "in the right hands..." And from what I saw in the Nostalgia Critic's review of Van Hellsing that film was crafted by the wrong hands. And it could have worked if thought through properly.
Why does this look so familiar? It's done in that pastelled Flash style that been so popular in the last decade, especially on Cartoon Network: Somewhere between 'Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends' and 'Friendship Is Magic.' You're not wrong about her hair, too. But the sweet crippled orphan part, I could do without.
So, Sophiana had a leg busted up in a car crash enough to require a cane to walk, and yet the first thing we see her do is climb a tree without a ladder? Yeah, that tracks the laziness.
I just got that Buster saying "make like a bridge and ease my mind" was a reference to the song Bridge Over Troubled Water. _"Like a bridge/ over troubled water/ I will ease your mind"_
It's one of those jokes that probably sounded "clever" in the writer's head, but doesn't translate well on paper because even people who know the song probably won't catch the reference at first thanks to how poorly constructed it was.
Question... Why is Buster a red fox instead of an Arctic fox, which WOULD be living in that climate? Do the filmmakers think red is the only color fur foxes have? Even Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer the Movie got this right. That just goes to show how little attention to detail there is in this film.
Actually, red foxes do venture into the Arctic 🥶 and shockingly, they kill Arctic foxes wherever they meet. With that in mind...oh crap this just got a whole ton creepier
Wow! The " there was no Christmas for like thirty years until a cloying orphan and her assorted companions brought it back?" premise sounds like The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, only, poorly executed. And well, not-by-C.S. Lewis-executed.
C.S. Lewis had more than just a lack of Christmas to justify why everyone was miserable; this really only has the Christmas thing. Though _both_ are steeped in a ridiculous amount of Christendom for what should be a pretty simple fantasy story.
Speaking of LW&W... please tell me I'm not the only one whose brain works itself into knots trying to figure out why Christmas even exists in a parallel world where their Jesus-analogue was there from the start and thus never had a real birthday, AND hasn't even done his death-on-the-stone-table thing yet?
@@snarkbotanya6557 Well, depending on how you interpret the Trinity, Christian doctrine suggests that Jesus was around since the beginning of time. On the other hand, the core canon doesn't even hint at a Trinity, so who knows? (I wonder if some kid wandered into Narnia between books and introduced them to Christmas.)
@@timothymclean At least Narnia does more with the Jesus allegory than just tack his name onto a macguffin in what is presumably a lazy attempt to appeal to the Helen Lovejoys of the world.
Part of that is probably because the animation is so cheap that it would take too much work to animate a limp. This shit isn't even animated in ToonBoom (the industry standard program for animation.) Probably just a crap Flash cartoon lol
The 80s Cabbage Patch Kids Christmas special did something similar with its disabled girl Jenny only she has a leg brace. It is even more apparent that there is absolutely nothing wrong with Jenny or her leg as she outruns an old elderly woman who is a pickpocket and her two henchmen who are at least in their mid 30s and should be able to run after and grab Jenny easily. But nope! Jenny manages to escape from two grown men with no physical hinderances or that they are out of shape.
Why why whyyyyyy “Sophiana”? Why not just “Sophie”? Sophie is adorable and perfectly fine. This plus her “disability” (that is only there for pity points and not an actual deterrant), orphan background and bullied backstory, and her supposed perfect cook skills makes her hit swuarely in the “Mary Sur” category... the ones made by 12 year olds who just discovered fan fics. Except ADULTS made this. Adults WROTE and NAMED this character “Sophiana”. Adults, who should know better, wrote a character even kid writers would find too Mary Sueish
Sophie and Sophia are both pretty enough names; it really does sound Mary Sue-ish. Also, yeah, the disability thing is annoying; I wish disabled folks were presented more as people rather than inspiration porn or pitiable objects.
Say what you will about Chloe Carmichael from The Fairly Oddparents, but at least she has a personality. Sophiana on the other hand only has "nice" as a personality. Even Stanley from A Troll In Central Park has more of a personality than Sophiana.
@@jeremyusreevu237 Chloe is still worse. Sophiana at least only exists in this special (and TBH, she does have a...certain charm); Chloe, on the other hand, got slapped on a dying cartoon that used to have good characters and an interesting supporting cast, and somehow made it worse.
The 80s Cabbage Patch Kids Christmas special is even worse with the little girl having a disability only for pity points thing. Jenny has a leg brace and claims no one will want her because she’s “different” and the animators even put special focus on her leg brace yet she outruns three pickpockets on foot for an entire afternoon and night. The crooks were an elderly woman which yeah maybe Jenny could outrun theoretically due to age but then there are the old woman’s henchmen who are about late 30s to early 40s and are more physically fit than a child and old woman and Jenny avoids being captured by them. So much for being disabled and having difficulty keeping up with others.
Okay I give them credit for trying to answer “what the hell does Santa have to do with Jesus’ birth,” but seriously this is a stretch. “Saint Peter was a Rabbit” is a much less silly explanation by comparison
I think the sack is actually a really creative idea; there are allot of items like that in Christian and Pagan hybrid lore. Like the holy grail and the spear of destiny. I think the lore of the sack is actually a great idea.
10:50 that part made me face palm as well. That convoluted plot point reminded me of Kirk Cameron’s saving Christmas where he tries to draw similarities between presents and the Bible story.
does anyone else notice that when sophiana is carrying that plate, she is _walking and standing perfectly fine without the cane?_ _was it too expensive to proofread the script?!_
I can carry plates without my cane (because...I don't have a whole lot of choice since I have to prepare my own food and don't have a live-in aide at the moment; I usually have to rest my bad leg immediately afterward) and...in absolute fairness, this animation looks too cheap to properly animate a character with a limp.
And speaking of "here again", I'm here again remarkably early. I heard Ed Asner and Norm McDonald, both of whom contributed to this bumpy ride, died recently.
I distinctly remember watching this as a child, and I remember Krad being a lot more intimidating yet still a little goofy. I guess my brain made this better than it actually was.
When watching your review, I was thinking to myself what would happen if LAIKA makes an stop-motion film about the origin of Santa Claus. Not sure about it, but may have potential.
Rob Bob I'd much rather watch Christi Esterle's review of Christmas Is Here Again than the Rangoon's review of it... not to call out the Rangoons but the "Shut Up Leno" Cameos got distracting...
Killian Rainbow is right, "Santa Claus is Coming To Town" already exists and it's a pretty solid film about Santa Claus' origins. On the other hand I'd like to see Laika doing some sort of origin story of the Krampus.
The real St. Nicholas did some pretty cool stuff...though unfortunately, the only part I can remember is when he participated in a brawl at the Council of Nicea and decked one of the most prominent attendees.
The title song isn't even a song, it's more of a joyless chant! It's less melodic than the Winkie's chant in "The Wizard of Oz". It makes you long for "We Are Santa's Elves"! And is anyone else bothered by that elf at 3:42? Dude, WTF? Norm MacDonald singing... ugh. Then again, Norm MacDonald in general.... ugh. I agree with your gripe on Sophiana, she suffers the same problem as the protagonists in "The Princess and the Pea": She's nice... and that's it. Disney has been churning movies with basically nice protagonists for almost 8 decades, but, at least in the last generation or two, they give them qualities other than "nice": they have flaws, they have wants and needs, problems, struggles, they often have a third-act crisis of faith, they learn valuable lessons at the end. Sophiana, on the other hand, would bore Pollyanna or the average Shirley Temple character with her one-note sweetness. And giving her a superfluous disability that in no way impacts the plot or presents an obstacle was not only poor writing, but an example of political correctness gone wrong. Don't just give a character a disability for the hell of it, show how it impacts their daily life! "Kubo and the Two Strings" is a good, recent example. Shirley Jones, I'm so glad you're still singing and working in your golden years, but this?! Does Krad hail from Nilbog, by any chance (yeah, I know I'm not the first to make that joke, but I couldn't help it)? You're a brave soul for tackling "A Troll in Central Park". I've only seen the Nostalgia Critic's review, but I can assure you that it's a world of treacle and hurt.
Disney's recent live-action redo of "Cinderella" shows that it is possible to create a character whose defining virtues are sweetness and kindness without making her disgustingly saccharine and/or a complete ninny. It's not easy, though, and this movie doesn't even come close.
Laura Dietrich Honestly Daria feels like a Pixar character compared to Sophiana. At least she feels like a character that *could* have worked, could have been unique and even mature. The Princess And The Pea had a whole angle about what are the qualities of a ruler, and it could have been expanded in a way that’s relevant and informative. That, and I am a sucker for “excessively naive and idealistic female lead grows some nails and learns to stand out for herself”, and even if it didn’t appear in Diva’s review, Daria was an active element in the climax and she and Rollo defeated Hildegard together. Also she is well designed. And she isn’t disabled just for the sake of pity.
15:00 I think the line should have been something like "I'm troubled water, now make like a bridge and get over me". It still wouldn't be any good, but at least it would have made a bit more sense.
I am honestly so glad that I never heard of this movie. And about that suggestion about a falling out between Santa and Krampus, my dad once wrote a short story that featured Santa and Krampus together back for the January 1989 issue for a magazine.
As much as I enjoy the Isle of Rangoon review of this, I think you did a much better job explaining why the film giving Sophiana an informed disability like that was both bad representation-wise and lazy writing-wise.
I'd love to see more media have cane users using canes *RIGHT.* The whole point is to maintain balance if you have trouble walking (because of chronic pain, recent surgery, injury, or some other reason).
Fun Fact: One of the character designer from this Christmas movie is Steve Lambe who is the character designer from other shows such as Hilda, Kid Cosmic, El Tigre, StoryBots Answer Time, and Atomic Puppet. Plus they have illustrated on these children's books. So that's it bye.
Wow, this movie looks particularly obnoxious, but at least it isn't about simply having a Wonderful Christmas Time! And... I'm guessing Rudolph died heroically in the first Krampus War to get that damn sack (man doesn't that sound porny!).
Gregory House Imagine if one of the TWO direct-to-video sequels to Norm Of The North (At least the two that I've heard that were planned) is actually a Christmas movie & a musical. That would be a match made in Musical Hell (No pun intended Diva) I can imagine the title now. Norm Of The North: An Artic Christmas Tale (Sorry if I end up jinxing it and that DOES happen)
16:56 I'll admit, that DID get a chuckle out of me. And the visual of Crad as a baby is really cute, in my opinion. So for me, this song DOES have two redeeming values.
If they wanted an “I’m evil for the hell of it” villain song they’d have been better off not trying to write one and just paying whatever the license fee was to have Ol Ed do a cover of Voltaire’s “when you’re evil”
If you really want to make Sophiana likable, give her an actual personality, like she’s nice but incredibly naive. She can be too eager to please at times. And if you’re going to have her crippled, actually have it bear relevance to the plot (ie she can’t run well or walk long distances or climb trees and even explain how she became an orphan to begin with). Plus, what’s wrong with just Sophie or Ana/Anna
Most annoying relatives? From that first impression, that made me think of 50s conservative families! Anyway, your videos are always a please to watch (and toady's jokes referring to "The Last Avatar", and the twisted ideas of the origins of the Easter Bunny's Basket, and Santa's sack were the highlights for me!) BTW, if you're disappointed that you didn't get to sin "Beauty and the Beast: the Enchanted Christmas" this time of year before the release of the live-action remake of the original, and if you still need some sort of catharsis from that, might I refer you to this Deviant Journal that takes a CinemaSins-style approach to it: jpbelow.deviantart.com/journal/Everything-Wrong-With-BatB-The-Enchanted-Christmas-649111480 "A Troll in Central Park" is next?! To quote George Takei, "OH MY!…"
That comedic stab really confused me and I love the song. The bridge isn’t easing the mind of troubled water; it’s supposed to be a simile on being there for someone who needs you as a bridge eases the way across troubled water. This just sort of jumbled the lyrics to become incomprehensible to most people.
Watching this makes me wonder, did the elves had anything to with the theft of Santa's sack. Isay because the fact that Kradd just stole from right under their noses seem too easy. That Krad just took the sack, and not one of the elves notice or even sound the alarms, what if the elves and Krad conspiracized that the elves let Krad steal the sack, so they can finally be free from serving Santa. Why? Because I imagine after decades of doing all real work for Santa, (which involves making all toys, and wrapping all the presents, and put them all in the sleigh) and having nothing to show for or a thanks for their manifested devotion, labour, and servitude, they became just plain sick and tired of it. I imagine that underneath those smiles and songs, deep inside, is a bitter pessimist who has had it of being overworked and underpaid, for literally nothing, only Paul Rocco would be the only elf left who is not in on the elves' plan and still gives a shit about Christmas when alot people, even his fellow co-workers don't.
I like that idea! You should take this plot line and put in a movie of your own. How are people like you and me able to write more interesting stories than these people who get paid to write movies like this?
The odd thing about Renegade Animation...is that they also made a Cartoon Network Show involving Puffy Ami Yumi, the World’s Famous Japanese Pop Rock Stars into a Cartoon in 2004-2006 as Follows. So yeah, The production studio who did Christmas Time is here Again also did this one too.
weird little thing that bothers me: the art style can't seem to decide how it wants Sophiana to look from the side. There are at least two models for her in the exact same position to the camera with her hair completely different. This wouldn't be so much of a problem in other styles, but when you go for 60s minimalism you gotta commit to the bit.
You know, if they wanted to make Sophiana an uberwoobie, they should go all the way and make so much crap happen to her it’s almost comedic.(ala eek the cat or, more appropriately, tinny tim from futurama.(for instance, when she swings from the branch using her cane, show a montage of her previous failed attempts which caused her to fall)
And if your going for drama, you could still have sophiana be nice and sweet…but have her patience worn thin as the movie goes on, until someone asked why the hell she’s so kind when everything around her is so awful Sophiana:”because someone has to, darn it! Do you think I like being an orphan? That I enjoy living at that awful place? That I like being told I’m worthless because I need a cane? No, but kind anyways. And it’s not easy. Let me tell you, it can be very hard to be nice to some people” stares at the fox “but I’d do it anyway. And you know why? Because the world is already bad enough as it is, and I just wanna make is a teeny bit less bad. Is that so wrong?”
There's one way i do like the cane: normalize disability. Disabled people exist, it's fine to have them in a starring role with it not being a plotpoint (one of the things i think mlp did extremely well with characters like scotelo and curfuffle). But then don't do the "you're broken" thing and just allow it to exist independant of character progression.
And also actually have it play a role in the character's life. Disabilities exsist, and that's ok! But disabilities... exsist. You can't just ignore it throughout the entire movie when your character's doing something that people with that disability in real life probably can't do.
@@goosegas2087 partially true, but there's also the part that a lot of disabled people can do things you may not expect. a lot of people in wheelchairs can for instance still stand and walk, they just can't do it enough that life would be comfortable without a wheelchair. i'm not saying don't show plot irrelevant struggles but not showing it isn't definitely bad. in how many movies do people wear glasses where it doesn't matter to the story? why not do the same for different aids?
@@vinx.909 Yeah, and how many movies have a kid with asthma but it magically disappeares in certain situations where asthma would almost certainly be relevant? It obviously doesnt have to be the star of the show, but when in situations where the disability will be a disability, they shouldn't magically treat it like it doesn't matter.
@@goosegas2087 agreed, if you clarified what it is and when it would be a problem (which you do if you make clear it's asthma) then you shouldn't break the rules you set up. If you keep t vague you can get away with more (such as having a character with glasses, hearing aids, a cane) as when you don't establish as many rules there are less rules for you to break. (Glasses just mean that the character can't see optimally without in all cases, same with hearing aids for hearing (depending on the type of course), a cane means that for walking but it can be just for attacks of dizziness of needed when the character is tired or other situational scenario that never come into play). I think it's good to have disability aids in movies (or less, many people with glasses are not disabled so long as they have their glasses), but not exclusively.
Oh my god, I have been looking for this movie everywhere. I remember watching it when I was a kid and all I could remember was a blond girl, a polar bear, and an indiana jones rip off. No one but me remembered it.
Norm Macdonald was referring to the song Bridge Over Troubled Water. The one lyrics goes, "Like a Bridge Over Troubled Water, I will ease your mind." Granted, it was a bad reference, but a legitimate one.
7:20 ug i hate when kids movies do this the whole i know you life stinks but that's no reason to be sad bs I think diva said something about it in the swan princess Christmas review but
That outtake after the credits made me laugh so hard, because my cat is the same way. If I'm doing anything on the computer, she has to compete with it for my attention.
Sita loves the space between my keyboard and monitor. Pros: perfect place for pettins therapy when I need it. Cons: lying on my day planner, flopping over on her side and hitting my function/escape keys at inopportune times.
@@MusicalHell Athena's more of a lap kitty than a keyboard kitty... pros include, well, kitty snuggles; cons include prickly toes and pointy paws that she always, ALWAYS places in just the right way to poke right into my inner thighs. It's like there's some unwritten feline rule that for every snuggle, they must also give us a certain amount of pain. If you ever need a good punishment in Hell for someone who did something bad to a cat character, I recommend an eternity of being walked on by cats who always put their paws on the bladder, lower ribs, or naughty bits.
@@MusicalHell Also... after thinking on it for a while and plumbing the dark depths of the part of my brain devoted to song lyrics I will never, ever need to know, I'm pretty sure Buster's "be a bridge and ease my mind" joke is a reference to Bridge Over Troubled Water ("I will ease your mind, like a bridge over troubled water"). Which is something I'm pretty sure only someone who sang that song in high school choir and has a brain optimized for making bizarre references would ever get. So congratulations, movie, on optimizing a joke pretty much specifically for my sole understanding... or not, because it sucks.
And the truly sad thing is of all the Christmas movies you've talked about on this channel, this one is the closest to being good. I really like this movie's animation style. There are some interesting ideas here. And some of the voice acting choices are excellent. I could maybe talk myself into liking it if it slightest bit more effort put into it.
13:11 "Excuse me, but you're dealing with a future US Army soldier." I'm not the only one who caught that vibe, am I? On the plus side, it IS quite refreshing to watch a Christmas movie with Ed Asner in it, but he's NOT playing Santa.
Also, 'Buster and Charlie'? Perhaps I'm just shooting sinners that try to escape the boiling river of blood over here, but if this isn't an attempt to remind us of CHARLIE Chaplin and BUSTER Keaton, I'm Cecil B. Demille.
To be honest, I thought this was a cheap dollar store home video. Like Elf Bowling and Foodfight. You know, movies that get a dove "family approved" badge and you can find at the dollar store and no one cares about buying 😂
I'm semi-amused by this, but also semi-annoyed because that's the same kind of thing I hear about needing to use a cane because I'm "too young" (I'm actually 33, but look younger).
I think Krad could of been a better villain if he was either an entity made of or fueled by hatred and fear rather than just saying “Oh I’m just evil and I stole Santa’s sack for no reason” and just either making his goals more mysterious or actually make a goal that makes more sense. Or basically have him get redeemed at the end and apologize to Santa for stealing his sack.
Depends on their parents' musical tastes; it's a Parental Bonus that you see in various kids' movies (you think kids would get the joke about foot size in Frozen, for example?).
@@PhoenixRising87 The point is, they're not going to get the reference. My mom listened to a ton of Neil Diamond when I was a kid, but I'd never be able to recognize any of his lyrics in a kid's show. You don't pay attention to that stuff at that age.
Lol this movie is just about everybody finding Santa’s sack and that’s not even bad and some dumb devil says out loud he stole Santa’s sack and his sack is the biggest thing ever so if you crawl in you will be falling forever XD
I loved this review. Can't wait for a Troll in Central Park. though for next Christmas, may I recommend Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and The Island of Misfit Toys? I remember it being really bad (and horrendous early 2000's CGI)
And what pisses me off is that movie implies that everyone celebrates Chrstimas. Like even if Chrstimas somehow disappeared there are holidays like Hanukkah, Diwali, Yule, , Kwanzaa, Ramadan, and, Eid and other holidays would still be celebrated! Like as for myself as Christian Christmas is not presents so yeah as to Diva's question did people just stop going to church?
Sophiana reminds me of that girl Jenny from that bizarre Cabbage Patch Kids 80s special in that both claim that no one wants them because they’re disabled and different from the other kids yet both never show any real signs of their disabilities hindering them in any way and both doing physical things that shows that they’re perfectly fine and the disability aspect is a cheap way to get pity points from the viewer. Jenny has a leg brace yet she outruns a trio of pickpockets which consists of an elderly woman and her two younger and faster henchmen who are between mid 30s to early 40s at most.
@@KaminoKatie Exactly. Viewing the CPK special as an adult and seeing Jenny outrun three adults makes me think, "Girl, why are you claiming no one will adopt you because of the leg brace? You just outran two adult men perfectly capable of catching you and being faster. You're fine!"
no... it's not like her first name is sophie and her middle name is anna... her name is literally _sophianna_ that is the most self insert oc name i've ever heard
You know, I know that name is getting a lot of flack, but if you live in a suburb with a lot of yuppie parents, you'll see a lot of kids with those kind of names.
So, Santa's sack is a TARDIS for presents because the Baby Jesus used to poop into the cloth it's made from... I need a bucket of eggnog to think through all the implications of this concept.
I've run into a lot of cartoon series with this artstyle... And it's all made worse by how bad the grand majority of them are written. If this artstyle had some actual good writing to accompany, since I actually like this artstyle, honestly - things wouldn't be so bad.
What kind of song IS "Christmas is Here again?" It's horrible! Please sing any other song, elves. Any other half-way decent song. Oh my goodness! And it goes right from that song to Santa's sack being stolen? What about character development? What about establishing the setting? This movie is already driving me mad!
For the first time since March 27, 2020, I'm about to watch the "Christmas Is Here Again" episode now. EDIT- 10:31 P.M.: *finishes episode 23 minutes later* I'm still surprised that you didn't just call Sophiana a Mary Sue! 😆
(8:12) That voice sounds familiar, let me...(sees that it's Daniel Roebuck)...GODDAMIT! You were in The Fugitive! At least, it's still a step up from the "gay-but-not-really best friend" role from Let There Be Light. I know I'm damning it with damn praise, but this movie has more humanity than Let There Be Light.
@@jeremyusreevu237 Chloe is still worse IMO; she was slapped into a show that used to be good but was on its last leg, and Mary-Sued all over its remains. At least Sophiana is restricted to this special.
I watched this movie religiously as a child, my mom got it from a bargain bin when I was like 4 or younger and to this day, it’s still burned into my memory like a crappy rap album your estranged older cousin made in the 90’s is burned into a cassette tape lost in a few boxes in your grandmas attic
Sophiana is a saccharine checklist of prweciousness that I wish wasn't in use so much. She's so bland . I would love to have a Krampsus and Santa Clause Christmas special
This movie may be a mess but at least the voice acting and artstyle of it is nice. Reminds me of some older Cartoon Network shows specifically Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends.
I've seen a behind the scenes video that explains the casting choice for Jay Leno as narrator, it's because they were going for a showman vibe like with the late great Burl Ives. And nice mention of the infamous "Shut Up Leno!" gag from the Island Of Rangoon's review of it.
I have seen this particular Musical Hell a number of times and I agree it isn't a really good Christmas special. While I did like the fact that Shirley Jones was one of the voices and while Norm MacDonald was a funny guy he was more suited to SNL than Christmas specials. As for your Epiphany comment, in Spain, Portugal and most of Latin America most of the gift giving is still done on Epiphany. And the British Christmas tune, "12 Days of Christmas", it means the twelve days from Christmas (Dec 25th) to Epiphany (Jan 6th).
OH no. Oh no this movie didn't. This movie did NOT use disability solely as a means to make a character pitiable.
This ticks me off more than I can say.
Kieran Mahon At least people like Johnny Joestar from Steel Ball Run actually needs a wheelchair, or at least be riding a horse in Johnny's case, to get anywhere.
Little Miss Perfect barely has to struggle to get anywhere. Yare yare daze...
Kieran Mahon it annoys how since she doesn't even need the cane, it makes her look like more of a Mary Sue. Ugh
They ahould have said that Sophiana and her family got into a massive car accident, she was permanently injured from it, and then, most importantly, ACTUALLY MAKE USE OF HER DISABILITY FOR THE PLOT INSTEAD OF JUST BECAUSE!!!
+Chasformer Except it was actually done well with Tiny Tim (and it wasn't a cliche at that point since it was one of the first uses of it).
bh5496 Tiny Tim had very short appearances. And when he does make an appearance, he is carried by his dad or with his cane.
To add onto your point about Tiny Tim, "A Christmas Carol" was written and set in Victorian England, where poor people dying of various illnesses and physical conditions brought on by poverty and the extremely limited knowledge of medical science of the day, especially poor and orphaned children, was extremely common. It serves as more than just a gimmick to make the Cratchits more sympathetic because it reflects real problems of the time, and how Scrooge is an embodiment of Victorian England's wealthy turning their noses up at those less fortunate. This special that seems to be set at any non-specific point in the modern era chose to give their cutesy Mary-Sue a cane cuz.
Right? If they wanted to really drive home a disabled kid, they should've given her something that reflects today's problems. Make her rely on insulin that the orphanage doesn't wanna pay for. Now we have a reason for her to be outcast, and a reason for her disability, that reflects modern day problems.
Why not make her autistic and have the orphanage not want to pay for her to learn connections with other children?
What kills me is that she isn’t even using the cane correctly.
They made Sophianna crippled purely for the sake of brownie points
@@KaminoKatie You're giving the writers too much credit. You assume they know what "brownie points" and "woke" even mean
Sophiana sounds like the name a WASP family would give their daughter to make her sound unique
Even though Sophiana is as basic as a Mary Sue can get, the girl who voices her actually doesn't sound that bad for a child actor.
Also, her design as a character isn't that bad.
In case you were wondering, Madison Davenport, who voices Her, has been in bit parts before and since this movie, including 'From Dusk Till Dawn' and 'Shameless.'
Speaking of the voice cast, when I learned that Norm McDonald died, Buster was the first thing that came to mind. Not the greatest legacy...
I was actually surprised that Sophiana wasn’t voiced by Fluttershy’s actress Ashleigh Bell. The voice sounded like Fluttershy if it was a tiny bit lower and less of a whisper
@@kenthuang436 I thought Fluttershy was voiced by Andrea Libman.
Somewhere, Tiny Tim wakes up in a cold sweat. "I've been replaced!" he whispers, and then immediately falls back asleep bc Sophiana isn't nearly as iconic or effective.
...so does this mean that the Easter Bunny is naturally and uniquely equipped to fight vampires?
...Now THERE is a movie I'd want to see. A sequel to "Rise of the Guardians," perhaps?
Musical Hell in Hellsing Ultimate, the Catholics had a piece of the cross.... and it apparently gave anyone super powers if they stabbed the piece in their hearts
@@MusicalHell
A Rise Of The Guardians sequel where the Easter Bunny fights vampires... That'd be neat in the right hands.
DemonicRemption No, I’m sorry, but that’s not allowed. Hugh Jackman played the Easter bunny, and we all know what happened the last time Hugh Jackman fought vampires. We got “Van Helsing”.
@@jalix9574
Well I did say "in the right hands..." And from what I saw in the Nostalgia Critic's review of Van Hellsing that film was crafted by the wrong hands. And it could have worked if thought through properly.
For a crippled, poor orphan Sophiana's hair sure is on fleek.
Hinatachan360 Mary Sue, because you’re poorly written
Nah it’s to provoke pity- which is worse
Why does this look so familiar? It's done in that pastelled Flash style that been so popular in the last decade, especially on Cartoon Network: Somewhere between 'Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends' and 'Friendship Is Magic.'
You're not wrong about her hair, too. But the sweet crippled orphan part, I could do without.
She's like...seven. I highly doubt she styles her own hair.
how right mates her hair is perfectly fine & not missy like most children are
I'm betting that in another version of this script, Sofiana turned out to be a reincarnation of Jesus Christ. It would certainly explain a lot.
So sophiana is basically a mary sue
Or Gabriel's daughter
She’s the source of the Time Lords’ regeneration powers.
That’s actually really blasphemous. Even more than Santa using Jesus’s clothes as a sack.
I read your comment again. I originally thought this was some kind of behind the scenes thing.
So, Sophiana had a leg busted up in a car crash enough to require a cane to walk, and yet the first thing we see her do is climb a tree without a ladder?
Yeah, that tracks the laziness.
I just got that Buster saying "make like a bridge and ease my mind" was a reference to the song Bridge Over Troubled Water.
_"Like a bridge/ over troubled water/ I will ease your mind"_
It's one of those jokes that probably sounded "clever" in the writer's head, but doesn't translate well on paper because even people who know the song probably won't catch the reference at first thanks to how poorly constructed it was.
Question... Why is Buster a red fox instead of an Arctic fox, which WOULD be living in that climate? Do the filmmakers think red is the only color fur foxes have? Even Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer the Movie got this right. That just goes to show how little attention to detail there is in this film.
It seem like the filmmakers were too lazy to do research. The onething I can't stand is people who don't do research.
Let's the fox got lost or something. Or decided to move up north.
Actually, red foxes do venture into the Arctic 🥶 and shockingly, they kill Arctic foxes wherever they meet. With that in mind...oh crap this just got a whole ton creepier
Wow! The " there was no Christmas for like thirty years until a cloying orphan and her assorted companions brought it back?" premise sounds like The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, only, poorly executed.
And well, not-by-C.S. Lewis-executed.
C.S. Lewis had more than just a lack of Christmas to justify why everyone was miserable; this really only has the Christmas thing.
Though _both_ are steeped in a ridiculous amount of Christendom for what should be a pretty simple fantasy story.
Speaking of LW&W... please tell me I'm not the only one whose brain works itself into knots trying to figure out why Christmas even exists in a parallel world where their Jesus-analogue was there from the start and thus never had a real birthday, AND hasn't even done his death-on-the-stone-table thing yet?
@@snarkbotanya6557 Well, depending on how you interpret the Trinity, Christian doctrine suggests that Jesus was around since the beginning of time. On the other hand, the core canon doesn't even hint at a Trinity, so who knows?
(I wonder if some kid wandered into Narnia between books and introduced them to Christmas.)
The catapillar becomes a Purple butterfly too.
@@timothymclean At least Narnia does more with the Jesus allegory than just tack his name onto a macguffin in what is presumably a lazy attempt to appeal to the Helen Lovejoys of the world.
Her leg looks fine and she doesn't even have a limp, and we're expected to believe she "needs" that cane outside being a pity prop?
Part of that is probably because the animation is so cheap that it would take too much work to animate a limp. This shit isn't even animated in ToonBoom (the industry standard program for animation.) Probably just a crap Flash cartoon lol
It was made before ToonBoom became the standard
The 80s Cabbage Patch Kids Christmas special did something similar with its disabled girl Jenny only she has a leg brace. It is even more apparent that there is absolutely nothing wrong with Jenny or her leg as she outruns an old elderly woman who is a pickpocket and her two henchmen who are at least in their mid 30s and should be able to run after and grab Jenny easily. But nope! Jenny manages to escape from two grown men with no physical hinderances or that they are out of shape.
Why why whyyyyyy “Sophiana”? Why not just “Sophie”? Sophie is adorable and perfectly fine.
This plus her “disability” (that is only there for pity points and not an actual deterrant), orphan background and bullied backstory, and her supposed perfect cook skills makes her hit swuarely in the “Mary Sur” category... the ones made by 12 year olds who just discovered fan fics.
Except ADULTS made this. Adults WROTE and NAMED this character “Sophiana”. Adults, who should know better, wrote a character even kid writers would find too Mary Sueish
Sophie and Sophia are both pretty enough names; it really does sound Mary Sue-ish.
Also, yeah, the disability thing is annoying; I wish disabled folks were presented more as people rather than inspiration porn or pitiable objects.
@@PhoenixRising87 or Sofie and Sofia
Say what you will about Chloe Carmichael from The Fairly Oddparents, but at least she has a personality. Sophiana on the other hand only has "nice" as a personality. Even Stanley from A Troll In Central Park has more of a personality than Sophiana.
@@jeremyusreevu237 Chloe is still worse. Sophiana at least only exists in this special (and TBH, she does have a...certain charm); Chloe, on the other hand, got slapped on a dying cartoon that used to have good characters and an interesting supporting cast, and somehow made it worse.
The 80s Cabbage Patch Kids Christmas special is even worse with the little girl having a disability only for pity points thing. Jenny has a leg brace and claims no one will want her because she’s “different” and the animators even put special focus on her leg brace yet she outruns three pickpockets on foot for an entire afternoon and night. The crooks were an elderly woman which yeah maybe Jenny could outrun theoretically due to age but then there are the old woman’s henchmen who are about late 30s to early 40s and are more physically fit than a child and old woman and Jenny avoids being captured by them. So much for being disabled and having difficulty keeping up with others.
This special is actually hilarious in its sheer lameness. You're so right about the interesting elements being completely wasted.
KC "Sheer lameness"? Was that an unintentional joke about Sophiana's fake disability?
It's so lame it needs a cane (or does it)
Okay I give them credit for trying to answer “what the hell does Santa have to do with Jesus’ birth,” but seriously this is a stretch. “Saint Peter was a Rabbit” is a much less silly explanation by comparison
' That gives a whole new meaning to the phrase " holy shit " ' LOL
And I thought the Holy Foreskin was a weird relic...
I hope Mary remembered to put him in a diaper.
I think the sack is actually a really creative idea; there are allot of items like that in Christian and Pagan hybrid lore. Like the holy grail and the spear of destiny. I think the lore of the sack is actually a great idea.
Ikr
10:50 that part made me face palm as well. That convoluted plot point reminded me of Kirk Cameron’s saving Christmas where he tries to draw similarities between presents and the Bible story.
Am I the only one who is laughing at the fact they used the term "someone stole my sack" and "I stole santa's sack"?
Santas sack is dirty
@@teedup8995
I curse my depraved mind. I curse it so.
does anyone else notice that when sophiana is carrying that plate, she is _walking and standing perfectly fine without the cane?_
_was it too expensive to proofread the script?!_
I can carry plates without my cane (because...I don't have a whole lot of choice since I have to prepare my own food and don't have a live-in aide at the moment; I usually have to rest my bad leg immediately afterward) and...in absolute fairness, this animation looks too cheap to properly animate a character with a limp.
And speaking of "here again", I'm here again remarkably early. I heard Ed Asner and Norm McDonald, both of whom contributed to this bumpy ride, died recently.
I distinctly remember watching this as a child, and I remember Krad being a lot more intimidating yet still a little goofy. I guess my brain made this better than it actually was.
Troll In Central Park will be reviewed next? Good luck! That one makes Don Bluth's other dud, Thumbelina look like Citizen Kane.
When watching your review, I was thinking to myself what would happen if LAIKA makes an stop-motion film about the origin of Santa Claus. Not sure about it, but may have potential.
Rob Bob I'd much rather watch Christi Esterle's review of Christmas Is Here Again than the Rangoon's review of it... not to call out the Rangoons but the "Shut Up Leno" Cameos got distracting...
What the fridge does this has to do with the comment I did?
Sure anything but Laika is good
And i'd rather watch santa claus is coming to town
Killian Rainbow is right, "Santa Claus is Coming To Town" already exists and it's a pretty solid film about Santa Claus' origins. On the other hand I'd like to see Laika doing some sort of origin story of the Krampus.
Why don't they just make a movie about Saint Nicolas and how he became a saint of Christ?
The real St. Nicholas did some pretty cool stuff...though unfortunately, the only part I can remember is when he participated in a brawl at the Council of Nicea and decked one of the most prominent attendees.
@@timothymclean there was a thirty minute animated short that was made some time in the 1990s, but that's all I can think of.
also the animation looks like a copy of Hi Hi Puffy Ami Yumi show
The title song isn't even a song, it's more of a joyless chant! It's less melodic than the Winkie's chant in "The Wizard of Oz". It makes you long for "We Are Santa's Elves"! And is anyone else bothered by that elf at 3:42? Dude, WTF?
Norm MacDonald singing... ugh. Then again, Norm MacDonald in general.... ugh.
I agree with your gripe on Sophiana, she suffers the same problem as the protagonists in "The Princess and the Pea": She's nice... and that's it. Disney has been churning movies with basically nice protagonists for almost 8 decades, but, at least in the last generation or two, they give them qualities other than "nice": they have flaws, they have wants and needs, problems, struggles, they often have a third-act crisis of faith, they learn valuable lessons at the end. Sophiana, on the other hand, would bore Pollyanna or the average Shirley Temple character with her one-note sweetness. And giving her a superfluous disability that in no way impacts the plot or presents an obstacle was not only poor writing, but an example of political correctness gone wrong. Don't just give a character a disability for the hell of it, show how it impacts their daily life! "Kubo and the Two Strings" is a good, recent example.
Shirley Jones, I'm so glad you're still singing and working in your golden years, but this?!
Does Krad hail from Nilbog, by any chance (yeah, I know I'm not the first to make that joke, but I couldn't help it)?
You're a brave soul for tackling "A Troll in Central Park". I've only seen the Nostalgia Critic's review, but I can assure you that it's a world of treacle and hurt.
Disney's recent live-action redo of "Cinderella" shows that it is possible to create a character whose defining virtues are sweetness and kindness without making her disgustingly saccharine and/or a complete ninny. It's not easy, though, and this movie doesn't even come close.
"Norm MacDonald had a farm...EIEIO" (Sorry, I had to)
Laura Dietrich Honestly Daria feels like a Pixar character compared to Sophiana. At least she feels like a character that *could* have worked, could have been unique and even mature. The Princess And The Pea had a whole angle about what are the qualities of a ruler, and it could have been expanded in a way that’s relevant and informative. That, and I am a sucker for “excessively naive and idealistic female lead grows some nails and learns to stand out for herself”, and even if it didn’t appear in Diva’s review, Daria was an active element in the climax and she and Rollo defeated Hildegard together.
Also she is well designed. And she isn’t disabled just for the sake of pity.
15:00 I think the line should have been something like "I'm troubled water, now make like a bridge and get over me". It still wouldn't be any good, but at least it would have made a bit more sense.
I am honestly so glad that I never heard of this movie. And about that suggestion about a falling out between Santa and Krampus, my dad once wrote a short story that featured Santa and Krampus together back for the January 1989 issue for a magazine.
As much as I enjoy the Isle of Rangoon review of this, I think you did a much better job explaining why the film giving Sophiana an informed disability like that was both bad representation-wise and lazy writing-wise.
I'd love to see more media have cane users using canes *RIGHT.* The whole point is to maintain balance if you have trouble walking (because of chronic pain, recent surgery, injury, or some other reason).
Fun Fact: One of the character designer from this Christmas movie is Steve Lambe who is the character designer from other shows such as Hilda, Kid Cosmic, El Tigre, StoryBots Answer Time, and Atomic Puppet. Plus they have illustrated on these children's books. So that's it bye.
That's kinda cool I guess
Good news: A new episode of Musical Hell
Bad news: Really interested in the next case and I have to wait a while. But it's worth it.
Wow, this movie looks particularly obnoxious, but at least it isn't about simply having a Wonderful Christmas Time!
And... I'm guessing Rudolph died heroically in the first Krampus War to get that damn sack (man doesn't that sound porny!).
This was supposed to be in theaters too apparently, luckily they had the sense not to do that.
+Billy Barnett Sure doesn't look like something you'd see in theaters.
Unlike the people behind Norm Of The North.
Gregory House Imagine if one of the TWO direct-to-video sequels to Norm Of The North (At least the two that I've heard that were planned) is actually a Christmas movie & a musical. That would be a match made in Musical Hell (No pun intended Diva) I can imagine the title now. Norm Of The North: An Artic Christmas Tale (Sorry if I end up jinxing it and that DOES happen)
Gregory House giggity
16:56 I'll admit, that DID get a chuckle out of me. And the visual of Crad as a baby is really cute, in my opinion. So for me, this song DOES have two redeeming values.
If they wanted an “I’m evil for the hell of it” villain song they’d have been better off not trying to write one and just paying whatever the license fee was to have Ol Ed do a cover of Voltaire’s “when you’re evil”
Now THERE'S a musical number I'd like to see! Certainly more creative than just saying the equivalent of 'I am Evil, hear me roar!' over and over.
Yay! A new Musical Hell episode! My day is made!
WOW! Do I ever have the WORST LUCK!!!!! I was just writing the script for my OWN Christmas is Here Again review.
Hey, I only know about this one thanks to a review from Isle of Rangoon, so go nuts!
That Random Encounter Guy What a small world we live in, am I right?
Musical Hell Is there a chance you all work together whenever...? :3
That Random Encounter Guy hey you can still make a review of this film
@@MusicalHell “All complaints should be filed in this box if you please.”
If you really want to make Sophiana likable, give her an actual personality, like she’s nice but incredibly naive. She can be too eager to please at times. And if you’re going to have her crippled, actually have it bear relevance to the plot (ie she can’t run well or walk long distances or climb trees and even explain how she became an orphan to begin with). Plus, what’s wrong with just Sophie or Ana/Anna
Most annoying relatives? From that first impression, that made me think of 50s conservative families! Anyway, your videos are always a please to watch (and toady's jokes referring to "The Last Avatar", and the twisted ideas of the origins of the Easter Bunny's Basket, and Santa's sack were the highlights for me!)
BTW, if you're disappointed that you didn't get to sin "Beauty and the Beast: the Enchanted Christmas" this time of year before the release of the live-action remake of the original, and if you still need some sort of catharsis from that, might I refer you to this Deviant Journal that takes a CinemaSins-style approach to it: jpbelow.deviantart.com/journal/Everything-Wrong-With-BatB-The-Enchanted-Christmas-649111480
"A Troll in Central Park" is next?! To quote George Takei, "OH MY!…"
Man, that's gonna be BEAUTIFUL! I think I'll send the Nostalgia Critic another message recommending Diva for his site.
In answer to your question, Diva. I think the whole "Be a bridge and ease my mind" is a comedic stab at the song Bridge Over Troubled Water.
That comedic stab really confused me and I love the song. The bridge isn’t easing the mind of troubled water; it’s supposed to be a simile on being there for someone who needs you as a bridge eases the way across troubled water. This just sort of jumbled the lyrics to become incomprehensible to most people.
Swaddling clothes? Someone on the production time must have been a fan of Kirk Cameron's Saving Christmas.
This movie came out before Kirk Cameron's Saving Christmas.
It's word for word from the Gospel of Luke Chapter 2 afaik.
Source: Christmas Eve services.
Watching this makes me wonder, did the elves had anything to with the theft of Santa's sack. Isay because the fact that Kradd just stole from right under their noses seem too easy. That Krad just took the sack, and not one of the elves notice or even sound the alarms, what if the elves and Krad conspiracized that the elves let Krad steal the sack, so they can finally be free from serving Santa. Why? Because I imagine after decades of doing all real work for Santa, (which involves making all toys, and wrapping all the presents, and put them all in the sleigh) and having nothing to show for or a thanks for their manifested devotion, labour, and servitude, they became just plain sick and tired of it. I imagine that underneath those smiles and songs, deep inside, is a bitter pessimist who has had it of being overworked and underpaid, for literally nothing, only Paul Rocco would be the only elf left who is not in on the elves' plan and still gives a shit about Christmas when alot people, even his fellow co-workers don't.
I like that idea! You should take this plot line and put in a movie of your own.
How are people like you and me able to write more interesting stories than these people who get paid to write movies like this?
@Caitlyn Carvalho I don’t know. Why are you asking me that question?
The odd thing about Renegade Animation...is that they also made a Cartoon Network Show involving Puffy Ami Yumi, the World’s Famous Japanese Pop Rock Stars into a Cartoon in 2004-2006 as Follows.
So yeah, The production studio who did Christmas Time is here Again also did this one too.
I thought it was the artist for Robotboy.
I heard that the guy who produced this, a man who has no experience with music whatever, wrote the entire score. That. Explains. _EVERYTHING._
weird little thing that bothers me: the art style can't seem to decide how it wants Sophiana to look from the side. There are at least two models for her in the exact same position to the camera with her hair completely different. This wouldn't be so much of a problem in other styles, but when you go for 60s minimalism you gotta commit to the bit.
You know, if they wanted to make Sophiana an uberwoobie, they should go all the way and make so much crap happen to her it’s almost comedic.(ala eek the cat or, more appropriately, tinny tim from futurama.(for instance, when she swings from the branch using her cane, show a montage of her previous failed attempts which caused her to fall)
And if your going for drama, you could still have sophiana be nice and sweet…but have her patience worn thin as the movie goes on, until someone asked why the hell she’s so kind when everything around her is so awful
Sophiana:”because someone has to, darn it! Do you think I like being an orphan? That I enjoy living at that awful place? That I like being told I’m worthless because I need a cane? No, but kind anyways. And it’s not easy. Let me tell you, it can be very hard to be nice to some people” stares at the fox “but I’d do it anyway. And you know why? Because the world is already bad enough as it is, and I just wanna make is a teeny bit less bad. Is that so wrong?”
There's one way i do like the cane: normalize disability. Disabled people exist, it's fine to have them in a starring role with it not being a plotpoint (one of the things i think mlp did extremely well with characters like scotelo and curfuffle). But then don't do the "you're broken" thing and just allow it to exist independant of character progression.
And also actually have it play a role in the character's life. Disabilities exsist, and that's ok! But disabilities... exsist. You can't just ignore it throughout the entire movie when your character's doing something that people with that disability in real life probably can't do.
@@goosegas2087 partially true, but there's also the part that a lot of disabled people can do things you may not expect. a lot of people in wheelchairs can for instance still stand and walk, they just can't do it enough that life would be comfortable without a wheelchair. i'm not saying don't show plot irrelevant struggles but not showing it isn't definitely bad. in how many movies do people wear glasses where it doesn't matter to the story? why not do the same for different aids?
@@vinx.909 Yeah, and how many movies have a kid with asthma but it magically disappeares in certain situations where asthma would almost certainly be relevant? It obviously doesnt have to be the star of the show, but when in situations where the disability will be a disability, they shouldn't magically treat it like it doesn't matter.
@@goosegas2087 agreed, if you clarified what it is and when it would be a problem (which you do if you make clear it's asthma) then you shouldn't break the rules you set up.
If you keep t vague you can get away with more (such as having a character with glasses, hearing aids, a cane) as when you don't establish as many rules there are less rules for you to break. (Glasses just mean that the character can't see optimally without in all cases, same with hearing aids for hearing (depending on the type of course), a cane means that for walking but it can be just for attacks of dizziness of needed when the character is tired or other situational scenario that never come into play).
I think it's good to have disability aids in movies (or less, many people with glasses are not disabled so long as they have their glasses), but not exclusively.
Oh my god, I have been looking for this movie everywhere. I remember watching it when I was a kid and all I could remember was a blond girl, a polar bear, and an indiana jones rip off. No one but me remembered it.
Norm Macdonald was referring to the song Bridge Over Troubled Water. The one lyrics goes, "Like a Bridge Over Troubled Water, I will ease your mind." Granted, it was a bad reference, but a legitimate one.
It's a shame because i like the character designs and the animation fits them
This is the most Lukewarm Christmas Musical I have ever heard of.
Extra points for those who get my statement.
7:20 ug i hate when kids movies do this the whole i know you life stinks but that's no reason to be sad bs I think diva said something about it in the swan princess Christmas review but
I thought I hallucinated this movie! That’s the third movie that this channel proved I didn’t imagine!
That outtake after the credits made me laugh so hard, because my cat is the same way. If I'm doing anything on the computer, she has to compete with it for my attention.
Sita loves the space between my keyboard and monitor. Pros: perfect place for pettins therapy when I need it. Cons: lying on my day planner, flopping over on her side and hitting my function/escape keys at inopportune times.
@@MusicalHell Athena's more of a lap kitty than a keyboard kitty... pros include, well, kitty snuggles; cons include prickly toes and pointy paws that she always, ALWAYS places in just the right way to poke right into my inner thighs. It's like there's some unwritten feline rule that for every snuggle, they must also give us a certain amount of pain.
If you ever need a good punishment in Hell for someone who did something bad to a cat character, I recommend an eternity of being walked on by cats who always put their paws on the bladder, lower ribs, or naughty bits.
@@MusicalHell Also... after thinking on it for a while and plumbing the dark depths of the part of my brain devoted to song lyrics I will never, ever need to know, I'm pretty sure Buster's "be a bridge and ease my mind" joke is a reference to Bridge Over Troubled Water ("I will ease your mind, like a bridge over troubled water"). Which is something I'm pretty sure only someone who sang that song in high school choir and has a brain optimized for making bizarre references would ever get. So congratulations, movie, on optimizing a joke pretty much specifically for my sole understanding... or not, because it sucks.
Its kind of weird how the cover makes it look like the reindeer is the main character, while the actual main character is shoved to the side.
That reindeer is basically Olive The Other Reindeer. Glad I never heard of this movie.
The book, or the animated film with Drew Barrymore?
@@MovieFan1912 both, either way Olive is much better than this!
And the truly sad thing is of all the Christmas movies you've talked about on this channel, this one is the closest to being good. I really like this movie's animation style. There are some interesting ideas here. And some of the voice acting choices are excellent. I could maybe talk myself into liking it if it slightest bit more effort put into it.
13:11 "Excuse me, but you're dealing with a future US Army soldier."
I'm not the only one who caught that vibe, am I?
On the plus side, it IS quite refreshing to watch a Christmas movie with Ed Asner in it, but he's NOT playing Santa.
Seriously; the baddie's name is KRAD? Like nobody plays word games and spells things backwards just in case somebody does something stupid like THIS?!
Also, 'Buster and Charlie'? Perhaps I'm just shooting sinners that try to escape the boiling river of blood over here, but if this isn't an attempt to remind us of CHARLIE Chaplin and BUSTER Keaton, I'm Cecil B. Demille.
You ever have those distant memories that seemed so weird you thought you dreamed it. Yeah, "Santa's sack was Jesus' swaddle" was one of mine.
To be honest, I thought this was a cheap dollar store home video. Like Elf Bowling and Foodfight. You know, movies that get a dove "family approved" badge and you can find at the dollar store and no one cares about buying 😂
Perhaps the whole 'I need a cane' deal is all in Sophiana's head.
I'm semi-amused by this, but also semi-annoyed because that's the same kind of thing I hear about needing to use a cane because I'm "too young" (I'm actually 33, but look younger).
Wow... Quest for Camelot was my former Worst Villain Song, but this beats the shit out of that.
No crap, that villain song looks like Be Prepared next to this.
I think Krad could of been a better villain if he was either an entity made of or fueled by hatred and fear rather than just saying “Oh I’m just evil and I stole Santa’s sack for no reason” and just either making his goals more mysterious or actually make a goal that makes more sense. Or basically have him get redeemed at the end and apologize to Santa for stealing his sack.
15:03 Simon and Garfunkel lyrics. Cuz kids in the late aughts would TOTALLY know who they were, right?
Depends on their parents' musical tastes; it's a Parental Bonus that you see in various kids' movies (you think kids would get the joke about foot size in Frozen, for example?).
@@PhoenixRising87 The point is, they're not going to get the reference. My mom listened to a ton of Neil Diamond when I was a kid, but I'd never be able to recognize any of his lyrics in a kid's show. You don't pay attention to that stuff at that age.
3:16, See also the song that plays during Cinder Fall's backstory in RWBY Volume 8. Seriously, it is the "I'll kill you to death" of RWBY.
And Rooster Teeth wonders why it lost its audience, don't treat your teen/adult audience like they're grade school dropouts.
Lol this movie is just about everybody finding Santa’s sack and that’s not even bad and some dumb devil says out loud he stole Santa’s sack and his sack is the biggest thing ever so if you crawl in you will be falling forever XD
The whistling in the “Christmas Is Here” song made me keep thinking something was plummeting from the sky.
I really liked this special. It got recommended and a friend and I watched it this past December.
Where is that face palming scene from? Is it from Naked Gun?
Alex Klepp yes
Yep--Naked Gun 33 1/3 to be precise.
That's a classic scene! :)
Nude Firearms, Exposed Armaments
I loved this review. Can't wait for a Troll in Central Park.
though for next Christmas, may I recommend Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and The Island of Misfit Toys? I remember it being really bad (and horrendous early 2000's CGI)
And what pisses me off is that movie implies that everyone celebrates Chrstimas. Like even if Chrstimas somehow disappeared there are holidays like Hanukkah, Diwali, Yule, , Kwanzaa, Ramadan, and, Eid and other holidays would still be celebrated! Like as for myself as Christian Christmas is not presents so yeah as to Diva's question did people just stop going to church?
This film's biggest crime is wasting great talents like Norm McDonald and Ed Asner. RIP Norm McDonald and Ed Asner.
Not to mention Andy Griffith too.
At least Norm McDonald later redeemed himself by playing a supporting role in Klaus.
The caterpillar is actually so cute though ❤️
Okay so I just found out Sofiana is a real name. It means “Gift of God”.
Don't you just love how Diva handles the whole religion thingy?
I bet since she’s a demon, she has to deal with stuff like that regularly.
Simon and Garfunkles “Bridge over Troubled Waters”. All the hip kids will get that reference from when their parents were their age.
Sophiana reminds me of that girl Jenny from that bizarre Cabbage Patch Kids 80s special in that both claim that no one wants them because they’re disabled and different from the other kids yet both never show any real signs of their disabilities hindering them in any way and both doing physical things that shows that they’re perfectly fine and the disability aspect is a cheap way to get pity points from the viewer. Jenny has a leg brace yet she outruns a trio of pickpockets which consists of an elderly woman and her two younger and faster henchmen who are between mid 30s to early 40s at most.
They made them disabled purely for the sake of brownie points
@@KaminoKatie Exactly. Viewing the CPK special as an adult and seeing Jenny outrun three adults makes me think, "Girl, why are you claiming no one will adopt you because of the leg brace? You just outran two adult men perfectly capable of catching you and being faster. You're fine!"
@@kenthuang436 Can't wait for Oakwyrm to tear this movie to shreds when December rolls around
no... it's not like her first name is sophie and her middle name is anna... her name is literally _sophianna_
that is the most self insert oc name i've ever heard
Its a name.. seriously
You know, I know that name is getting a lot of flack, but if you live in a suburb with a lot of yuppie parents, you'll see a lot of kids with those kind of names.
19:24... Sophie's an orphan so if she has relatives that would make for one awkward conversation!
So, Santa's sack is a TARDIS for presents because the Baby Jesus used to poop into the cloth it's made from...
I need a bucket of eggnog to think through all the implications of this concept.
I've run into a lot of cartoon series with this artstyle... And it's all made worse by how bad the grand majority of them are written. If this artstyle had some actual good writing to accompany, since I actually like this artstyle, honestly - things wouldn't be so bad.
Now you just need to review Night B4 Christmas to get the "misunderstood elf that wants more in life" cliche.
What kind of song IS "Christmas is Here again?" It's horrible!
Please sing any other song, elves. Any other half-way decent song.
Oh my goodness! And it goes right from that song to Santa's sack being stolen? What about character development? What about establishing the setting?
This movie is already driving me mad!
…oh so this wasn’t some weird childhood dream
For the first time since March 27, 2020, I'm about to watch the "Christmas Is Here Again" episode now.
EDIT- 10:31 P.M.: *finishes episode 23 minutes later*
I'm still surprised that you didn't just call Sophiana a Mary Sue! 😆
The weirdly religious angle and the animation style are giving me some foreboding Butch Hartman vibes.
(8:12) That voice sounds familiar, let me...(sees that it's Daniel Roebuck)...GODDAMIT! You were in The Fugitive!
At least, it's still a step up from the "gay-but-not-really best friend" role from Let There Be Light. I know I'm damning it with damn praise, but this movie has more humanity than Let There Be Light.
So sophiana is basically a mary sue
At least Chloe Carmichael had some inking of a personality. Sophiana's personality is just nice amd optimistic.
@@jeremyusreevu237 Chloe is still worse IMO; she was slapped into a show that used to be good but was on its last leg, and Mary-Sued all over its remains. At least Sophiana is restricted to this special.
1:34 And he Didn't even Mention "A Christmas Carol" in any way. Sorry. I just had to Nitpick that...
Sophiana is actually a pretty name. I'm a sucker for portmanteau names.
Wow, Ed Asner ISN'T playing Santa in this one...
I watched this movie religiously as a child, my mom got it from a bargain bin when I was like 4 or younger and to this day, it’s still burned into my memory like a crappy rap album your estranged older cousin made in the 90’s is burned into a cassette tape lost in a few boxes in your grandmas attic
Thirty years of no new Hallmark Christmas movies? Doesn't sound that bad.
Sophiana is a saccharine checklist of prweciousness that I wish wasn't in use so much. She's so bland .
I would love to have a Krampsus and Santa Clause Christmas special
This movie may be a mess but at least the voice acting and artstyle of it is nice. Reminds me of some older Cartoon Network shows specifically Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends.
I've seen a behind the scenes video that explains the casting choice for Jay Leno as narrator, it's because they were going for a showman vibe like with the late great Burl Ives. And nice mention of the infamous "Shut Up Leno!" gag from the Island Of Rangoon's review of it.
When I read this I thought you said snowman vibe. Hahahaha!
(Actually, I think that works because Burl Ives played the snowman in Rudolph)
I have seen this particular Musical Hell a number of times and I agree it isn't a really good Christmas special. While I did like the fact that Shirley Jones was one of the voices and while Norm MacDonald was a funny guy he was more suited to SNL than Christmas specials. As for your Epiphany comment, in Spain, Portugal and most of Latin America most of the gift giving is still done on Epiphany. And the British Christmas tune, "12 Days of Christmas", it means the twelve days from Christmas (Dec 25th) to Epiphany (Jan 6th).