Rankin/Bass Christmas cartoons feature stop motion animation that is produced in Japan. The animation of the cartoons feature doll-like characters that have spherical figures. "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer," that was released in '64, was the first of the Christmas specials. The following three Christmas specials are my favorite of the cartoons:
1. "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town"
Okay, it was great that this program paid homage to Kris Kringle's origins. Also, this movie focused on the romantic aspect of Mr. and Mrs. Claus's life that is often glossed over because Mrs. Claus acts as Claus's right hand. Also, it is cute that Santa was a ginger before he became the famous Santa Claus. Likewise, for Mrs. Claus! In the end, it's adorable to see how Mr. and Mrs Claus grow old and build a workshop in the North Pole.
The movie also takes place in a cold, Germanic looking town and it shows why this town needed the presence of Kringle, since toys were banned by Burgermeister, a dictatorial mayor and town official who bitterly bans toys after his own accident with one. This explains why it is called Sombertown. Also, it makes sense that Miss Jessica, who has pleasantly colored strawberry ginger hair, is a nurturing teacher to the children who live in a dark and hopeless town without imagination as their self-expression is inhibited. This foreshadows the supportive role that she will later play in Kringle's life in the North Pole when she becomes Mrs. Claus after their marriage. This special gives a good backstory as to the origins of the Christmas tradition and the development of Mr and Mrs. Claus's relationship.
2. "The Year Without a Santa Claus"
Who could forget that song, "The Year Without a Santa Claus?" Who could forget the juicy, clear tears that run from the children's faces when they react that Santa will no longer deliver presents? Who could forget the song, "I'll have a Blue Christmas Without You?" It's great that this movie humanizes Claus, as he becomes sick and weary with his Christmas tradition of delivering presents. Santa doubts the purpose of his yearly gift delivery across the world and relies on the reports of his elves, Jingle and Jangle, to continue the Christmas tradition. After all, Santa is human and he needs encouragement. I think its also cool that Santa goes to a pedestrian's house in Southville and he plays a role in the movie's plot. I also like how the movie takes a stand against animal cruelty when Vixen, the movie's reindeer, is humanized and rescued by Santa. The film even takes a philosophical and cosmological route when the weather is personified as "Heat Miser" and "Cold Miser". There is hope ultimately in the end when Mother Nature forces her sons to compromise so that South Town's weather will be balanced so that it can snow in the winter. Mother Nature restores balance in the end.
3. "Rudolph's Shiny New Year"
Eon the Terrible is honestly hilarious. He is essentially a giant vulture with ferocious eyebrows and an angry face. He is one of the most ferocious and persistent villains in the entire history of this Christmas special program. His terrible cry still haunts me. Eon the Terrible is just bitter because when his particular Eon ends he will disintegrate into ice and snow. He's pretty selfish because an eon continues for an indefinite number of time and is believed to be equal to a billion years in astronomy. Seriously dude, your time is up! This explains why he tries to kidnap Baby New Year. One never knows when Eon the Terrible is around the corner.
The movie seems to comment on the fluidity of time, since Rudolph and Baby New Year travel to islands that are themed for different years like 1023 and 1776. The clock themed animals, like the whale, Big Ben, who has a clock in his tail, and the camel, that has a clock embedded in his hump, serve as the helpers to fetch Baby New Year from the archipelago of Last Years, where he flees because he is insecure about his large ears. It makes sense that the animals have clocks in their bodies so that the heroes could know how much time has passed in their quest to fetch Baby New Year, so that the New Year could begin. Animals that are personified as time move and travel to help to secure the future of time which is symbolized by Baby New Year. Overall, this movie was well thought out.
The movie comments that outsiders can be valuable. Rudolph encourages Baby New Year to be proud of his ears and flaunt them. It seems that Rudolph gives a nod to the younger generation of outcasts when he supports Baby New Year and tells him how he could own his flaws. Baby New Year's ears proves redemptive when Eon laughs at them and is filled with warmth so that he will no longer disintegrate into ice and snow. This makes sense because since Baby New Year is symbolic of the New Year, he is supposed to fill others with joy and warmth.
Finally, this movie reminds us that time must progress after Christmas, while presenting the past in positive lights. Even though I was plagued with nostalgia after Baby New Year goes to the island of 1023 , which is a land of fairy tales, I learned that time must move on! Specifically, when I watch the knight whose voice echoes under his armor every year on this program I remember all of the chivalric tales that I heard as a child. Next, I am always overcome with nostalgia when I observe Baby New Year when he is symbolized as Goldilocks (cute way to tie in his blond hair) after he eats baby bear's porridge in a parallel adaptation of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears," which hearkens back to the Grimm fairy tales version. However, because these fantastic tales only make a brief appearance in the movie, I learned that bygone eras should remain as bygone eras.
After wandering around from island to island in the Archipelago of Last Years, and after being laughed at because of his large ears, Baby New Year's very deformity defeats Eon and allows him to ring in the New Year in Father Time's castle. Baby New Year cannot remain in past years because he must meet his destiny, which is to introduce new time and bring joy to others , to make them "Happy" in the new year with his large ears. Its interesting to think of the new year as a speechless baby, whom we must warm up to, accept and nurture. Like babies, years are essential to the foundation and continuation of life.
