MAGICAL CHRISTMAS COLLECTION - DVD review

I wasn't horribly optimistic when the "Magical Christmas Collection" DVD, a pre-holiday rush release from Image Entertainment, arrived in the mail. It looked wholesome enough, but I wasn't sure it wouldn't be cheesy and sappy, especially considering it's an animated set targeted for the younger audience.

Maybe I got what I deserved when I my pessimism was obliterated with four quite decent Christmas specials. Don't get me wrong, this is nothing spectacular or ground breaking. It doesn't belong with your favorite animated Christmas specials (stuff from the Peanuts and Disney, for example), and I think its creators probably realized they weren't going to compete with these upper tier classics. What they did instead was create some nifty characters faced with some holiday obstacles, all who eventually get to share positive Christmas messages with others.

Oh, and all the main characters are animals. Just so you're aware. There's teddy bears, cats, dogs, bunnies, skunks and foxes. Plus some beavers with buck teeth and a passion for adventure. Santa himself also shows up now and again. You know it wouldn't be a Christmas DVD without him in the picture, right?

Have a look at a synopsis for each short film/episode.

Christopher & Holly: The Bears Who Saved Christmas (1994)
Every child should have a teddy bear, right? The kiddies in this special don't just have any teddy bears, but teddy bears that come to life when they're asleep! Trust me, it's in a good, "Toy Story" like way, not an unwholesome "Small Soldiers" way.

As a family heads along a windy mountain road destined for Grandma's house on Christmas Eve, a snowstorm halts their progress. Thankfully, the mother, father, son and daughter stumble on a cozy, yet empty, cabin, complete with more than enough firewood. The holiday dishes meant for Grandma's table provide enough nourishment, but the children are worried that Christmas just won't be the same if they're stuck in the woods.

Thankfully, Christopher and Holly, the loveable and daring teddy bears, spring to life, and with help from a talking compass and flashlight, get through a late night trek that brings back a Christmas tree, new friendships with other furry woodland creatures and a magical Christmas morning surprise for the entire family. All is well in the end, and the children learn it isn't the location that matters, but the message and the people you spend Christmas with.

The only thing wrong in "The Bears Who Saved Christmas" is how perfectly it flows. There's never a doubt the children will get a Christmas they deserve, and that their dedicated teddy bears will get out of any sticky situation. It's a nuclear family that gets along extremely well, even in a super uneasy situation or two. Fortunately, the messages put forward are about being thankful for who you have, not necessarily what you have, during the holiday season. They're strong and simple enough to get through to anyone, young and old alike. This helps it overcome just how easily and flawlessly everything works out.

It's a pretty simple tale with some real Christmas magic, and some very genuine messages that come to fruition thanks to some unlikely help.

Film value = 8/10

Nick & Noel (1993)
This holiday movie proves that the old adage suggesting cats and dogs don't exactly get along might put itself aside, at least for the Christmas season.

Noel is a very cute kitty that belongs to a very cute little girl and her daddy. Just before the holidays, a single woman and her dog, Nick, move in next door. The woman can't stop singing (she's an aspiring musician), and the little girl's daddy can't take it (he's an aspiring writer). Thanks to all the friction, daddy forgets to take his daughter's letter to Santa (she is selfless, and states all she'd like for Christmas is a mommy) to the post office. Determined to help her Christmas wishes come true, Noel takes the letter to the North Pole with Nick's help.

Suddenly, the humans begin to worry, and Christmas seems to have taken a very sharp, negative turn. After searching for Santa and a mother for what seems like an eternity, Nick and Noel make it back through town just in time to celebrate with the humans. Enthralled by their good fortune, the adults are married (by now they've fallen in love) by a priest in between Christmas services, and the little girl's wish has come true. Oh, just so you're aware, a very hungry and hefty mouse narrates this one. His favorite thing about Christmas is the crumbs.

This was my least favorite episode on the disc. It's not bad, and it has a good message like the others. I think it feels more forced than any other here, and is slightly too predictable for its young, intended audience. The stars, Nick and Noel, are super friendly and overcome their differences to get to a place where they're working together rather than independently, but don't develop a friendship at the level I anticipated.

"Nick & Noel" isn't a weak addition to the set, but it's not as strong as the other components here.

Film value = 6/10

Dot & Spot's Magical Christmas Adventure (1996)
What happens when you move your family from the comfort they know and love in the city to the rural, isolated country, and all around the holidays? It's a recipe for confused and sad kids, uneasy parents and a shaky holiday season. Of course, I know that when my holidays feel shaky, I rely on my resourceful and talkative Dalmatian dogs to make it all better.

Meet Dot and Spot, two four-legged friends along for the ride during a tough relocation for another nuclear family (mom, dad, son and daughter). To give the kids something exciting go from on Christmas Eve, their father sets up a telescope so they can look for Santa as he makes his annual rounds. After they retire for the night, Dot and Spot really do see Santa, but his reigns to command the famous reindeer have broken and his sled is stuck under a big boulder. They wake the children, who look through the telescope and are determined to save Christmas for the world.

After some close calls getting through the woods and up the cliff to Santa's location, they lend the big guy a hand, and he tells them that on Christmas Eve, animals can talk. Of course, Dot lets them know that they are always communicating, but can only be heard with an open heart. Some super teamwork gets Santa out of his jam, and after he drops the kids and their pets off at home (complete with a trademark slide down the chimney), he rewards them with special presents and a new appreciation for the bond they have with their Dalmatians.

This episode was a bit more typical, with the kids slightly more verbal about their feelings and willing to let mommy and daddy in on the discontent. But good parenting prevails, and they see this as a learning opportunity for their children. Santa helps them out in that regard, and it's the dogs that ultimately teach the kids about how Christmas is not about yourself, but others. It's cute and enjoyable, with a strong "let's put our efforts together so we can accomplish something bigger than ourselves" message. And that's something that should be ringing out loud and clear all year long.

Dogs excluded, the other characters are pretty two-dimensional. It's a good thing those are some pretty talented Dalmatians the family has to fall back on.

Film value = 7/10

A Christmas Carol (2006)
This over performed Dickens tale still has value, and in "Magical Christmas Collection" its message is broken down so simply for its target audience that even the hardest heart out there will melt just a little bit.

You know the story by now, with Mr. Scrooge keeping Bob Cratchit overtime on Christmas Eve, only to be confronted by former partner Jacob Marley's ghost once he gets home, then three spirits throughout the evening. In the end, he's a changed man with a golden heart and newfound passion for life. For Scrooge, it suddenly isn't about doing something, or even doing nothing. It's about doing the right thing, which is long overdue in his case.

Unlike the other episodes, this one was done in CGI, and looks pretty good as the animated animals navigate London's snowy streets during the Christmas season. It's less traditional than other animated adaptations I've encountered, with no "God bless us, everyone!" uttered at the end by Tiny Tim and no over dramatized emotional sentiments. It's simple and sweet, yet manages to get through to an older audience just the same as its target group.

Most importantly, everyone, from the characters to viewers, (re)learn that Christmas is about the important people in your life, and how you treat them all year, not just on one particular day in December. It's a lesson best learned sooner rather than later, but later is sure better than not at all.

Scrooge doesn't have to be made out to be malicious, and the Cratchits don't have to be made out to be poor and hopeless as in other versions. These are folks who in animation, live action or in print, are more similar than they realize. Their coming together has power and meaning so significant that the youngest audiences will be able to take it in through this fun adaptation.

Film value = 9/10

These are brief but well made holiday episodes that super young audiences will probably enjoy for their fun characters. As an older person, you'll appreciate how they keep the messages behind Christmas pretty strong. We all need to be reminded about those periodically, and sometimes those reminders come from unlikely places. But that's what makes them healthy for us all, don't you think?

Video:
The animation looks pretty traditional, like it wasn't altered, enhanced or updated for this DVD release. Colors are bright but not vibrant, and although nothing really jumps from the screen with life, things are decently vivid in this full screen transfer and 1.33:1 aspect ratio. There are points where what's in the foreground just looks crisper than what isn't, creating an obvious "pay attention to this" moment or two.

Audio:
Nothing super special, but it doesn't need to be. You can hear everything clearly and with no difficulty, including a few surprisingly catchy original Christmas tunes that play during some episodes. There are no subtitles available, but the Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack is more than adequate.

Extras:
None here that I found. I suppose all the real good stuff is already there in the episodes, though.

A Final Word:
In general, these are wholesome children's and family Christmas themed episodes with good meanings that can (and probably should) be applied throughout the calendar year, not just the holidays. Some flow a bit too perfectly, while others make your imagination take an extra lap to fully take in the experience. All in all, this is heartwarming stuff with messages kids need to have sooner rather than later in life.