Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)

Director: Larry Roemer
Studio: Rankin/Bass Productions
Starring: Burt Ives, Larry D Mann, Billie Mae Richards

Synopsis:
An outcast reindeer and a misfit elf set out to find their own way in life.

Impressions:
It's been quite a few years since the last time I saw this, but it was a big part of my childhood, so I was glad for the opportunity to revisit it. It's rather rough around the edges in a lot of ways, but there's also a lot of charm at its core. I'll readily acknowledge that nostalgia is likely coloring my opinion. The stop motion animation tends to be rather jerky and the story is a bit rushed in places to fit within the limits of the runtime, but these aren't serious impediments to enjoying this, especially for children. The songs are quite memorable too. While it may not handle the topics of bullying and being different in the way that delicate modern sensibilities cry for, it still delivers worthwhile lessons on the subjects. For those who haven't seen it before and are thinking about showing it to their kids for the first time, bear in mind that the Bumble might be a bit scary. All told, it's a Christmas tradition for a reason and definitely worth seeing at the very least.

Rating:
Own It