Reindeer In Here – Much Better With The Sound Off!

It’s true! This special was near impossible to track down and I eventually found it on Daily Motion. I turned the sound off the ads played, and tidied up my deskspace in the meantime. I wasn’t expecting much, so when it started playing and the sound was still off I left it while I finished, unconcerned about seeing the beginning when I wasn’t ready. 

After being trolled by Daily Motion – page breaks, having to re-watch the ads etc – I finally sat down to watch and turned the sound on. What I had previously seen had potential. Main character seemed pretty good, style reminded me a bit of Niko and the Way to the Stars, and the snowgirl character was well done – and this was coming from someone who has really been put off by Olaf from Frozen, and needs inanimate-object-brought-to-life characters to have a lot going for them. It also looked reasonably interesting what they were up to. Sound on.

The protagonist sounds awful – both annoying and too old, and that was just the literal sound. His character is unappealing and attitudy, and this combined with his animation doubles the effect. Then it turns out what they are doing is nowhere near as interesting as it seemed when there was no auditory context. Hi9s interaction with one of the eight, for example, is inconsequential, and the reason they are rushing and bumbling about may be important to the characters, but it isn’t important to me the viewer. The reason is given too late, after you’ve got frustrated and/or come up with better concepts yourself. You end up disappointed. 

Let’s start with the first thing that comes to mind. We already have a reindeer called Blizzard, in a Christmas film called Blizzard no less. That is pure stupidity for a start. There are very few decent Christmas films to compete with on any level, and a quick google of Blizzard Reindeer would have given the book’s writer the knowledge that the name was already in use, and for Blitzen’s daughter. Next, the shortening. Blizz just sound awful, and stupid, and awfully stupid. 

Another film that reforms its villain, and the villain barely being evil to start with because, good intentions. Also, villain-who-isn’t-really-a-villain-hidden-behind-coat-reveal feels identical to Rudolph and the Island of Misfit Toys (2001). Not the best movie to get inspiration from, if you’d even call it that. 

Another nitpick of mine but any good story forms a message naturally (as said in a previous post), and the writer doesn’t choose that message. We don’t need a “different is good” mantra shoved down our throats. Somehow, though, it just feels like watching indoctrination or propaganda or something. Also puts me in mind of that villain the Hey Arnold Movie saying “change is good” like he’s trying to hypnotise everyone. I can’t explain this entirely. Maybe it is the blankness in the kids’ eyes when they say the relevant dialogue.

Now, it has come to my attention – and I am sorry to say it – that Christmas specials (not all!) and the like are among the most amateur, lazy, and bad quality animation and film. By these special’s standards, this one is actually pretty good – but, as I say, that is because the bar is so low already. If this is news to you, than consider yourself best you haven’t seen the worst that’s out there!

Also, producing an innovative Christmas animation is no guarantee of ousting the ones that have been passed down and people have learned to love blindly. That isn’t to say there aren’t some really good ones – The Snowman, Father Christmas, and so on – and others that have both very obvious upsides and downsides – such as Rudolph: The Movie (yes, I know a lot of you won’t agree with me on that one!). 

Reindeer In Here is far from the dregs of Christmas Specials, but it is also far from being good. 

I really hope people won’t get caught up in the idea of the message, and use it and its elf-on-the-shelf-like gimmick as part of their Christmas. This special simply doesn’t deserve that from the public. If it does, it will most likely be because of its being broadcast of CBS along with Rudolph – loved by association, not on its own merits.

Now, I will say a couple of good things. The snowgirl is a great character. It is a shame every character around her is cringy and annoying, or underused and underdeveloped.

There is potential here with the ideas. Maybe it would have been better to veer in the direction of more on the protagonist being a big fan of one of the eight. 

Actually, a few minor changes, and a slight change in direction could have been a major improvement. Is this one of those projects that if everything was just a bit better it would have hit a whole other level? Quite possibly. And I do mean everything. Slightly better pacing, and I wouldn’t have got so bored. A bit more effort with the villain to make them a villain even if it does end in a reform would have given us an actual story and real stakes, rather than something that is little better than a misunderstanding when it comes to it. A change in voice actor and effort to see the protagonist from the audience’s point of view could have given us a much more relatable and sympathetic main character. Give the minors and main humans more characterisation, and it wouldn’t have felt like everyone is as flat as a pancake, except the grating protagonist, and the snowgirl – who should find herself some better friends.

Also, did anyone else expect the villain to be a supposed good character based on the fact the coated figure looked like the mysterious villain in Big Hero 6?

One of the saving graces for this special is they didn’t make it too modern. Really, any modernness kills a Christmas special’s magic, so there’s that.