Top Ten Rankin/Bass Holiday Specials
Another classic Rankin/Bass special. Wonderful story, message, and depiction/origin story of Santa Claus. Great characters, lovely songs, and fantastic stop-motion animation. I love everything about this masterpiece.
Wow, I'm glad this is #1. I thought for sure Rudolph would be, but I always liked this one more.
Still my favorite of the Rankin/Bass specials. Even with some flaws (dated gender roles - it was the '60s, after all), I still love the story, characters (Rudolph, Hermy, Yukon especially), songs, music, and settings/animation. It is one of the best Christmas specials/stop-motion specials ever made and teaches a valuable message: being different doesn't mean one can't be a hero, make friends, help others, and even pull Santa's sleigh.
While people we respect can be wrong, nobody is perfect, and it's important to forgive them. I can't believe this special is receiving flak from some easily triggered PC people, who probably praise politically correct trash like the 2016 Ghostbusters or something. Fortunately, it's only a small minority, and most of their complaints don't hold any water.
Another classic masterpiece right here, and not just because of the Miser Brothers. Mrs. Claus is the driving force to save Christmas, Santa is at his finest, Jingle and Jangle are hilarious, and the story is one of the best from Rankin/Bass. It's a shame it's not as popular as the others. If it is now, it wasn't back then.
Should be ranked higher than Frosty Returns!
The Newcomers
Let's not forget the Easter specials, please!
This ranks right up there with The Lorax as the most beautiful, memorable, Oscar/Emmy-worthy masterpiece in entertainment history. It's so unbelievably good that it makes Singin' in the Rain look like From Justin to Kelly, makes Beauty and the Beast look like Chicken Little, and makes Citizen Kane look like The Room. Even Spirited Away doesn't come close to being as tear-jerkingly perfect as this wonderful work of art.
Please watch this glorious 1977 Easter relic with your family as soon as you can. You won't regret a minute of it.
Story: 10/10
Animation: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Songs: 10/10
Overall Rating: 10/10, complete with my personal Seal of Approval (plays the ending fanfare from the Super Smash Bros Melee Orchestra Medley).
P.S. Yes, I was directly (and shamelessly) ripping off Animat's Reviews' style with my ratings at the end.
The best part about this movie is that it's also a summer movie! It's basically the Hotel Transylvania 3 of Rankin/Bass holiday specials.
Very interesting, even by Rankin/Bass standards.
