Twas The Night Before Christmas

Reviewer: Alyice Edrich

The Cartoon

The Plot

A mouse sends Santa a note that says he doesn't believe in Santa. As a result, Santa decides to boycott the town and it's up to the mouse to make things right.

Starring

Joel Grey, Tammy Grimes, John McGiver, George Gobel, and more.

Review

First, let me say that this is definitely one of my all-time favorite Christmas stories. I grew up watching this cartoon every year and cannot fathom a Christmas without it. The Rankin Bass team never disappointed me. They always found a way to make the holidays feel warm, and cozy, and special.

I know their films are outdated by today's animation standards, but the techniques they used back then to tell those stories are a part of history that must be preserved. And their stories are timeless classics that must be retold, year after year–for without them, Christmas just would not feel like Christmas.

The film starts out with a father reading the classic poem, "Twas The Night Before Christmas". As the phrase, "not a creature is stirring" is said, we're introduced to the Mouse family and that's when the story begins...

It seems Albert, the mouse, and his friends send Santa a note that essentially says Santa is a "fraudulent myth." Saddened, or perhaps angered, by the letter, Santa returns every letter the townspeople mailed to him, unopened.

Determined to show Santa that they still love and believe in him, the town's clockmaker creates a clock that will play a special song as Santa passes by—a song that will hopefully change his heart about the townspeople.

However, Albert, in all his curiosity, broke the clock and in turn, cost the clockmaker his clients and his business. Realizing his letter and his mistake his hurting so many people, and mice, Albert has a change of heart and sets out to make things right.

Suffice-it-to-say, Santa does come. And as he arrives, the poem is again read and is continued to be read as Santa delivers the gifts.

It's only 23 minutes long but so worth it!

As for the "Deluxe" and "Remastered" claims, I have to say that I am really disappointed.

There is nothing "deluxe" about this DVD, unless you count the lame featurette that talks about the different Christmas traditions from around the world.

And as for remastering, there are still plenty of film flaws—scratches and graininess on the film that were never cleaned up and show the film's age. Perhaps I have high expectations of what "remastered" films should look like thanks to Disney's ability to make films like new again because I don't think scratches and graininess should appear on a "remastered" film.

Those nuisances aside, I have to say that the colors really pop and the soundtrack is fantastic!

Your Task

Read the original "Twas The Night Before Christmas" to your children, then put in this cartoon. When it's over, ask your children what they thought about Albert's letter and Santa's reaction. Then let them know that it's okay to have their own opinions about things, but that it's important to share those opinions in a way that doesn't intentionally bring harm to others or cause hurt feelings.