I thought this movie was very adorable, and I'm surprised it didn't get more recognition. It's nice seeing so many famous actors doing a kids' movie together. Especially Eric Idle doing the voice of the fox with an American accent- he's truly delightful...I could barely tell it was him! OK, so it was a tad cheesy, but what's a feel-good family movie without a bit of cheese thrown in? I haven't seen it in a while, but I remember loving the voice of the younger Rudolph. I'm surprised he hasn't gotten more roles, or more of a bio on IMDb! So, if you've got kids, or you just want to giggle at how cute/corny it is, rent it or buy it. Sure, it's not a classic like the one with the Abominable Snowman, Yukon Cornelius or Hermy the elf, but it's just as delightful.
37 Reviews
Ahh, memories...
wildanimals30 June 2007
I absolutely adored this movie when I was younger, and I hate it when people compare it to 'superior' '64 version with puppets. What's so wrong with a fresh new remake anyway. Did the world suddenly stop back in 1964?
The story, like all Goodtimes films, is short, sweet and simple, and should please most children, although some little 'uns might find a few scenes scary. The animation is very fluent for a Goodtimes film, and there are some wonderful sequences with the Northern Lights and snowstorms. The songs are fun and catchy, and they are never there just for the sake of having a song. The songs help emphasise on what Rudolph or any other character is feeling right now.
I loved this movie so much when I was a kid, I wouldn't just watch it at Christmas. It was an enjoyable romp at any time of the year (look, I'm reviewing this in June!)
There's no bad language, no extreme violence, but just a sweet simple story with a strong moral that kids will love. And some open-minded adults will like this too.
The story, like all Goodtimes films, is short, sweet and simple, and should please most children, although some little 'uns might find a few scenes scary. The animation is very fluent for a Goodtimes film, and there are some wonderful sequences with the Northern Lights and snowstorms. The songs are fun and catchy, and they are never there just for the sake of having a song. The songs help emphasise on what Rudolph or any other character is feeling right now.
I loved this movie so much when I was a kid, I wouldn't just watch it at Christmas. It was an enjoyable romp at any time of the year (look, I'm reviewing this in June!)
There's no bad language, no extreme violence, but just a sweet simple story with a strong moral that kids will love. And some open-minded adults will like this too.
Very sweet and above average Christmas movie
TheLittleSongbird15 September 2009
Of course it isn't my all time favourite Christmas movie and it isn't as good as the timeless Rankin'/Bass special, but all the same it is very sweet, charming and simple. I for one am disheartened at the 4.8 rating, it is much better than that, of course it isn't perfect, but it is far from the worst animated movie ever. The animation is not too bad, a tad shoddy in places, but fifteen minutes in, the quality got better. I didn't think the songs were awful at all, honestly the songs in Secret Of NIMH 2: Timmy To The Rescue were much worse. In my opinion, they were actually quite cute. One or two of them are forgettable especially the song sung by the elves before Stormella is introduced, but I Hate Santa Claus and Zoey and Rudolph's duet were lovely, and who can resist festive classics like Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer and Wonderful Christmas time. I will admit I was annoyed by the sprites, there were a couple of moments where their presence was pointless. The movie also has some nice messaging, I really did feel for Rudolph(I know exactly what it's like to get bullied because of your nose, I used to get bullied because of my singing voice), a good story, if a little slow to start with and some fairly good dialogue. The real delight is in the very lovable characters and highly talented voice cast. Rudolph and Zoey are adorable, and John Goodman makes a suitably merry Santa Claus. Eric Idle and Bob Newhart positively delight as Slyly and Leonard, and despite her limited screen time, Whoopi Goldberg is very impressive as the villainous Stormella. Overall, a very sweet, simple and underrated Christmas movie. 7/10 Bethany Cox
Great Christmas Classic for Everyone!
Guy1432 May 1999
An instant Christmas classic! Great cast (voices) and decent animation make this a family classic for any Christmas occasion. Considering the fact that this film isn't Disney, it belongs in the category of excellent animated films. On a Friday afternoon of September 1998, I came across "Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer : The Movie" opening today in limited release. Fortunately my movie theater was playing it and with a cast including Whoopi Goldberg, Bob Newhart, Sarah Jessica Parker, Debbie Reynolds, & John Goodman, I couldn't resist. Why Legacy Releasing opened a Christmas movie in the fall I'll never know, but if you haven't seen it with your kids, get it this Christmas season. Soundtrack includes a special musical performance of "A Wonderful Christmas Time" by Paul and Linda McCartney. Now on video from Goodtimes Entertainment.
Looking Back....This movie was rather cute!
cmc47943 December 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Okay, yes, I'm rather young, but I still remember this movie quite well. When you are little, this movie is SO cute! I remember getting this film for Christmas on VHS and loving it. I still sit down and watch it around Christmas-time whenever my 6-year-old niece comes to visit.
But I don't believe that it should be compared to the 1964 original Rudolph Rankin/Bass Special. There are some things that I like about this movie that I think make it cute, not great, but cute. It's not like it's supposed to be Academy Award material.
I really enjoyed:
-Santa: Santa is so friendly! He has that red scarf...and he sings a happy song while Rudolph hides in the snow. He roots for our red-nosed friend just like we do!
-Slyly: I don't know,he's cheesy and silly, but hey! Live a little!
-The Rudolph/Zoey Romance: To a little girl, the whole mistletoe scene is SO romantic and cute. It makes me blush... Then there's all the songs!
-The Reindeer Games: They are a lot more elaborate. And the reindeer sit like regular people! (I think, I haven't watched this movie in a while...)
Overall,I give this movie a 6/10 because I grew up with it during the holiday season, along with the original Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus is coming to town, etc.
But I don't believe that it should be compared to the 1964 original Rudolph Rankin/Bass Special. There are some things that I like about this movie that I think make it cute, not great, but cute. It's not like it's supposed to be Academy Award material.
I really enjoyed:
-Santa: Santa is so friendly! He has that red scarf...and he sings a happy song while Rudolph hides in the snow. He roots for our red-nosed friend just like we do!
-Slyly: I don't know,he's cheesy and silly, but hey! Live a little!
-The Rudolph/Zoey Romance: To a little girl, the whole mistletoe scene is SO romantic and cute. It makes me blush... Then there's all the songs!
-The Reindeer Games: They are a lot more elaborate. And the reindeer sit like regular people! (I think, I haven't watched this movie in a while...)
Overall,I give this movie a 6/10 because I grew up with it during the holiday season, along with the original Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus is coming to town, etc.
I still stand by my opinion when I first saw this
The_Light_Triton26 June 2013
I originally reviewed this movie when I was about 14 or 15, And lets just say I didn't really give it a fair try. So after actually watching it nearly all the way through, I can write a better review that doesn't look like some troll wrote it.
First off, if you loved the original Claymation original, Stick to it, it's so much better and more well received by the general public. This one isn't too much to love, unless you're from the 12 years and under demographic and you can stomach an hour-long musical.
The story is loosely, and inconsistently narrated by 4 fairies, named "The sprites of the northern lights" (Yeah, I have a whole paragraph to dedicate to them, so sit tight.) But the story itself is based around the character of Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, a reindeer born with a red nose, making him different from the other reindeers...You know what, You should already know this story.
But you don't know the other characters that go along with the story, Lets begin with Slyly the white fox, Who might as well be Tails the fox dragged out of a coloring book, but with the personality of Locke from Final fantasy VI. In short, he's a streetwise (Or in this case, arctic-wise) fox who's philosophy is "It could always be worse." Then we have Zoey the girl reindeer. The 1964 Rudolph movie equivalent of Clarice. and if you've seen the original, it's more or less the same character, just a little less figurine and more animated. Then there's Stormella, And I have to admit, it's comforting to know that Whoopi Goldberg can be both a gentle character as well as someone you just want to slap.
Now I promised you a whole paragraph on what I think of the sprites of the northern lights. They totally ruin the movie for me. It's like someone said "lets just throw these fairies in there to tell the story." But damn it, i'll take a singing snowman with some guy pretending to be Burl Ives any day over that. Maybe I really don't like them because I didn't like 4kid's flagship show Winx club either.
Bottom line, This is one you might want to check out, it's not Oscar worthy material but if you have an hour you don't have anything planned, it's worth a view. If not you, at least your youngest kids.
5/10
First off, if you loved the original Claymation original, Stick to it, it's so much better and more well received by the general public. This one isn't too much to love, unless you're from the 12 years and under demographic and you can stomach an hour-long musical.
The story is loosely, and inconsistently narrated by 4 fairies, named "The sprites of the northern lights" (Yeah, I have a whole paragraph to dedicate to them, so sit tight.) But the story itself is based around the character of Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, a reindeer born with a red nose, making him different from the other reindeers...You know what, You should already know this story.
But you don't know the other characters that go along with the story, Lets begin with Slyly the white fox, Who might as well be Tails the fox dragged out of a coloring book, but with the personality of Locke from Final fantasy VI. In short, he's a streetwise (Or in this case, arctic-wise) fox who's philosophy is "It could always be worse." Then we have Zoey the girl reindeer. The 1964 Rudolph movie equivalent of Clarice. and if you've seen the original, it's more or less the same character, just a little less figurine and more animated. Then there's Stormella, And I have to admit, it's comforting to know that Whoopi Goldberg can be both a gentle character as well as someone you just want to slap.
Now I promised you a whole paragraph on what I think of the sprites of the northern lights. They totally ruin the movie for me. It's like someone said "lets just throw these fairies in there to tell the story." But damn it, i'll take a singing snowman with some guy pretending to be Burl Ives any day over that. Maybe I really don't like them because I didn't like 4kid's flagship show Winx club either.
Bottom line, This is one you might want to check out, it's not Oscar worthy material but if you have an hour you don't have anything planned, it's worth a view. If not you, at least your youngest kids.
5/10
A sweet and lovable Christmas movie
ryanward-4503916 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Rudolph was born with a shiny red nose, but the other reindeer, elves and even his uncles made fun of him. After he's grown into a young adult, he's been banned from the reindeer games and runs away from home. Of a sudden, his friend (now doe friend) Zoey has been kidnapped by the evil ice queen Stormella. It's up to Rudolph, along with his new friends Slyly the Arctic fox and Leonard the polar bear to rescue Zoey and guide Santa's sleigh through a foggy Christmas Eve.
I will say this is a very sweet and lovable Christmas movie and I found this good as the original 1964 classic special. The characters are likable. It stars John Goodman, Eric Idle, Bob Newhart and Whoopi Goldberg. The songs are catchy such as "It Could Always Be Worse" and of course the famous classic Rudolph song. Zoey is very similar to Clarice from the classic 1964 special cause they're both a love interest for the main character. Overall this is an lovable Christmas movie.
I'll give it a 7/10.
I will say this is a very sweet and lovable Christmas movie and I found this good as the original 1964 classic special. The characters are likable. It stars John Goodman, Eric Idle, Bob Newhart and Whoopi Goldberg. The songs are catchy such as "It Could Always Be Worse" and of course the famous classic Rudolph song. Zoey is very similar to Clarice from the classic 1964 special cause they're both a love interest for the main character. Overall this is an lovable Christmas movie.
I'll give it a 7/10.
Unnecessary Christmas Movie
meshjoy19 December 2015
Warning: Spoilers
In my eyes, this movie is nothing but a way to scam parents out of their money. I saw little effort put into this film. Now, before I get into the negatives, let me point out the few positives.
I wasn't too fond of most of the cast choices, except for two. One was John Goodman as Santa Claus. His voice suited the role perfectly. It sounded so friendly, yet had that powerful, booming tone. The other is Kathleen Barr as Rudolph. Her sort of nasally voice suits Rudolph.
I like the idea of the sprites. It adds a little originality to the story. Unfortunately, not much was really done with them, and they came off as annoying.
Now to the negatives. First, the animation. The colors and designs were nice, but the animation itself was very awkward. Everything moved in such a weird, clunky way. I was uncomfortable watching it.
The songs were dreadful. Some were obviously just filler so the movie would last longer. What was funny was that some of the singing voices didn't even sound close to the speaking voices of some characters. The songs also just came up out of nowhere.
The characters were very mean spirited. I mean, I understand that Rudolph is supposed to be made fun of, but the way the others mock him for his nose just doesn't seem natural, and they're a little too cruel. Not only are some of them very mean, but some are also very stupid. And by some, I mean Zoey. First of all, why is she dating Arrow? They made it clear that she liked Rudolph more, so what did she see in Arrow? Second, Stormella made it clear that she would cause a huge storm if anyone crossed her bridge. Who crossed? Zoey. Also, some characters are just plain useless, like the sprites, Slyly, and Leonard.
If people shut off their brains during this movie, I think they'd enjoy it. But as a student majoring in animation, I try to pay attention to the details. I don't really like this movie, and feel like it's pretty pointless. This was just a way to grab cash from parents, and that's it. I saw little effort put into this, and I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.
I wasn't too fond of most of the cast choices, except for two. One was John Goodman as Santa Claus. His voice suited the role perfectly. It sounded so friendly, yet had that powerful, booming tone. The other is Kathleen Barr as Rudolph. Her sort of nasally voice suits Rudolph.
I like the idea of the sprites. It adds a little originality to the story. Unfortunately, not much was really done with them, and they came off as annoying.
Now to the negatives. First, the animation. The colors and designs were nice, but the animation itself was very awkward. Everything moved in such a weird, clunky way. I was uncomfortable watching it.
The songs were dreadful. Some were obviously just filler so the movie would last longer. What was funny was that some of the singing voices didn't even sound close to the speaking voices of some characters. The songs also just came up out of nowhere.
The characters were very mean spirited. I mean, I understand that Rudolph is supposed to be made fun of, but the way the others mock him for his nose just doesn't seem natural, and they're a little too cruel. Not only are some of them very mean, but some are also very stupid. And by some, I mean Zoey. First of all, why is she dating Arrow? They made it clear that she liked Rudolph more, so what did she see in Arrow? Second, Stormella made it clear that she would cause a huge storm if anyone crossed her bridge. Who crossed? Zoey. Also, some characters are just plain useless, like the sprites, Slyly, and Leonard.
If people shut off their brains during this movie, I think they'd enjoy it. But as a student majoring in animation, I try to pay attention to the details. I don't really like this movie, and feel like it's pretty pointless. This was just a way to grab cash from parents, and that's it. I saw little effort put into this, and I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.
Nothing wrong with this film
jesuit2527 December 2004
Strangely, I found this movie quite good. It fills you with a sense of Christmas and there's nothing wrong with sitting down and watching this before you open your presents. A nice little kids movie which appealed to me quite a bit. This year I was feeling a bit bah humbug, but this warmed my heart. The plot is good, sticking to the original idea while skewing away in places, but it remains a nice honest film which everyone can watch. The acting is above average IMO, and Leonard the Bear is my favourite character. A story of the underdog rising up is always great, and this delivers just like it's predessor. Especially fitting for a nice Christmas Day morning. There were some questions left unanswered, however, such as how do the reindeer's fly? But all in all, this is a worthy Christmas tale, telling a story about everyone's favourite reindeer. It is just a shame that this will forever be compared with the original. This is the way great films are ignored and this movie is getting bad feedback because 'it does not live up to the original'. This film is still great, however little can see it's potential. Sad.
Still very nostalgiac and still shines
amiranda-392743 January 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I have seen this movie with my siblings every christmas since we were young children, and i believe its the earliest christmas movie we ever saw, we never even saw the original puppet version, but this movie did introduce us to the classic song, and from there on we would always think about this movie every time the song played. As time has gone by i have found several flaws with the film. the beginning of the movie is completely cringe-worthy with the sprites and baby Rudolph, in fact you could skip past that, and it would not affect the story in any way, after that, there are a few more cringy moments but it decreases as the movie goes on. Next i just want to say, i have watched a lot of cartoon movies, and i have become accustomed to very well animated films that move very smoothly, this was the first year i noticed how poor the animation really is in this movie, its not terrible, in fact there are some moments where the animation looks really good, but other times especially with extras or supporting characters it does look cheap. Despite these flaws i eventually find myself enjoying the movie. the characters are really fun, Rudolph is a little generic nice guy, but i relate to him with his bullying, feeling different and unwanted( there are so many times when hes being bullied it takes me back to when i was bullied in school), Zoey,; Rudolph love interest is also generic, but is very sweet, in fact i find her and Rudolph's relationship very sweet. Slyly the arctic fox, is hilarious, i love his voice actor and his con man ways. John Goodman is a warm and gentle Santa who is very protective of everyone and is a memorable Santa. Whoopi Goldberg as the ice queen, is amazing, i loved every time she was on screen, her modern day jokes didn't bother me, and added to the films comedy. one of her lines goes like this, " Because of you reindeer, i can now unleash a terrible storm and ruin Christmas, take care of that in therapy", i love that! the movie is constantly trying to send messages to be honest, kind, and be yourself, and i enjoy that, there not always in your face, but they do take a large part in the plot. i love all the songs, especially show me the light a romantic duet between rudolph and zoey. I still really like this movie, despite it getting really childish for me, i still like to watch it every christmas.
Rudolph will go down in history, but this movie is not the reason for it.
AntonFokker15 December 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Since his birth in 1939 as a way for a department store to make more money, Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer has a special place during the Holiday season, and has been translated to animation ever since the beginning, most famous being the 1944 short and the 1964 Ranking- Bass film. And in 1998 it finally hits the big screen, and became an mostly bland film.
The first problem is it's creator: Goodtimes Entertainment, who has made a living of themselves by making cheap cash-ins to more popular Disney movies. Second problem is the fact that the movie was released for a few weeks in the end of October (does this count as an Halloween movie like Nightmare before Chistmas?).
The story is mostly the same as the 1964 version, but than 76 minutes long instead of 50 minutes. It is predictable and didn't have the charm that the original has, and it makes no sense at certain points. Like Why does Santa not punish the elf's who made the villain mad? Why is Rudolph's obvious love interest Zoey hanging out with one of his bully's? Why is an Brooklyn accented fox voiced by Eric Idle? Why is the villain voiced by Whoopi Goldberg?
The animation is sloppy and inconsistent. The movements are stiff, characters change color way to often. It is the quality of an direct to video movie.
The songs are bad. Some songs sound to much like pop songs and they have no purpose to the story. The only good song is "Wonderful Christmastime" by Paul McCartney, and I have no idea why it is in this movie.
The characters are no really worth mentioning. Only Rudolph comes the closest of having personality. The villain is a joke, becomes a good guy at the end, because Rudolph asked it to her. Santa is barely in the film to have a impact on everything.
Do I hate this movie? No, I do not. The story is simple, because the original story is simple, and the voice-acting is good enough. It is by far not the worst Christmas special I have ever seen, but I know better movies to watch during the Christmas days.
The first problem is it's creator: Goodtimes Entertainment, who has made a living of themselves by making cheap cash-ins to more popular Disney movies. Second problem is the fact that the movie was released for a few weeks in the end of October (does this count as an Halloween movie like Nightmare before Chistmas?).
The story is mostly the same as the 1964 version, but than 76 minutes long instead of 50 minutes. It is predictable and didn't have the charm that the original has, and it makes no sense at certain points. Like Why does Santa not punish the elf's who made the villain mad? Why is Rudolph's obvious love interest Zoey hanging out with one of his bully's? Why is an Brooklyn accented fox voiced by Eric Idle? Why is the villain voiced by Whoopi Goldberg?
The animation is sloppy and inconsistent. The movements are stiff, characters change color way to often. It is the quality of an direct to video movie.
The songs are bad. Some songs sound to much like pop songs and they have no purpose to the story. The only good song is "Wonderful Christmastime" by Paul McCartney, and I have no idea why it is in this movie.
The characters are no really worth mentioning. Only Rudolph comes the closest of having personality. The villain is a joke, becomes a good guy at the end, because Rudolph asked it to her. Santa is barely in the film to have a impact on everything.
Do I hate this movie? No, I do not. The story is simple, because the original story is simple, and the voice-acting is good enough. It is by far not the worst Christmas special I have ever seen, but I know better movies to watch during the Christmas days.
love it =]
are_u_savy129 August 2007
i love love LOVE this movie! I have loved all Rudolph stories, always. But, this one has to be one of my very favorites. It has adorable songs, great animation, and the voices fit great for every part. It is a great Christmas movie, that can be enjoyed all year!! One of the things that I've always liked about this one, is that Rudolph's dad isn't quite as mean as he was in the other ones. You can really see how much he loves him, and I love that. It's how it should be. And it shows that good beats evil =] . The only..off thing for kids in my opinion is the "I Hate Santa Clause" song the witch sings. But other than that..
This is definitely a movie to buy and watch. Have fun!!
This is definitely a movie to buy and watch. Have fun!!
Not as Good as the Original, But Still Good
Jace_the_Peanuts_Fan5 February 2024
If you read the title, you know that I like the original Rudolph by Rankin-Bass better for the most part and don't find Rudolph the Movie by Good Times Entertainment as good, but the latter is sweet, charming, simple, and far from being one of the worst Christmas movies or movies in general, and it fixes some of the problems I have with the former. Some think this is a remake of the Rankin-Bass Rudolph, and I've heard complaints about it not living up to the original, but I think it's supposed to be its own thing and not a remake of the original because it has different characters, different songs, an almost entirely different plot, and it bears little to no resemblance to the original. Like the original, it has a strong, positive message about embracing your differences, accepting others for who they are, and not judging a book by its cover. Rudolph the Movie lacks the lifelike stop motion animation style that the RB version has, but the animation and art style here look very similar to old Disney movies and a few other cartoons I grew up with, which makes me like this even more!
The characters are likable for the most part. Unlike Arrow, Rudolph has character and true heart! I find him sympathetic, and I can't argue that his nose makes him unique! I know what it's like to be bullied. Unlike the original, Rudolph has barely stuck up for himself here, and thankfully it is explained why his nose glows (though I don't have a problem with no explanation in the former): the 4 sprites who narrate the story and have been watching him ever since he was born knew he was special, and they wanted him to literally shine. I must say that the sprites are annoying because their narration consists entirely of singing, which is repetitive. This is a movie, not a Broadway musical or an opera. Sam the snowman is a better narrator than them! I've heard criticisms about Santa Claus being a jerk and not so Santa-like in the original, and I'd have to agree. I like his portrayal here better! Unlike the RB Santa, he accepts Rudolph for who he is right away, and he's the jolly, fatherly, and giving old man that Santa usually is! I used to be scared of the Abominable Snowman aka the Bumble, and he may be too scary for younger or sensitive audiences, but I don't think I was ever scared of Stormella. The latter has more personality than the former, and I got to admit that she has an awesome voice performance by Whoopi Goldberg. I like Clarice, but I like Zoey better because she has more screentime and more personality. She has stood up to those who have given Rudolph a hard time, and she briefly tells Rudolph that he means everything to her and wishes she would've said so sooner because it was unlikely he would've run away in the first place. I don't understand why she dated Arrow in the first place, but thankfully she later breaks up with him and starts exclusively dating Rudolph. Arrow somewhat reminds me of Fireball, and I agree with Zoey: he's a huge jerk. Slyly and Leonard are interesting characters, but they don't have as good chemistry with Rudolph as Hermey and Yukon Cornelius do.
The songs are good, but not as catchy or as memorable as the songs from the original. Slyly's song, "It Could Always Be Worse," has an inspiring message saying things aren't always as bad as they may seem and could always be worse, hence the title. "What About Rudolph's Nose?" is a good song, but not the best. Rudolph's parents sing about how handsome they find their son's nose, which I like because they're being accepting him for who he is, they don't hate his nose like Rudolph's dad does at first in the original, and they're being good parents! Towards the end of the song, Rudolph's dad says maybe the kids from school will make fun of his nose when he gets older, and Rudolph's mother says maybe they'll ignore him or learn to adore him. Who knows whether or not kids will be bullied when they start school, and it's best to ignore those you don't have anything nice to say to. The other reindeer and elves, who sing backup, have negative comments about Rudolph's nose, but they sound way too happy and upbeat, as if they are faking and secretly love his brightly colored schnoz. My favorite song from the movie might have to be Rudolph and Zoey's duet, "Show Me the Light," because it's an incredibly beautiful love song, and it reflects on the relationship between the two of them! However, Rudolph's singing voice sounds nothing like his speaking voice, and he sounds like he has gone through puberty when he sings. To be fair, my singing voice sounds nothing like my speaking voice either; I usually sing in an opera voice, whether or not I'm singing an opera song, because it's more fun to sing in, and I'm not as good at singing in my natural voice. And of course, who can resist classics like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Wonderful Christmastime? The only song I don't like is Stormella's song, "I Hate Santa Claus," and the sprites' narration too if that counts.
There is a reason I give this a 7/10, other than the ones I mentioned above (not being as memorable as the RB version, the backup vocals in the first song sounding too happy and upbeat for the lyrics to be considered insults, the sprites being annoying): Stormella's redemption arc magically comes out of nowhere. There is a witchcraft law about Stormella having to grant a wish, and Rudolph wishes for her to change from bad to good. I don't understand why Stormella didn't redeem herself the minute Rudolph saved her from falling off a cliff. The former could've reformed on her own right away, or the latter could've told her, "We'll go home right now if you promise to be nice from now on."
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer the Movie is an underrated movie and a nostalgic piece of my childhood! You should check it out if you haven't seen it before. If you don't like the original Rudolph, there's a chance you might like this better because it lacks the mean-spiritedness some have complained about, it has a more optimistic and upbeat tone, and most of the characters are friendlier than some of the RB characters, though some have misinterpreted the RB version's message, after all both versions are allegories about the trouble with discrimination.
The characters are likable for the most part. Unlike Arrow, Rudolph has character and true heart! I find him sympathetic, and I can't argue that his nose makes him unique! I know what it's like to be bullied. Unlike the original, Rudolph has barely stuck up for himself here, and thankfully it is explained why his nose glows (though I don't have a problem with no explanation in the former): the 4 sprites who narrate the story and have been watching him ever since he was born knew he was special, and they wanted him to literally shine. I must say that the sprites are annoying because their narration consists entirely of singing, which is repetitive. This is a movie, not a Broadway musical or an opera. Sam the snowman is a better narrator than them! I've heard criticisms about Santa Claus being a jerk and not so Santa-like in the original, and I'd have to agree. I like his portrayal here better! Unlike the RB Santa, he accepts Rudolph for who he is right away, and he's the jolly, fatherly, and giving old man that Santa usually is! I used to be scared of the Abominable Snowman aka the Bumble, and he may be too scary for younger or sensitive audiences, but I don't think I was ever scared of Stormella. The latter has more personality than the former, and I got to admit that she has an awesome voice performance by Whoopi Goldberg. I like Clarice, but I like Zoey better because she has more screentime and more personality. She has stood up to those who have given Rudolph a hard time, and she briefly tells Rudolph that he means everything to her and wishes she would've said so sooner because it was unlikely he would've run away in the first place. I don't understand why she dated Arrow in the first place, but thankfully she later breaks up with him and starts exclusively dating Rudolph. Arrow somewhat reminds me of Fireball, and I agree with Zoey: he's a huge jerk. Slyly and Leonard are interesting characters, but they don't have as good chemistry with Rudolph as Hermey and Yukon Cornelius do.
The songs are good, but not as catchy or as memorable as the songs from the original. Slyly's song, "It Could Always Be Worse," has an inspiring message saying things aren't always as bad as they may seem and could always be worse, hence the title. "What About Rudolph's Nose?" is a good song, but not the best. Rudolph's parents sing about how handsome they find their son's nose, which I like because they're being accepting him for who he is, they don't hate his nose like Rudolph's dad does at first in the original, and they're being good parents! Towards the end of the song, Rudolph's dad says maybe the kids from school will make fun of his nose when he gets older, and Rudolph's mother says maybe they'll ignore him or learn to adore him. Who knows whether or not kids will be bullied when they start school, and it's best to ignore those you don't have anything nice to say to. The other reindeer and elves, who sing backup, have negative comments about Rudolph's nose, but they sound way too happy and upbeat, as if they are faking and secretly love his brightly colored schnoz. My favorite song from the movie might have to be Rudolph and Zoey's duet, "Show Me the Light," because it's an incredibly beautiful love song, and it reflects on the relationship between the two of them! However, Rudolph's singing voice sounds nothing like his speaking voice, and he sounds like he has gone through puberty when he sings. To be fair, my singing voice sounds nothing like my speaking voice either; I usually sing in an opera voice, whether or not I'm singing an opera song, because it's more fun to sing in, and I'm not as good at singing in my natural voice. And of course, who can resist classics like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Wonderful Christmastime? The only song I don't like is Stormella's song, "I Hate Santa Claus," and the sprites' narration too if that counts.
There is a reason I give this a 7/10, other than the ones I mentioned above (not being as memorable as the RB version, the backup vocals in the first song sounding too happy and upbeat for the lyrics to be considered insults, the sprites being annoying): Stormella's redemption arc magically comes out of nowhere. There is a witchcraft law about Stormella having to grant a wish, and Rudolph wishes for her to change from bad to good. I don't understand why Stormella didn't redeem herself the minute Rudolph saved her from falling off a cliff. The former could've reformed on her own right away, or the latter could've told her, "We'll go home right now if you promise to be nice from now on."
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer the Movie is an underrated movie and a nostalgic piece of my childhood! You should check it out if you haven't seen it before. If you don't like the original Rudolph, there's a chance you might like this better because it lacks the mean-spiritedness some have complained about, it has a more optimistic and upbeat tone, and most of the characters are friendlier than some of the RB characters, though some have misinterpreted the RB version's message, after all both versions are allegories about the trouble with discrimination.
The Classics always seem better
aerogoose27 September 2006
It seems as though EVERY new Christmas movie that comes out is listed as an "Instant Classic" and this is no different.
I think this as a so-so effort with a different approach to the Rudolph story known by all. When presented with the incredible animation process of Polar Express this is, in my opinion, less enjoyable than the Rankin Bass production from 1964. The songs are simple and, even though the Paul and Linda McCartney hit "Wonderful Christmas Time" is listed as one of them, it is only a small snip-it version of perhaps 30 seconds.
I prefer the classics that I grew up with like the original Grinch or Rudolph, but my child enjoys the show and, as the saying goes, "To each his own".
I think this as a so-so effort with a different approach to the Rudolph story known by all. When presented with the incredible animation process of Polar Express this is, in my opinion, less enjoyable than the Rankin Bass production from 1964. The songs are simple and, even though the Paul and Linda McCartney hit "Wonderful Christmas Time" is listed as one of them, it is only a small snip-it version of perhaps 30 seconds.
I prefer the classics that I grew up with like the original Grinch or Rudolph, but my child enjoys the show and, as the saying goes, "To each his own".
Great attempt to beat the original.
alex-caruso12 November 2012
I have to say, this was good. Not great or excellent, but average-good. Nothing will ever beat the original 1964 Rudolph, but this remake almost did. This remake took everything from the original, and tried to twist into the 90's version of Rudolph. The plot was great, the whole story had a goal to achieve, you knew what the characters were trying to accomplish, everything just had a good purpose that gave this remake a solid flow to it. The songs were amazing. You won't remember them like the one's from the 1964 Rudolph, but the songs used in this remake are just as unforgettable in my opinion. Every other scene has you wondering were the story will take you next, and the climax toward the end will actually give you that feeling whether it's gonna be a happy or bad ending. Overall, this is absolutely worth seeing, and a great remake to the classic 1964 Rudolph.
This is not 1/2 as good as the beloved Television Classic
Christmas-Reviewer21 September 2017
BEWARE OF FALSE REVIEWS & REVIEWERS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW TO THEIR NAME. NOW WHEN ITS A POSITIVE REVIEW THAT TELLS ME THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE MOVIE. IF ITS A NEGATIVE REVIEW THEN THEY MIGHT HAVE A GRUDGE AGAINST THE FILM . NOW I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 300 HOLIDAY FILMS & SPECIALS. I HAVE NO AGENDA
I was looking forward to seeing this. This was a feature film based on the beloved Christmas Song. However I thought they were going to use some of the charterers from the television classic but no.
This unfortunately is not related to that animated special. What this is is a retelling of the song, I can't call this a remake but another version of the story of Rudolph.
Now this film has a great voice cast. However it also too many "NEW SONGS" that are terrible. If someone performed them on "The Gong Show" they get a "GONG".
This cartoon might be better if you never have seen the Rankin Bass version. However most of us have and this version just isn't very good.
The film begins in Santa's Village where the Sprites of the Northern Lights perform a light show in the sky which makes Santa and his wife Mrs. Claus wonder what the occasion is (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer).
The Sprites then arrive at the home of one of Santa's reindeer Blitzen and his wife Mitzi, who have just become parents to a newborn buck whom they name Rudolph. Rudolph gets to his feet and does his first steps, but trips and tumbles into a haybale. Blitzen and Mitzi rush over to see if their son is okay. Rudolph emerges from the haybale unharmed, but when upon letting out a sneeze, his nose lights up red, to the shock of his parents.
The next day, Blitzen and Mitzi take Rudolph a tour of Santa's Village where they meet with Blitzen's three brothers and fellow Flyers Comet, Cupid and Dasher. At first Blitzen tries to hide Rudolph from them (worried at what they'll think of his nose), but Mitzi makes him stop. Cupid playfully tickles Rudolph and causes his nose to light up again, in front of the rest of the villagers to which Blitzen tells them that Rudolph has allergies before leading his son away. Blitzen along with Mitzi, hope that others will overlook Rudolph's nose and grow to accept it and he will become a Flyer, but leave after the villagers laugh at Rudolph (What About His Nose).
Meanwhile, two elves named Boone and Doggle are delivering mail to Santa with hopes they will be promoted to the factory floor. However when crossing the ice bridge of the ice queen Stormella, Boone loses control of the mail sled and along with Doggle crash into Stormella's ice garden, destroying her statues. The two elves quickly leave, but Doggle accidentally leaves his hat behind in the wreck.
Now this isn't a bad movie its just "OKAY" when you compare it to the other Rudolph Animated Special
I was looking forward to seeing this. This was a feature film based on the beloved Christmas Song. However I thought they were going to use some of the charterers from the television classic but no.
This unfortunately is not related to that animated special. What this is is a retelling of the song, I can't call this a remake but another version of the story of Rudolph.
Now this film has a great voice cast. However it also too many "NEW SONGS" that are terrible. If someone performed them on "The Gong Show" they get a "GONG".
This cartoon might be better if you never have seen the Rankin Bass version. However most of us have and this version just isn't very good.
The film begins in Santa's Village where the Sprites of the Northern Lights perform a light show in the sky which makes Santa and his wife Mrs. Claus wonder what the occasion is (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer).
The Sprites then arrive at the home of one of Santa's reindeer Blitzen and his wife Mitzi, who have just become parents to a newborn buck whom they name Rudolph. Rudolph gets to his feet and does his first steps, but trips and tumbles into a haybale. Blitzen and Mitzi rush over to see if their son is okay. Rudolph emerges from the haybale unharmed, but when upon letting out a sneeze, his nose lights up red, to the shock of his parents.
The next day, Blitzen and Mitzi take Rudolph a tour of Santa's Village where they meet with Blitzen's three brothers and fellow Flyers Comet, Cupid and Dasher. At first Blitzen tries to hide Rudolph from them (worried at what they'll think of his nose), but Mitzi makes him stop. Cupid playfully tickles Rudolph and causes his nose to light up again, in front of the rest of the villagers to which Blitzen tells them that Rudolph has allergies before leading his son away. Blitzen along with Mitzi, hope that others will overlook Rudolph's nose and grow to accept it and he will become a Flyer, but leave after the villagers laugh at Rudolph (What About His Nose).
Meanwhile, two elves named Boone and Doggle are delivering mail to Santa with hopes they will be promoted to the factory floor. However when crossing the ice bridge of the ice queen Stormella, Boone loses control of the mail sled and along with Doggle crash into Stormella's ice garden, destroying her statues. The two elves quickly leave, but Doggle accidentally leaves his hat behind in the wreck.
Now this isn't a bad movie its just "OKAY" when you compare it to the other Rudolph Animated Special
Excrement
mister_guyabcd24 October 2007
Okay - I'm not sure why anybody would seriously call this something that ranks along with Disney, but the only reason you want to watch this is to see how bad it is.
I can't understand how the producers managed to get such good high profile voice talent... but I also would be incredibly surprised to see if John Goodman thinks this is truly something he wants anybody to see. It's absolute animated crap.
Obviously the producers had money and spent it on hiring a great casting director, who was well connected... and yet all the actors signed on to something that was absolute crap... did they even SEE any of the animation before it was being voiced?
Why didn't the producers spend any money on hiring GOOD animators? As it stands, this ranks among the worst of the lowest-level outsourced amateur-level Saturday morning animation in the world.
Reading the praise it's received in previous comments is making me crazy. Seriously, all of you need to see more television and film if you can sit there and actually say this is worth seeing. More likely, you hated it too, but in some malicious, disturbed form of sadism you need others to suffer, too.
AAAAAAAARGH!
I grew up watching children's television and I work in children's television today. I guarantee you, if you're looking for quality holiday film viewing for your family for the holidays, you should buy a copy of the original 1964 TV special.
Inflicting this piece of "entertainment" on your family should be considered a mild form of spousal, elder and/or child abuse.
As I mentioned, I work in television and I have to watch this movie today as part of my job and I just wanted to share my pain with you.
I can't tell the difference between watching this, or stabbing myself in the eye with a fork. At least with the fork, my eye will heal. But the scars inflicted on my psyche watching 'Rudolph: The Movie' will never heal.
Never.
Please ignore me now as I crawl into a fetal position under my desk and die.
I can't understand how the producers managed to get such good high profile voice talent... but I also would be incredibly surprised to see if John Goodman thinks this is truly something he wants anybody to see. It's absolute animated crap.
Obviously the producers had money and spent it on hiring a great casting director, who was well connected... and yet all the actors signed on to something that was absolute crap... did they even SEE any of the animation before it was being voiced?
Why didn't the producers spend any money on hiring GOOD animators? As it stands, this ranks among the worst of the lowest-level outsourced amateur-level Saturday morning animation in the world.
Reading the praise it's received in previous comments is making me crazy. Seriously, all of you need to see more television and film if you can sit there and actually say this is worth seeing. More likely, you hated it too, but in some malicious, disturbed form of sadism you need others to suffer, too.
AAAAAAAARGH!
I grew up watching children's television and I work in children's television today. I guarantee you, if you're looking for quality holiday film viewing for your family for the holidays, you should buy a copy of the original 1964 TV special.
Inflicting this piece of "entertainment" on your family should be considered a mild form of spousal, elder and/or child abuse.
As I mentioned, I work in television and I have to watch this movie today as part of my job and I just wanted to share my pain with you.
I can't tell the difference between watching this, or stabbing myself in the eye with a fork. At least with the fork, my eye will heal. But the scars inflicted on my psyche watching 'Rudolph: The Movie' will never heal.
Never.
Please ignore me now as I crawl into a fetal position under my desk and die.
Nostalgic Guilty Pleasure
marianngentile23 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I grew up on this movie. Watching it as an adult is quite an experience. Is it cheesy? Yes! Hilariously so at times. Do I laugh out loud when Rudolph starts to sing and his voice completely changes? Every time! But does it make for a perfect snuggle up with a blanket and eggnog movie when I'm in need of nostalgia? No doubt! It's not by any means an award worthy film, but it's the epitome of 90s terrible hilarity that I will continue to seek out to watch each year! Remember... It could always be woise!
If you ever see it in a store, leave it there.
joebrian558 October 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Get ready to hear this, but I actually used to like it when I was little, but for some reason I grew out of it.
I can't believe I have to live with this abomination. What was the point of making this movie if there was already a Rudolph special in existence? Were the producers afraid everybody would forget about the Rankin-Bass special? I mean, go on to Amazon, type in "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", and you'll see how much we've forgotten about it.
The animation is beyond terrible, you may as well be letting whatever kids you're babysitting (if that scenario is the case) watch some college graduate's show-reel.
The voices in this movie are annoying. I'm very much offended that Eric Idle (who came from the UK) would be using a Brooklyn accent in this movie. I hope he knows how awful this movie is. The fairies that tell the story are utterly annoying.
On top of that, the movie has pretty much no silent moment. There isn't one scene in the movie that doesn't have any noise blaring through the speakers. When you put on this movie for any children, your basically just banging pots and pans and dancing like an idiot in front of them for an hour and a half.
The songs in this movie are plain terrible, the inclusion of Paul McCartney's "A Wonderful Christmastime" is overly offencive to me. And what sense does it make when Rudolph's singing voice sounds like Justin Bieber on sulphur hexafluoride while his speaking voice sounds like Ash Ketchum?
Pardon me if I sound like a sadist, but there are almost no useful scare tactics in the movie! That just makes it whimsical pandering! When a kid cartoon has frightening images, it teaches children that the world is a dark and cruel place. Even the villain is not scary enough.
What also annoys me is that rather than the villain, Stormella, simply falling to her death and hip hip hooray, cue end credits, Rudolph and the others just SAVE Stormella from plummeting to her doom even though Rudolph sent her to her near death in the first place! What kind of a lesson is that to teach your children? Just rescue a bad guy from their near death even if they attacked you to begin with? Talk about insulting your child's intelligence!
But as if that's not bad enough, Rudolph just wishes for Stormella to be nice, and lo and behold, she becomes a good sport. OK, that's just ASKING for your kids to get critically injured or murdered! That's just BEYOND disrespectful to a kid's intelligence!
It's beyond believable this was shown in cinemas before it was tossed into the Safeway bargain bins (if you know what I mean). I wouldn't be surprised if it was a box office bomb, which certainly doesn't matter since this movie probably didn't cost too much to make.
All I can say now is that the rest of the family I live with (even my 19 and 18 year old brothers) think this is such a good movie, but this makes Troll 2 seem like The Shawshank Redemption (never seen either films, but you can figure out what I mean). Even A Troll in Central Park is better than this!
I can't believe I have to live with this abomination. What was the point of making this movie if there was already a Rudolph special in existence? Were the producers afraid everybody would forget about the Rankin-Bass special? I mean, go on to Amazon, type in "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", and you'll see how much we've forgotten about it.
The animation is beyond terrible, you may as well be letting whatever kids you're babysitting (if that scenario is the case) watch some college graduate's show-reel.
The voices in this movie are annoying. I'm very much offended that Eric Idle (who came from the UK) would be using a Brooklyn accent in this movie. I hope he knows how awful this movie is. The fairies that tell the story are utterly annoying.
On top of that, the movie has pretty much no silent moment. There isn't one scene in the movie that doesn't have any noise blaring through the speakers. When you put on this movie for any children, your basically just banging pots and pans and dancing like an idiot in front of them for an hour and a half.
The songs in this movie are plain terrible, the inclusion of Paul McCartney's "A Wonderful Christmastime" is overly offencive to me. And what sense does it make when Rudolph's singing voice sounds like Justin Bieber on sulphur hexafluoride while his speaking voice sounds like Ash Ketchum?
Pardon me if I sound like a sadist, but there are almost no useful scare tactics in the movie! That just makes it whimsical pandering! When a kid cartoon has frightening images, it teaches children that the world is a dark and cruel place. Even the villain is not scary enough.
What also annoys me is that rather than the villain, Stormella, simply falling to her death and hip hip hooray, cue end credits, Rudolph and the others just SAVE Stormella from plummeting to her doom even though Rudolph sent her to her near death in the first place! What kind of a lesson is that to teach your children? Just rescue a bad guy from their near death even if they attacked you to begin with? Talk about insulting your child's intelligence!
But as if that's not bad enough, Rudolph just wishes for Stormella to be nice, and lo and behold, she becomes a good sport. OK, that's just ASKING for your kids to get critically injured or murdered! That's just BEYOND disrespectful to a kid's intelligence!
It's beyond believable this was shown in cinemas before it was tossed into the Safeway bargain bins (if you know what I mean). I wouldn't be surprised if it was a box office bomb, which certainly doesn't matter since this movie probably didn't cost too much to make.
All I can say now is that the rest of the family I live with (even my 19 and 18 year old brothers) think this is such a good movie, but this makes Troll 2 seem like The Shawshank Redemption (never seen either films, but you can figure out what I mean). Even A Troll in Central Park is better than this!
Rudolph finds himself in odds with others around him.
musangl22 November 2006
I liked this movie and thought that it was great even for adults. I didn't find the music distracting from the overall message of the film. The wonderful fact that it teaches courage in the face of insecurity is one that is lost in a lot of movies that are made today. It also teaches that we do not have to be the same as everyone else around us. We can be different and even if we get teased about it we can find solace in ourselves in the fact that we are the way we are because that is the way that we were made and we are each special and unique. I found it a joy watching it by myself for the first time and again watching it with my 4-year-old nephew. It is one that I am glad that I bought and will watch many times over the holidays.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie
jboothmillard4 January 2011
Warning: Spoilers
I knew what the video cover looked like, I may have seen a tiny segment of the film in school, and it is an easy to remember title, so wondering if was terrible like I thought it would be, I watched. Basically Mitzi the reindeer (Singin' in the Rain's Debbie Reynolds) has given birth to her new baby male reindeer, she and father, the well-known Blitzen (Gary Chalk) name him Rudolph. Their son however is different to all reindeer because after a little tumble learning to walk, he sneezes, and his bright red nose glows, but they ignore this. Growing up, Young Rudolph (Eric Pospisil) is taunted by all the other reindeer in school, including Cupid's son Arrow (Christopher Gray), only Young Zoey (Vanessa Morley) doesn't laugh. He also gets an assurance from Santa Claus (John Goodman), who when Rudolph was born had to deal with two of his elves causing trouble and making Stormella, The Evil Ice Queen (Whoopi Goldberg) mad, threatening to send a storm if anyone crosses her bridge. Older Rudolph (Kathleen Barr) has grown up with antlers, Zoey (Myriam Sirois) pretty much his girlfriend, and he is competing in the sleigh race, and even though he wins he is disqualified for his red nose, he overhears his father Blitzen saying his nose was an "accident", and he runs away angry and upset. Not caring about anything he enters the Arctic, and Zoey also runs away to search for him, and she unintentionally walks across Stormella's bridge, making the witch send her nasty storm. Unaware of what his girlfriend has done, Rudolph has made friends with Slyly the albino arctic fox (Eric Idle), and after trespassing in his cave and being forgiven, Leonard the Polar Bear (Bob Newhart). When Rudolph finds out from the Sprites what is going on at the North Pole, he and his new friends go to the rescue, and our hero's red nose glows so bright that it causes Stormella to topple over a cliff. Luckilly she grabs onto an edge and is rescued by the reindeer, and in gratitude grants him a wish, and he decides to wish that Stormella will be nice, so it is so. The only bad news is that the storm she created cannot be stopped, so it looks like Santa and the eight reindeer are going to be unable to deliver this Christmas Eve. But Santa catches a glimpse of Rudolph's bright red nose, and asks if he can guide the sleigh (tonight), so it comes to pass that he becomes the most famous reindeer and everyone has a Merry Christmas. Also starring Richard Simmons as Boone, Alec Willows as Prancer and Lee Tockar as Vixen. Everyone knows the catchy song, and the cast list is reasonable, Goodman being a nice Santa, I admittedly found the songs "Show Me The Light (Love Theme)" (performed in the end credits by "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" singers Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes") and Idle's "It Could Be Worse" a little catchy. But the animation is lame, the story is predictable and pretty lacklustre, and as a Christmas film, there are way better ones for the family, an unsuccessful animated seasonal fantasy. Adequate!
Blech...sorry, bad taste in my mouth.
perni12 July 2002
This is the dumbest thing I have ever seen. This is not the Rankin-Bass version by any stretch of the imagination. That was a stop-motion short that is now considered a Christmas classic. Rudolph: THE MOVIE is no where near that special. The entire package, from the animation to the characters, should never have been released in theaters. That's right, this thing was on the big screen for, like, a whopping three weeks b4 going straight to video. As I said before, the animation would be right at home on UPN's Saturday Morning Lineup right next to the New Tex Avery Show. It's not The Prince of Egypt, let's just say that. Also, what is with the army of wacky side kicks? We get a polar bear voiced by Bob Newhart (Bob, what happened?), a thumb-sucking Arctic wolf, some kareoke singing faeries who painfully narrate the story, and a penguin who wears a tuxedo (Ha! My sides!). At the very, very least they added a new element to the old legend of Rudolph with the ice queen, who is voiced by Whoopi Goldberg, but even she isn't that interesting. Plus, it's a musical. And a bad one, at that. Listening to two different people do Rudolph's speaking voice and singing vocals is hilarious, since Singing Ru is about eight octaves deeper than Speaking Ru. So basically, stay away. This is one tiresome flick. 1 out of 4 stars.
PLEASE stay away from this movie
robko26 August 2003
DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME. This movie is absolute excrement, and I cannot recommend it for children or adults. It's quite obvious they were trying to do things on the cheap; which area they saved the most money on is not so obvious. The "B-list" celebrities for voices? Richard Simmons proves why he never succeeded as an actor. Eric Idle can't decide whether his character is from Liverpool or the Bronx. I truly believe Bob Newhart was disguising his voice so no one would realize he had stooped to this level. Whoopi Goldburg and John Goodman do their best to add some life to this worthless script and fail quite spectacularly.
The music? It sounds as if it were written by a freshman music major - who is failing out of college. They had to bring a previously-released Paul McCartney tune to give the soundtrack some semblance of professionalism. The animation is difficult to look at, and I found some of the supposedly happy faces "scary" looking.
We bought this in a pile of used movies for 99 cents. FREE wouldn't have been cheap enough for this waste of videotape. I think once they realized they had made such a terrible cartoon, their only hope of making money relied on people confusing it with the wonderful Rankin-Bass version. My advice? If you're looking for a Rudolph movie, spend an extra couple of bucks and buy the original!
The music? It sounds as if it were written by a freshman music major - who is failing out of college. They had to bring a previously-released Paul McCartney tune to give the soundtrack some semblance of professionalism. The animation is difficult to look at, and I found some of the supposedly happy faces "scary" looking.
We bought this in a pile of used movies for 99 cents. FREE wouldn't have been cheap enough for this waste of videotape. I think once they realized they had made such a terrible cartoon, their only hope of making money relied on people confusing it with the wonderful Rankin-Bass version. My advice? If you're looking for a Rudolph movie, spend an extra couple of bucks and buy the original!
If only the animation quality lived up to the incredible voice talent...
jkylebennett22 December 2018
You can really tell the the 10 million dollar budget went mostly to the incredible cast of talented actors that they hired for this. Sadly, that also meant that the animation quality suffered. It's been 20 years since its release and those 20 years have not been kind. The animation is stiff, choppy, and lacks enough mouth movements to be convincing whenever a character speaks. It doesn't help that the actual story is something of a cringe fest. Those awkward teen years of Rudolph's really didn't do the character much justice. The music and the lyrics are also either really sappy, or just silly, but so really in a fun way. I suppose that if you put this in front of children they might enjoy it, but I'm of the belief that children are far smarter that we give them credit for, and they would take one look at this and move on a few minutes in. Still, if you really want to watch it, watch it for John Goodman, Whoopi Goldberg, Kathleen Barr, Bob Newhart, and a true plethora of genuine talent in the voice acting community. They alone are worth giving this average at best movie a watch, even if the actual movie isn't what you would call a shining moment in any of their careers.
If you do not like this see your doctor immediately your heart has turned to coal
herwinandgill23 March 2007
If you do not like this see your doctor immediately your heart has turned to coal.
It is instant Christmas classic! Great cast (voices)(though I wouldn't give it a grade A for animation but hey, that my opinion) make this a family classic for any Christmas occasion. Considering the fact that this film isn't Disney, it belongs in the category of excellent animated films. On a Friday afternoon of September 1998, I came across "Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer : The Movie" opening today in limited release. Fortunately my movie theater was playing it and with a cast including Whoopi Goldberg, Bob Newhart, Sarah Jessica Parker, Debbie Reynolds, & John Goodman, I couldn't resist. Why Legacy Releasing opened a Christmas movie in the fall I'll never know, but if you haven't seen it with your kids, get it this Christmas season. Soundtrack includes a special musical performance of "A Wonderful Christmas Time" by Paul and Linda McCartney and show me the light is a very good and sweet song. Now on video from Goodtimes Entertainment.
Though the sprites I think really ruined the movie.
and the romance between Zoey and Rudolph is quiet sweet.
(by the way I hope a remake of it comes and DEATH TO SPRITES)
Good points- * The romance beetween Zoey and Rudolph
* Whoppi Goldberges portrayal of the no-nonsense villain Stormella
* The song "show me the light" one of the only three good songs in the film
* like the fellows comment the second bellow me, It shows being brave in the face of fear and rising above the mockery (i'm teased a lot at school so I know how it feels)
* Some of the humour that some people miss is quiet funny
-Bad points (do not let these ruin the film just fast forward through them)
* the sprites and their singing arrrrrrrrrrrrrgh, ahck DEATH TO SPRITES
* some of Slyly's script was pathetic in the leonard cave incident
* the songs: It could always be worse, santas family and Christmas time are awfully bad
It is instant Christmas classic! Great cast (voices)(though I wouldn't give it a grade A for animation but hey, that my opinion) make this a family classic for any Christmas occasion. Considering the fact that this film isn't Disney, it belongs in the category of excellent animated films. On a Friday afternoon of September 1998, I came across "Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer : The Movie" opening today in limited release. Fortunately my movie theater was playing it and with a cast including Whoopi Goldberg, Bob Newhart, Sarah Jessica Parker, Debbie Reynolds, & John Goodman, I couldn't resist. Why Legacy Releasing opened a Christmas movie in the fall I'll never know, but if you haven't seen it with your kids, get it this Christmas season. Soundtrack includes a special musical performance of "A Wonderful Christmas Time" by Paul and Linda McCartney and show me the light is a very good and sweet song. Now on video from Goodtimes Entertainment.
Though the sprites I think really ruined the movie.
and the romance between Zoey and Rudolph is quiet sweet.
(by the way I hope a remake of it comes and DEATH TO SPRITES)
Good points- * The romance beetween Zoey and Rudolph
* Whoppi Goldberges portrayal of the no-nonsense villain Stormella
* The song "show me the light" one of the only three good songs in the film
* like the fellows comment the second bellow me, It shows being brave in the face of fear and rising above the mockery (i'm teased a lot at school so I know how it feels)
* Some of the humour that some people miss is quiet funny
-Bad points (do not let these ruin the film just fast forward through them)
* the sprites and their singing arrrrrrrrrrrrrgh, ahck DEATH TO SPRITES
* some of Slyly's script was pathetic in the leonard cave incident
* the songs: It could always be worse, santas family and Christmas time are awfully bad
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