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Dot and Santa Claus

Original title: Around the World with Dot
  • 1981
  • 1h 15m
IMDb RATING
5.9/10
86
YOUR RATING
Dot and Santa Claus (1981)
Around The World With Dot: Ingenuity
Play clip3:04
Watch Around The World With Dot: Ingenuity
1 Video
2 Photos
AnimationFamilyFantasy

In search of a kangaroo, a little girl receives help from Santa Claus.In search of a kangaroo, a little girl receives help from Santa Claus.In search of a kangaroo, a little girl receives help from Santa Claus.

  • Director
    • Yoram Gross
  • Writers
    • Yoram Gross
    • John Palmer
  • Stars
    • Drew Forsythe
    • Barbara Frawley
    • Ron Haddrick
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    5.9/10
    86
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Yoram Gross
    • Writers
      • Yoram Gross
      • John Palmer
    • Stars
      • Drew Forsythe
      • Barbara Frawley
      • Ron Haddrick
    • 3User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Around The World With Dot: Ingenuity
    Clip 3:04
    Watch Around The World With Dot: Ingenuity

    Photos

    Dot and Santa Claus (1981)
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    Top cast

    Edit
    Drew Forsythe
    • Danny the Swagman (live action segments)
    • (voice)
    • …
    Barbara Frawley
    • Dot
    • (voice)
    • …
    Ron Haddrick
    Ron Haddrick
    • Grumblebones
    • (voice)
    • …
    Anne Haddy
    • Dozeyface
    • (voice)
    • …
    Ross Higgins
    • Reindeer
    • (voice)
    • …
    Ben Alcott
    • Ben (live action segments)
    • (voice)
    Ashley Ayre
    • Dot (live action segments)
    • (as Ashlie Ayres)
    Frank Gott
    • Additional Actor (live action segments)
    Marli Mason
    • Additional Actress (live action segments)
    • Director
      • Yoram Gross
    • Writers
      • Yoram Gross
      • John Palmer
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      Walter the Mouse's preference to be referred to as "Walt" references Walt Disney and when he pulls his ears, his head partially turns into Mickey Mouse's head to whom he also indirectly refers while talking to Dot and Santa.
    • Goofs
      When Dot meets the British Lion statue in London, she is initially standing on the ground, looking at him. In the next shot in which they appear together, she is now sitting on his back.
    • Connections
      Features Dot and the Kangaroo (1977)

    User reviews3

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    A subtle Christmas Follow-up, but stumbles as it wanders
    Yoram Gross's follow-up to his classic animated film; 'Dot and the Kangaroo' based on Ethel Pedley's children's book, continues the adventures of the young girl who was once lost in the Australian bush. After receiving a visit from an eccentric swag-man named; Danny, she recount's her experience with the Kangaroo and becomes determined to find her long lost baby joey. This time with Danny's enthusiasm and supposed magical 'ingenuity' he dons a Santa Claus outfit, makes a sleigh with two kangaroos and takes Dot around the world, tracking where Joey might have gone. While the original film had such an abrupt ending, this film opens up the possibilities for something more optimistic and uplifting, especially for a Christmas film that celebrates the world, many cultures, traditions and continues the series' exploration of human's negative effects on nature, educational as it's entertaining.

    This was also the first film in the series to adopt a Jazz Swing recording of Banjo Patterson's 'Waltzing Matilda' as it's theme song that continued for a few more titles. It also takes a much more fantastical approach to what was previously seen in the original film. Mainly with just some tiny reference of 'The roots of understanding' playing a role in a piece of recycled footage from the first film to establish it's context, instead Dot is freely able to communicate with anything that may talk. While that didn't bother me, it was probably the plotting which mainly involved Dot and Santa with the two kangaroos leading the sleigh to many different places across the globe encountering many different animals and people for that matter, asking for the whereabouts of Joey wasn't all that exciting. But since it's more of an animated Christmas TV Special that's more suited for December and nostalgic to look back on, the film doesn't match up all that well in terms of quality.

    Much of the animation uses a lot more live-action footage than even the original film largely utilized with putting animation on top of real footage. It definitely hasn't aged well, especially when there isn't enough to make the scenes flow more than they did. The animation stands out more when you've got scenes that largely rely purely on the animation almost as if to show the series' evolution. Instead the film resorts to little more fantastical, trippy and almost surrealistic sequences that also go along with it's (still) fantastic song numbers. While it may be inconsistent, it still doesn't shy away from the colourful nature of the locations and various character's they meet along the way which aren't really stereotypical of their setting, but offer a good backdrop, educational for kids to see what the world is like, especially kids recognizing kids around the world. However, Most of the visits to other countries feel more like encounters, while I praise Gross's efforts to make them stand out to have just as much social and cultural commentary on them, there really isn't anything you can take them apart from the information they casually talk about with the main characters for a little before moving on.

    The series itself hasn't been very clear about the time period's it's set in, so I'm just going to assume the continuity is pretty lose, as it was clear Pedley's book was more clearly placed in it's period of publication (1890s), as much as these films were at the time of their release (1980s).

    The film is at it's best when it doesn't linger around too much, but get's straight to the point of it's narrative, it's appeal largely plays in part of it's heart warming nature sprinkled as a treat that'll put a smile on both kids and adults. Adults would be more mindful of the cultural nature within the film, although its more of a subtle messaging than a deliberate play on stereotypes. While it isn't all classy as it's predecessor, it's a worthy follow-up that stumbles and it wanders through it's story.
    helpful•2
    0
    • luke-eberhardt
    • Nov 18, 2018

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 23, 1981 (Australia)
    • Country of origin
      • Australia
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Dot & Santa Claus
    • Production companies
      • Yoram Gross Films
      • The Australian Film Commission
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 15 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono

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