Santa Claus and the Magic Drum

Santa Claus and the Magic Drum, or Joulupukki ja noitarumpu in Finnish, is based on an illustrated story book of the same name by Mauri Kunnas. It tells of Santa's workshop far in the north in the days leading up to Christmas. A most mysterious letter has arrived and all the various elves are trying to decipher just what this little boy wants for Christmas. While at the same time strange mishaps and accidents seem to follow Santa wherever he goes.

Mauri Kunnas is a beloved storyteller in Finland and this is one of his best stories in my opinion. All the characters are very familiar, but at the same time unique creations of Kunnas, all different and quirky in their own little ways. Vekara, the crafty and powerful Lapland shaman, is easily the most fun, but there truly is no bad character in the film.

The story itself is not terribly complex, but at the same time it doesn't have to be. The characters and the colourful world of Santa's workshop are at the forefront here, and the story has enough twists and turns to keep things interesting.

What this movie lacks, unfortunately, is budget. The animation is jittery. The character designs are very faithful to Kunnas's original drawings, so that's absolutely not a problem. But when it comes to movement, the film is of noticeably poor quality. The same with sound. The voice actors are fine, for the most part, but the mixing is all over the place.

Still, technical issues can be ignored to a point if the story itself is good enough. And here it definitely is. Recommended.