When Blockbuster Video and most other video stores weren't yet defunct, I think I remember seeing the box cover to this VHS tape in that particular video store. Somehow, I would end up on passing on this. But after watching this just a few, late nights ago, this past weekend on Youtube, I now wish I hadn't. It's yet another of those animated movies I wish I had watched growing up, since then, it's been added to that list of mine. After looking at lists by others who mentioned what are the best and worst Christmas movies/specials ever made, and looking for good or great Christmas movies/specials I hadn't seen, if I'd made my own list, I'd consider it one of the best. And I really do. I found one of the better ones that were new to me.
The title of my review is a quote I thought of that was stated by Kevin McAllister's mother, Mrs. McAllister, in Home Alone ("This is Christmas!!! The season of perpetual hope!") and this is a fine example of what is meant by that. That's one of the things that this holiday really concerns. In this animated family/fantasy/musical movie, a girl named Emery Elizabeth is suffering from some illness. After her parents tried bringing in a doctor to find out whether he is successful in curing her, her brother, Landen, asks his parents if there's another way, some other form of medicine. His dad tells him that the only medicine that would cure her now is finding her strength and the will to stay alive, and believing that she'll survive. At this point, Christmas is only three days away, so Landen spends each of the three nights telling parts of a story that involve him, his sister, and a snowman he built outside Emery Elizabeth's bedroom window named Snowden, who he uses to keep an eye on her. Will she recover and be healthy enough in time to celebrate the holiday with her folks?
Another genre in which this could fall into is adventure, because it truly is one that the two kids and their snowman friend have. One of the other reviewers here mentioned that those outside the kid demographic and who didn't grow up watching this may not be into it in adulthood. But I think it's great and appealing enough for all demographics, since it seemed to be so to him and he reviewed it. Among the places they go to in the land where the siblings visit include a palace where a queen who is usually chipper lives. But later, she is no longer chipper due to having her smile stolen and Landen, Emery Elizabeth, and Snowden have to search for it and bring it back to her, as well as restore the queendom to it's former glory. After some hindrances get in the way and problems are solved, they eventually make their way to a fortress of a villain, who reminds me of the Crypt-keeper from the Tales Of The Crypt franchise and turns everything into what is known as "yuck", and they must go through him before everything can be returned to normal.
The messages I get from this are "where there's a will, there's a way" and finding one's self-confidence. They're both very positive messages to take to heart. One of the other reviewers of this mentioned that this movie is by Jetlag Productions, I didn't notice that in the opening credits, but rather by some other production company whose name I can't remember right now, I'd have to check again, as I read somewhere else that Jetlag is supposedly one of the poorer animation studios. Emery Elizabeth uses the power of her imagination to temporarily convert her wheelchair into other modes of transportation in order to get around difficult situations and obstacles. Faith was all she needed to get through it all. Speaking about the technicalities of this: Everything about the artwork (the character designs, backgrounds, layouts, etc.), are nicely illustrated, the animation is properly fluid enough, the voice acting is well-done, the songs may be better than the incidental, instrumental music. This is one of the Christmas specials that is well-worth seeing with repetitive viewings, whether having Christmas in it's usual month of December or even if anybody celebrates Christmas in July. The only thing I'm disappointed about is not getting to see the kingdom restored and everything resolved there, and I wish that had been included, but despite that one, little nitpick, it's still great. Recommended.
