Babbo Natale e il tamburo magico

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.

Santa Claus and the Magic Drum, or Joulupukki ja noitarumpu in Finnish, is based on a children's book of the same name by Mauri Kunnas. It tells about Santa Claus and his household in the weeks leading up to Christmas as they're trying to decipher a most mysterious letter for Santa any of them have ever seen. Yet at the same time strange accidents and mishaps plague the workshops and Santa specifically.

What I like the most about this movie are the characters and to just a slighter degree the story. Both are extremely charming and likable from the get go. It's also nice for a change to really explore the workshops and different Christmas elves in the midst of work. Especially because none of them are anything alike, each a fascinating individual. Even the eventual "adversary" of the movie is a fun and more than a bit goofy fellow.

And while the story isn't overly complex, it is just right for an animated film of this length, skilfully mixing elements of the Santa mythos and Lapland folklore. It has charm, it has action, it has mystery, it has all it needs.

All that being said, having rewatched this film through the eyes of an adult, I have to admit that the technical aspects of the film are not exactly filled with quality. The character designs and colours are based on Kunnas' original book so nothing wrong there, but the animation itself, the way the characters move, is pretty jerky. In addition, while the voice actors seem to be talented and fit their characters well, the recordings and mixing are both pretty cringe- worthy from time to time. None of this ruins the film, but it is still a flaw worth noticing.

Still, this is a great Christmas film and very much recommended for those looking for a new holiday tradition.