Mog's Christmas

Judith Kerr's Mog the Cat story gets adapted as an animation short by Channel 4.

After 40 years of these cartoons such as The Snowman to The Tiger Who Came for Tea. They know the formula.

It is traditional animation but with a musical interlude. The charms relies heavily on the story.

Mog the Cat feels unloved, unappreciated in the Thomas household. They are busy preparing for Christmas.

Frightened by the ginamous Christmas tree that arrives in the house. Mog climbs up the roof and is stuck there after it snows.

Only the Johnson family miss the cat as they try to lure the cat back down. Maybe Mog can find her own way down on Christmas morning.

Overall this was a delightful piece. I can see this being a family favourite in years to come.

1976's Mog's Christmas gets its 2023 TV debut via channel 4's lovingly produced Christmas Eve treat.

Judith Kerr's much loved Mog gets her 1st proper animated outing that pays homage to Kerr's own illustrations as well as having more than a hint of Sylvain Chomet and Studio Ghibli's fantastic creations.

Here not very clever, but much loved family cat Mog has her nose put out of joint by all the fuss and bustle of Christmas and the strange relations cluttering up HER house. In response Mog climbs onto the roof and , much to her family's distress, refuses to come down. Framed by David Arnold's beautiful score and featuring the centrepiece song As Long As I Belong, this is 30 minutes of joy.

Turning a 24 ish page book into a 25 minute gloriously hand drawn animated piece is no small feat, and it is something that the animators have achieved here with flying colours. The movements and mannerisms of the titular Mog will instantly be relatable to any cat appreciator, and the storytelling and visual style is absolutely on par with Judith Kerr's original works.

The story itself is a simple and heartwarming one, and the accompanying song by Sophie Ellis Bextor is a sweet little festive bop (if slightly twee... but surely we can forgive that for a Christmas film?!)

The human characters might be slightly forgettable... but that's fine as Mog is the focus point, and she has been brought to life so vividly here!

Watch, relax & enjoy😸

I used to love Judith Kerr's stories when I was younger, especially the stories with Mog; Mog was a companion of mine growing up, acting like a companion as I never had a cat in my household. As a result, I squealed with excitement when I saw the trailer on Channel 4 & being aired on Christmas Eve, it was a perfect birthday present (even though I'm 24!).

The film from start to finish was perfectly well done, the animation & seeing Mog come to life was an enthralling experience! It made me feel closer to Mog as a character & also took me back to my childhood. I must admit, I did weep at some scenes due to the absolute wholesome nature of Mog (and the entire family) & just because animated Mog is so. Dang. Cute! I have watched the film another five times since it first aired, I just can't get enough!

Absolute applaud & congratulations to the entire animation team for bringing my favourite childhood book character to life; crossing my fingers & toes for another Mog film at some point in the future!

I find Mog's Christmas (2023) is another very good hand-drawn animated movie adaptation of the late Judith Kerr's book, since The Tiger Who Came To Tea (2019). Because the animation is wonderful, the music is splendid, the voice acting is superb and the story is very heartwarming and it captures the Christmas spirit as well. The characters are interesting like Mog The Cat, who is very forgetful. Her owners are The couple called Mr. And Mrs. Thomas, with their two children called Debbie and Nicky. Their uncle with a cheerful personality called The Jolly Uncle. And their two aunts, who walked on tip-toes. It's also very faithful to the late Judith Kerr's picture book since The Tiger Who Came To Tea (2019). Mog's Christmas (2023) is a very good story for children of all generations, from 1976 to the present day. I'm giving this a 10/10 and Merry Christmas.