jacob b
This Will Vinton guy was great. How come nobody ever told me about him before? Especially since Vinton and his now-defunct production company were, quite literally in a way, Laika before Laika. This Emmy-winning Christmas special is one of the more underrated specials out there. Perhaps the lack of Rankin-Bass branding caused it to slip under peoples' radars? Even though it won an Emmy? At leasf Vinton's also really fun Halloween special had the excuse of losing to Treehouse of Horror, the only reason people still watch The Simpsons nowadays. A Claymation Christmas Celebration plays out like a stop-motion animated Fantasia focusing on the holiday season. I'm serious, the special has segments that play iconic Christmas tunes with hosts bridging the gaps between them. And they are enjoyable segments though the framing device had an amusing running gag where the dinosaur who's vaguely designed and characterised to bring to mind Gene Siskel becomes a Grammar Nazi over one simple, yet important, word in one iconic Christmas carol. Long story short, this is a funny, wholesome, visually stunning, timeless entry in the Christmas special pantheon. It's not the best Christmas special I've ever seen but it's still great in it's own right and I think its Emmy win is well-deserved. I do kind-of think the Halloween special was better though but that's an unfair comparison since that was a single self-contained story while this is Christmas Fantasia...Christasia? Fantasmas? Hmm...
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
Full Review
Audience Member
We had this recorded on VHS. Every year we would watch it while putting up Christmas decorations. It holds a piece of nostalgia for me. Everyone was wild about the California Raisins. The clay animation itself it a pure work of art.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/30/23
Full Review
Audience Member
The Christmas celebrations require a certain animated rebellion and magic, and here it is.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
01/17/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Classic! I really wished they would bring this back on T.V... Nice musical numbers.. My personal favs are the Carol of the Bells and of course the California Raisins singing Rudolph! Nice special and great way to capitalize on the brief popularity of the Raisins in the late 80's..
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
01/19/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Love it, love it, love it! Perhaps more for parents than kids, but the kids enjoyed it too. Best part is the music but it is another family classic that should be watched each year at Christmas.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
02/08/23
Full Review
Audience Member
This has been a big part of my childhood since I first saw it, and it was run all the way though to now. I still love the beautiful song renditions and colorful animation.
PLOT:Rex (Johnny Counterfit) and Herb (Tim Conner) are in London's Christmas Square, going over their favorite Christmas songs in various renditions, from a goosebump-inducing "We Three Kings" to a soulful "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", all told in unique, silly, and meaningful ways. It's a good plot idea executed wonderfully.
VOICES:The voice acting doesn't matter all that much in here, but there were some good peformances anyhow. The voices fit their characters well. Johnny Counterfit and Tim Conner as Rex and Herb are a pair of two loveable hosts and played off each other well.
SCORE:The soundtrack is the second most important part of this special. The different renditions of famous Christmas songs sound great. From beautiful to soulful to played for kicks, the score was all good.
ANIMATION:This is the most important part of the special. The animation is under the control of the great Will Vinton, and it's great as well. It's very detailed, colorful, and well done overall. Only Vinton could have pulled it off like he did.
OTHER CONTENT:This special has held a special place in my heart ever since I first saw it in my childhood. The loveable soundtrack, beautiful animation, and childlike execution all put this special at the top of my Christmas list.
OVERALL,an epic Christmas special with a wonderful plot, fitting voice acting, beautiful soundtrack, detailed and colorful animation, and a special place in my childhood heart.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/21/23
Full Review
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