Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey

TV-G

1977

23m

Kids & Family

Holiday

Adventure

Animation

List

56%

Tomatometer

9 Reviews

58%

Audience Score

250+ Ratings

Guided by his guardian cherub, an orphan donkey realizes his destiny on the road to Bethlehem.

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AV Club Staff

AV Club

Nestor isn't the best Rankin-Bass special, but it's worth seeing for its serious midsection and gratifying conclusion.

Dec 6, 2018

Full Review

Erik Adams

AV Club

This is the best way to tell the Christmas story in Animagic: with the proper amount of pathos and levity -- and fun character design, too.

Dec 5, 2018

Full Review

Emily St. James

Vox

Muller's script is willing to go for the jugular in terms of pathos. Plus, watching this one lets you realize how much terror of being made fun of as a child animates Rankin/Bass.

Dec 5, 2018

Full Review

Rachel Wagner

rachelsreviews.net

It's harmless enough.

Rated: 6/10

Apr 17, 2019

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Ryan Voyles

Paste Magazine

As a whole, Nester is a well-intentioned (if lesser) version of the "misfits can make a difference" story that Rankin/Bass did much better in Rudolph. The story is thin and sometime struggles to fill the brief 22-minute running time.

Dec 5, 2018

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Gavin Jasper

Den of Geek

A terrible rewrite of Rudolph without any of the magic.

Dec 5, 2018

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Audience Member

It was sweet, but kind of pointless. Nestor was cute, but the story was just too funny to really be taken seriously. And the songs! They were hilarious. Good for kids, but not much above that.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

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Audience Member

Classic Rakin & Bass. The story of the donkey that carried Mary.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/18/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I loved the movie, will watch the movie with my kids and grandkids.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This looked like a cute Christmas story, unfortunately Nester's mother dies at the the beginning. My daughter, who was 3 at the time was inconsolable. Did not see that coming. Fortunately, at the end Nester's Mom's spirit appears and the issue was resolved. It's not bad as a Christmas movie. Just a warning, if you have young kids who may be easily upset, you might wanna skip this one for a couple of years.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

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Audience Member

A solid Rankin/Bass effort.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/09/23

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Audience Member

Nestor The Long Eared Christmas Donkey is basically a rewrite of Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer, with the imaculate conception storyline replacing Santa; it's not as good as other Rankin & Bass classics, but it has a charm that makes this overlooked Christmas special well worth watching !

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

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Jules Bass

Director

Arthur Rankin Jr.

Director

Roger Miller

Speiltoe

Eric Stern

Nestor

Brenda Vaccaro

Tilly

Paul Frees

Olaf

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Synopsis

Guided by his guardian cherub, an orphan donkey realizes his destiny on the road to Bethlehem.

Director: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr.
Screenwriter: Romeo Muller
Rating: TV-G
Genre: Kids & Family, Holiday, Adventure, Animation
Runtime: 23m