Baby Santa's Music Box (NR, 2000)

In BABY SANTA'S MUSIC BOX, twirling ornaments glimmer in an inviting light. Slow motion children frolic in the snow and twirl in their holiday finery. Puppets appear out of shining gift boxes. Polar bears romp across the ice. These are some of the many images that greet young eyes, set to lively original performances of Christmas standards, excerpts from classical works by Handel, Tchaikovsky and others, and music from foreign lands.

Because we don't recommend movies and television to kids under 2, it's hard to imagine who this video would be a good fit for. That said, the wiggly-nosed bunnies, toy merry-go-rounds, even the embarrassed-looking Doberman wearing a Santa hat -- these images and the playful accompanying music grab an infant's attention and hold on tight. Because there's no structure or storyline to pull it all together, though, kids older than the packaging's recommended age range of "1 to 36 months" aren't liable to sit still for it.

Although the soundtrack includes traditional melodies from around the world, the imagery is pure Christmas in America, which is fine, but there's something just plain wrong about a toy Santa and Mrs. Claus bopping mechanically to the Dreidel Song. Ah, well, you can at least feel good that a percentage of the video proceeds goes to worthwhile charities.

Studio: Buena Vista
Director: Bill Weisbach
Cast: Aspen Clark, Sierra Clark
Genre: Family and Kids
Run time: 30 minutes
Theatrical release: November 1, 2000
DVD release: November 1, 2000
MPAA Rating: NR