 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Rudolph's Shiny New Year
- Review Date: November 24, 2007
- NR
- Genre: Family and Kids
- 1976
Common Sense Media says
Rudolph helps another outcast save New Year's Eve.
Parents say
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this kid-friendly extension of the Rudolph holiday franchise follows the red-nosed reindeer as he seeks the runaway Baby New Year, who is repeatedly humiliated by people laughing at his big ears. A threatening vulture on the hunt for his own sinister reasons repeatedly menaces Rudolph and his friends. Discussions about the passing of time are handled with an inventiveness that may help kids who are struggling with that concept.
What's the story?
Featuring the beloved reindeer of song and film, RUDOLPH'S SHINY NEW YEAR follows everyone's favorite red-nosed misfit (voiced, as in the original Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, by Billie Mae Richards) as he helps Father Time (Red Skelton) find Happy, the Baby New Year, in time for New Year's Eve. Persevering, empathetic Rudolph has all the right instincts to find the missing baby, who ran away because everyone makes fun of his giant ears. As expected, Rudolph's friendly nature attracts helpers wherever he goes. If it sounds appealing to you to see the earnest reindeer accompanied by a caveman, a knight in shining armor, and Ben Franklin in his hunt for the baby, then this movie is right up your alley.
Is it any good?
Like the original, Rudolph's Shiny New Year features stop-motion animation and upbeat songs. Skelton is an engaging narrator, taking over from Burl Ives in the original. The villain, Eon the vulture, is about as scary as the Abominable Snowman was in the first movie. In other words, very young children may be alarmed by a few of his scenes, but most will find it too cartoonish to worry.
The story -- originally broadcast as a TV special in 1976 -- provides good reinforcement for the message that making fun of someone's differences can be cruel. Since it's not strictly a Christmas movie, directors Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass get away with some pretty imaginative storytelling about the nature of time, including a long sequence set on the Archipelago of Lost Years -- an island chain where every island represents another year frozen in time.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the Archipelago of Lost Years. If you could go there, what year would you pick, and why? What would someone find on the island you choose? Families can also discuss what it means to not fit in with the crowd. Happy is sad about being different -- kids, have you ever felt that way, and how did you cope?
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AGE
Doesn't do an adequate job at continuing Rudolph's story, but it's good anyhow!
If you're looking to see your old favourite characters like Herbie, Yukon Cornelius, the Bumble, etc. then you probably will be pretty disappointed. None of them appear in this movie, or even are mentioned. Instead, Rudolph's posse is made up of a caveman named One Million B.C. (O.M. for short, and as a warning he is probably the ugliest cartoon character you will ever see in your life), a knight named Sir 1023, and a Benjamin Franklin look-alike called Sev (1776). Together they search for the baby of the New Year, Happy. The current year will never end unless this baby is found, a daunting task because Happy is hiding from society because of his comically large ears, seeking refuge on the islands that symbolise years past. Though it's not going to rekindle any childhood memories involving the first Rudolph movie, it's a pretty cool movie and it's got great music. ^_^ It's worth seeing at least a few times!
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AGE
stupid movie for children
This movie is obnoxious and stupid. Period. It's appropriate for younger kids, but a little immature for older kids
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| Studio: | Warner Home Video |
| Directors: | Arthur Rankin Jr., Jules Bass |
| Cast: | Billie Mae Richards, Morey Amsterdam, Red Skelton |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Run time: | 50 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | December 10, 1976 |
| DVD release date: | October 31, 2000 |
| MPAA rating: | NR |
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