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Rudolph's Shiny New Year (NR, 1976)

common sense media says

Rudolph helps another outcast save New Year's Eve.

parents & educators say
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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.

Positive messages: One outcast helps another (who is repeatedly laughed at) embrace his differences as strengths to be valued. An ever-growing group of friends works together to find a lost character and demonstrate optimism and empathy.
Violence & scariness: Mild scenes of peril by a threatening giant bird.
Sexy stuff: Not applicable.
Language: Not applicable.
Consumerism: Lots of Rudolph tie-in merchandise is available, but most of it is related to his original special, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.
Our ratings and reviews are informed by child development guidelines. Learn more.

More on Rudolph's Shiny New Year

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
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?

What's the story?

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?

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.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: Warner Home Video
Director: Arthur Rankin Jr., Jules Bass
Cast: Billie Mae Richards, Morey Amsterdam, Red Skelton
Genre: Family and Kids
Run time: 50 minutes
Theatrical release: December 10, 1976
DVD release: October 31, 2000
MPAA Rating: NR
This review was written by Nancy Davis Kho
 
 

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96grlpowrCE
teen, 16 years old
5
 
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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jeffirwin
teen, 13 years old
4
 
scary vulture
prety good
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helped me decide (19) | had useful details (17) | read my mind (22)
SockyChibi<3
kid, 12 years old
2
 
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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helped me decide (4) | had useful details (5) | read my mind (5)

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ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
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