Father and child sit together smiling while looking at a smart phone.

Want more recommendations for your family?

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration

Parents' Guide to

Bob's Broken Sleigh

By Renee Longstreet, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

Short but sweet holiday elf tale with cartoon action/peril.

Movie NR 2015 46 minutes
Bob's Broken Sleigh Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

  • Bob's Broken Sleigh Movie: Scene #1
  • Bob's Broken Sleigh Movie: Scene #2
  • Bob's Broken Sleigh Movie: Scene #3

Community Reviews

See all

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

Ol' Fishface (voiced by Bruce Greenwood), the fierce puffin who loves being naughty, wants to spoil Christmas for everyone in BOB'S BROKEN SLEIGH. What he doesn't count on is Bob (Cole Howard), a little "magic-less" elf, and a whole bevy of Bob's new oddball critter friends, who are willing to risk it all to save the holiday. Bob may not have magic, and he may not have any self-confidence, but he does have imagination, and he is a pretty fine inventor. In fact, he almost has his streamlined technical wonder of an upgraded sleigh ready for Santa's Christmas Eve voyage. Almost ... except the sleigh has a mind of its own, and, suddenly, Bob finds himself on a runaway journey through the icy, treacherous North Pole terrain. It's there that Bob meets Fluffy (Victor Garber), a furry trout who can't swim; Blue (Michael Adamsthwaite), a 'fraidy-cat bear with horns; and Wupsy (Raini Rodriguez), a spirited cat with an outrageously unique tail. There are only two days to get that sleigh back to Santa, and Fishface and his army of puffins are out to stop Bob. Will the well-meaning crew of quirky critters be able to overcome their fears and bad habits to help Bob? Will Santa get his sleigh back in time to deliver presents to children everywhere? And, most important, will the Bobs of the world find their own magic?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Some cute, wacky characters keep an otherwise conventional "saving Christmas" story lively. The movie has lots of kid-friendly messages about finding your own specialness and the value of perseverance. At only 46 minutes in length, it's OK for young kids but only those who are comfortable with cartoon action and jeopardy and who won't confuse it with real danger.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Santa's comment, "Today's failure is the first step toward tomorrow's triumph." Can you succeed in any activity, sport, or art without having some false starts or defeats? What can you do to turn failure into success (for example, practicing or rethinking goals?)

  • Some of the other elves tease Bob because he has no magic. What do those elves learn about Bob and their own behavior by the story's end?

  • This movie includes some lesser-known members of the animal kingdom in its cast. Find out about puffins and narwhals. Where do they live? What do they eat? Do they have enemies, and how do they protect themselves? Can you draw a puffin and a narwhal?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate