Common Sense Media Review
By Renee Schonfeld
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Short but sweet holiday elf tale with cartoon action/peril.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Bob's Broken Sleigh
Parent and Kid Reviews
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?
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
- On DVD or streaming : December 1, 2015
- Cast : Cole Howard , Victor Garber , Bruce Greenwood
- Director : Jay Surridge
- Studio : Disney
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Adventures , Holidays
- Run time : 46 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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