Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Sweet, modest holiday animation promotes heart, teddy bears.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Glisten and the Merry Mission
What's the Story?
In GLISTEN AND THE MERRY MISSION, young elf Marzipan (voiced by Trinity Bliss) and her dog, Lula, are playing near the Christmas Village in the North Pole when they spot a strange glowing thing. They try to follow it but lose sight of it. Meanwhile, Marzipan's mother, Cinnameg (Julia Michaels), is an assistant elf manager in Santa's toy workshop. She realizes that production is way down, and not every kid will receive a toy on Christmas morning. Learning that the glowy thing may indeed be the magical stardust reindeer called Glisten, Marzipan starts a potentially dangerous mission to find her. And Cinnameg cooks up a plan to mass-manufacture a single toy that every kid will love. But when Christmas Eve arrives, more problems arise, and only Glisten can save the day -- if she really exists. Marzipan must believe with all her heart.
Is It Any Good?
It's not exactly smooth -- it smacks of a limited budget or a rushed production -- but this animated Christmas movie for kids is still sweetly charming, adorably silly, and full of good cheer. Glisten and the Merry Mission appears to be hand-drawn, possibly with some computer assist, and even if the characters are a little stiff and not quite fluid, they're effortlessly likable. The voice cast likewise sounds a little uneven, but they still manage to make things work. Freddie Prinze Jr. adopts a wild Southern accent for his elf manager character, Michael Rapaport brings some "New Yawk" street cred to his grizzly bear character ("capiche?"), Billy Ray Cyrus gives Donner the reindeer's voice a low, gruff, rumble, and Dionne Warwick adds a touch of class as a wise storyteller. (Chevy Chase brings back memories of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation in his rendition of jolly old Santa Claus.)
Funny stuff includes scenes of Santa's reindeer, who've modernized and occupy a high-tech command center, complete with charts and graphs and intercoms. It all adds up to a story that, while borrowing bits and pieces from movies like Elf, comes across as modest and nicely upbeat. Made in collaboration with the Build-a-Bear Workshop toy company, Glisten and the Merry Mission never actually mentions the brand (except during the opening and closing credits), but it could still inspire kids to covet teddy bears for their holiday gifts.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the fact that Glisten and the Merry Mission was co-produced by Build-a-Bear Workshop. Does the movie ever feel like an advertisement for the company? Did it make you want to own a new teddy bear? Why, or why not?
Kids: Did any parts of the movie feel scary to you? Did it feel like too much, or did it move the story along just right?
Regarding the scene in which Grizz has a thorn stuck in his back and refuses help: Have you ever felt unwilling or unable to ask for help? How do you feel when someone asks you for help?
Marzipan is told that if she believes strongly enough, then Glisten will appear. How does this lesson apply to real life? When can believing in something make it happen?
In the movie, the elves build their toys with "heart," something that machines could never replicate. What does this mean, exactly? Have you ever made something from the heart that was better than something mass-produced?
Movie Details
- In theaters : November 3, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : December 1, 2023
- Cast : Trinity Bliss , Julia Michaels , Dionne Warwick , Chevy Chase
- Director : Cory Morrison
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : Samuel Goldwyn Films
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Holidays
- Character Strengths : Curiosity
- Run time : 80 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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