#126 - Father Christmas (80%)

Don’t confuse this great cartoon with the American 80’s movie about Santa, this is a short film for TV so there won’t be any budgets or box-office $’s mentioned here as this is a Channel 4 Christmas delight. A lovely animated film made as late as 1991 where here was I thinking this was an early 80’s movie as I was convinced I’d seen this when I was a kid but I am assuming it was the comic that I saw and remember so well. The book was released in the 70’s which makes me believe that to be true. This is an animation based on two books being Father Christmas (obviously) and Father Christmas goes on Holiday. This movie combines the two and uses the voice of the legend that was Mel Smith and they convinced him to sing as well. I am going to bring up the Tri-Critic Sync Challenge as this is making an entry onto the score board with IMDb giving it a 7.5/10 & although there was not a score from Rotten Tomatoes the Audience gave this one a score of 74%. Which to my calculations is a 6 point spread and an entry onto the scoreboard. Towards the bottom end maybe, but it is on there. I will get to the American Version after the plot shall we?

Father Christmas has just finished another busy Christmas Eve run and returns to his small house in Britain. While settling back home with his pet dog and cat he comments that he is in fact busy all year around. It is just Christmas Eve that he is the busiest he could possibly be. Having to care for his pets and reindeer, tend the garden, shopping, cleaning the house and preparing for next Christmas. After gathering a selection of Brochures he rebuilds his sleigh into a caravan and decides to head to France. He shops for clothes to blend in but the French food gives him food poisoning and diarrhoea he relocates to a proper campsite but people start to suspect who he is. So he gives up and decides to head to Scotland and begins by enjoying the whiskey but hates the weather and didn’t enjoy trying to swim in cold and sharky waters he gives up and changes venue again. He finally decides to head to a top ranked hotel in Las Vegas where he stays until he has to get back and prepare for the next Christmas. He eventually heads home and collects his pets from the kennels and prepares for Christmas and the Snowman’s party.

Father Christmas is different from what people believe as he is grumpy and not afraid to complain. To be fair so many different things go wrong and that would drive anyone to scream he on the other hand says blooming a lot instead. Approximately 70+ times he says or sings the blooming. I.e. Blooming Christmas, blooming food, blooming dog etc etc. I said I would mentioned that this was sold to the States who dubbed Mel’s voice off and replaced it. With Santa being a much more happier Father Christmas in fact he doesn’t say Blooming at all as it is replaced with Merry. I.e. Merry Christmas. Does it need it, No this is a great little Christmas story we use it early in December to get us in the mood for Christmas and if they kids don’t like it, it only runs for 26 minutes so it’s over before it gets going. Does it make is less of a delightful Christmas movie. NO! This is a great little cartoon and Mel brings Father Christmas to life with his happy go grumpy attitude to life, but you already know he has a kind heart before it begins and that does come through despite his repetitive moaning about his holiday. This is lovely and lovable and some may prefer it to Raymond Briggs other works such as the Snowman and the Snowdog this sits in nicely and there is a nod to the next movie. So - What is there not too like?