To say Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a Christmas classic is an understatement. The Rankin/Bass TV special released all the way back in 1964 has become a staple of the holiday season. What started as a short and simple song became a phenomenon that even to this day is still viewed by millions of children and adults around the world.
Narrated by a talking snowman voiced by Burl Ives, one of Santa’s reindeer Donor and his wife gave birth to a reindeer named Rudolph who is found to have a red shiny nose that glows. Donor and his wife try to keep Rudolph’s red nose hidden by putting a false nose on Rudolph. During the reindeer games, Rudolph tries to fit in with the other reindeer and even taking an interest in a girl reindeer named Clarice. Unfortunately, Rudolph’s real nose gets exposed and he is made fun of by the other reindeer and is kicked out of the reindeer games. Despite some encouragement from Clarice, Rudolph feels defeated and sits down to ponder when he comes across an elf named Hermey who is also a misfit as he wants to be a dentist rather than making toys. The two decide to run away and along the way come across some very colorful characters and interesting situations
Some argue whether this special holds up as they claim that the story seems super mean-spirited at the beginning and the only reason Rudolph gets his way is that his deformity is useful at the end. While I totally get that there are a lot of things that were definitely part of the times, I still find the overall story to be really charming and mostly timeless. Sure it has its problems with some of its writing, but the main message of the movie still rings true even years later. Characters like Rudolph and Hermey have problems that are universal and can speak to almost anyone who has ever felt left out or different. The stop-motion animation has a somewhat cheap but also distinct feel that is festive and storybook-like. The joy of the visuals is their simplicity and it’s what makes the special hold up for a modern audience. The songs are almost like something out of a Disney movie as they are memorable and catchy. In fact, some of the scores and songs have some recognizable tunes that you’d hear on the radio during Christmas.
While the story may have some levels of dated morals and somewhat interesting choices for character personalities, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer still holds up thanks to its Iconic characters, likable song numbers, and cheap but also well-crafted animation that evokes the Christmas spirit. It’s been a classic for decades and chances are it will still be a classic for many more children to come.
(Final Grade: A-)