**POSSIBLE SPOILERS ABOUT THIS AND OTHER CHRISTMAS SPECIALS AHEAD**
While I can enjoy the cheeriness of the tale, and Red Skelton is always a joy to behold, this special fails for me on two levels.
A minor quibble is the nakedly derivative storyline.
A serious quibble is that Rudolph is de-evolved from a young adult deer back to a child.
One of the wonderful aspects of the original "Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer" special is that it functioned as a fairly honest coming-of-age story, a simplified but genuine bildungsroman for modern American children. A key moment is when Rudolph accepts the responsibilities and costs of becoming an adult. And it is the mature Rudolph, not the chibi cute li'l Rudolph, who is honored to lead Santa's sleigh. All this is negated when he suddenly reverts to childhood in this special in order to save the New Year.
I am disappointed when an emptily cute story constitutes the sequel to an intelligent coming-of-age fable, and that is what has happened here.
While I can enjoy the cheeriness of the tale, and Red Skelton is always a joy to behold, this special fails for me on two levels.
A minor quibble is the nakedly derivative storyline.
A serious quibble is that Rudolph is de-evolved from a young adult deer back to a child.
One of the wonderful aspects of the original "Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer" special is that it functioned as a fairly honest coming-of-age story, a simplified but genuine bildungsroman for modern American children. A key moment is when Rudolph accepts the responsibilities and costs of becoming an adult. And it is the mature Rudolph, not the chibi cute li'l Rudolph, who is honored to lead Santa's sleigh. All this is negated when he suddenly reverts to childhood in this special in order to save the New Year.
I am disappointed when an emptily cute story constitutes the sequel to an intelligent coming-of-age fable, and that is what has happened here.