The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus (1985 TV Movie) User Reviews

The Great Ak-Ak-Ak-Ak-Ak. You oughta know by now.

[utgard14 · 7/10 · 26 December 2013]

Apologies for the Billy Joel reference in the title but I couldn't help myself. This is the final stop-motion special from Rankin/Bass. They certainly go out on a creative note here. This is one of their most different and interesting specials. Obviously influenced by the popularity of fantasy material in the '80s. Everywhere you looked you saw stuff with magical creatures or wizards or enchanted realms. Rankin/Bass had dipped their toe in this already with Rudolph & Frosty's Christmas In July several years before, as well as many traditionally animated cartoons based on The Lord of the Rings. Oh and, of course, The Last Unicorn. This special here was based off of a book by L. Frank Baum, the creator of Wizard of Oz.

It's a fairly involved plot for a Christmas special. A council of immortal beings must decide if Santa Claus should be given immortality. From here, we get the origin of Santa, as told by the Great Ak. To say this is different from the origin of Santa previously released by Rankin/Bass would be an understatement. This is pretty trippy stuff but also very fun.

The stop-motion animation is beautiful, as you would expect from Rankin/Bass. It's some of their most creative work and it's just a shame it came at the end. The story is imaginative and interesting. It's dark in places and certainly isn't the toddler-friendly specials of before. The voicework is terrific and the characters are enjoyable. The music is nice, though not their best. As with all Rankin-Bass specials, I of course recommend it. But I would give a special recommendation for this one to people who are fans of fantasy stories but perhaps don't normally watch Rankin-Bass specials.

Great Holiday Movie......but...

[rockpainterx · 8/10 · 8 September 2006]

I would just like to comment on the last posting. This is NOT claymation! This was made with stop-motion puppets not clay. Yes there is a difference. Each puppet is painstakingly made by hand,First pre-production drawings of each puppet are made,an armature is created,Someone has to sculpt a character,molds are made,foam latex is put into molds then puppets are baked in an oven,Artists paint the details,clothing has to be made...so on. I want to educate people on this so there will not be any confusion in the future. Sorry if I am preaching...I take this seriously. In conclusion, I do agree this movie is quite enjoyable! Happy Holidays!

Scary? Are you kidding me?!

[draysonte · 8/10 · 22 December 2004]

This was one of my favorite Rankin-Bass productions. This particular telling of the Santa story is based on L. Frank Baum book of the same title: "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus." The immortals are gathered by the Great Ak to decide whether or not the mortal Santa deserves the honor of becoming immortal (something the immortals can only grant once). The story is narrated by Ak and recounts how he found the young babe and watched over him as he was raised by some of the nymphs and animals that fell under Ak's jurisdiction.

As with any Rankin-Bass stop animation production the creature concepts can be wildly imaginative (and scary... the Nooks tend creep me out, but I wouldn't mind a plush version of one) and be sure that there are numerous musical outbursts as the story progresses.

This Baum story has also recently received an animated retelling. I am saddened that this particular version does not receive as much airing time, but I am very grateful that we always recorded Christmas specials when I was younger.

I recommend this to anyone who enjoys Rankin-Bass holidays escapism and has an imagination that enjoys being stimulated.

Beautiful stop motion classic

[CountVladDracula · 10/10 · 23 March 2005]

I thought this was a beautiful and surreal stop motion animated film. It's certainly superior to the cell animation version. I thought it was beautifully done by the Rankin / Bass people- who brought us such classics as Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, The Little Drummer Boy, Frosty the snow man, among many other holiday specials. I don't think this has been released to DVD yet and it's a shame that it hasn't been.

It's a true classic. It's based on the short story by L. Frank Baum, author of The Wizard of Oz. In fact, though neither movie tells you this, the immortal fairies in this story are the ones who enchanted The Land of Oz to begin with.

If you love beautifully done fantasies and stop motion animation I highly recommend this movie. I read another review that called this film pagan and frightening- I think this person was looking for reasons to hate it and simply didn't understand the fantastical creatures portrayed. It's not scary at all, it's quite beautiful, just not what you'd expect. You should keep an open mind when viewing it, it's quite beautiful.

Beautifully Animated Stop-Motion Fantasy

[frey-2 · 22 December 1999]

If you prefer fantasy to holiday hokum, you'll want to check this one out. A little dark at times for very little ones, this stylish take on the Santa story will appeal to older children or little ones accustomed to fantasy and fairy tale themes. Alive with Faerie folk of all kinds it offers a colorful journey through Santa's life. Santa is not spared the horrors of the human world, however, and this story illustrates how he developed compassion for the human race. Very moving in parts, this story gets to the heart of the Christmas spirit, without getting preachy or religious.

For fans of the Theatre Bizzarro

[crowbone · 6/10 · 13 December 2006]

It's rare that I would recommend a bad movie.

Throw all your notions about what Christmas was all about, because on this ride, there is nothing but pure anti-fantasy. OK, I could not stop looking at this while it was on, primarily because it is supposed to be a Christmas themed show....or so I thought.

The weirdness compounds at an exponential rate while not really knowing what this was about. Honestly, my young sons were laughing out loud at how bizarre this was. I'm surprised Hitler and Lincoln didn't mud wrestle in this strange attempt.

Before I found out anything about it, I was saying to friends who had seen it, but wanted to hear my take on it, that it was as if Lord of the Rings went to the North Pole, and the battle for Middle Earth was fought where gingerbread men should have been baked.

This should be one forgetful show. The only reason I mention it is because, not knowing anything about it, looking at it from the perspective of someone who recognizes the "Rudolph" like animation, it takes you by surprise and leaves you saying "Huh?", "What the heck?", and "Oh My God!" so much, that it is actually entertaining.

It makes me wonder if there is a Russ Meyer Christmas Special hidden in some garage.

Best Santa Clause movie ever

[grubby_d · 10/10 · 11 July 2005]

The only reason I ever even heard of this was by putting in blank VHS tapes out of boredom one day when I was about 10. For me this movie has special meaning because I used to watch it with my buddy when we were little. We could probably recite almost ever word and sing every song.

But about the movie itself, it is a rare gem that almost nobody has ever heard of. This is a side of Christmas that is so refreshingly different, bearing absolutely no resemblance to any other Santa story ever written, capturing the Christmas spirit in its own way.

This gets a full 10 from me for the stunning art-work of its creation and magical creativity that brought it to life.

Go get it! Journey with Clause from the forest of Berzee to the Laughing Valley of "Ho Ha Ho" in this one in a million production. Expect the unexpected with characters such as Peter Nook, the great Ak, and the commander of the wind demons.

Stop-motion Santa

[CuriosityKilledShawn · 6/10 · 11 December 2011]

In this adaptation of L. Frank Baum's story, produced by Rankin Bass, we see how Santa came to be, from his origin an immortal to his dedication to bringing presents and happiness to kids around the globe. It's a better story than the 'true meaning of Xmas' crud we're used to in Xmas Specials. Erasing th 'birth of Baby Jesus' angle was also a wise move.

I'd never heard of the novel until I saw this special, but it seems kinda similar to The Wizard of Oz. The music by Bernard Hoffer is also notably better than the usual medley of Xmas carols. I guess it doesn't rate too highly among the rest of the holiday clutter, but certainly worth watching.

CLAYMATION COUNCIL GATHERS TO DECIDE ON IMMORTALITY FOR SANTA CLAUS

[SARUMANPRIME · 10/10 · 20 September 2004]

AWESOME CLAYMATION Christmas CLASSIC...a must have for the Christmas holidays .It is unfortunate that the networks no longer show this tale of how Santa Claus becomes the symbol of Christmas. This tale has gods ,elves,fairies and Santa Claus . If you like the Lord of the Rings ,Harry Potter and other Rankin and Bass classics , then this will be a welcome addition to your movie collection.I have seen this movie so many times and every time I see something new. However, do not buy this UNLESS YOU CAN STAND SEEING IT YEAR-ROUND.This is sort of hard to find so get it when you see it .I OFTEN SEE THE WELL KNOWN OTHERS LIKE RUDOLPH THE RED NOSE REINDEER AND THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN but this one is sort of rare .

Rankin-Bass' other Santa origin story

[MissSimonetta · 6/10 · 12 December 2022]

I expected to enjoy this more than I did. This is the second Santa Claus origin story special put out by Rankin-Bass, the first being 1970's SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN. THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF SANTA CLAUS is based on a work written by the author of The Wizard of Oz, which sounds promising at first. I also liked the very pagan aesthetic of the settings and characters.... unfortunately, the actual plot isn't much. The structure is extremely episodic, the songs aren't memorable, and most of Santa's issues are solved by him summoning his immortal friends to iron everything out. It becomes a drag and not the cathartic experience it yearns to be.

I can see why this film isn't better known. It certainly has a cult following and it's not without interest. If anything, the more somber tone and more detailed puppets set it apart from the more famous RB specials, but it didn't do much for me. I just wasn't invested.

worst x-mas movie of all time

[bob24448 · 1/10 · 3 December 2005]

i gave this movie a 1 out of 10 because there was no option for a zero. the original print and all copies of this movie should burned.

my first impression was "only a D&D fan could enjoy this." but D&D fans, however strange to the rest of us, have wonderful imaginations, which the creators of this movie do not. cheesy creatures with goofy, meaningless names do not make a story.

Christmas stories fall into two categories: secular and religious. this movie defines a whole new category: crap.

please don't waste your time on this movie. you will never get the hour back.

Underrated and underplayed!

[luzah · 9/10 · 1 December 2005]

The synopsis of this movie I will leave alone for now, as the previous comment pretty much had that down pat. As a child of the 80s myself, this movie is easily my best Christmas memory. The fantasy, the unexpectedly dark plot, beautiful imagery...all of these things make this one of the most memorable Christmas movies I could think of.

For those of you looking for a classic movie full of love, warmth, cheer, and all of the other TYPICAL feelings associated with a Christmas movie...I would pass this one up. The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus throws in elements of suspense, fear, sadness, and eventually relief...not commonly associated with a Christmas flick. Agreed, it IS a bit on the dark side for a holiday movie. However, would I recommend this for a truly unique and unexpected treat for older viewers? Without a doubt. The younger kids may not be able to sit still, but the older kids (including my generation) won't be able to shut up about it afterwards.

If you want something TRULY indescribable and unforgettable in your movie collection, I'd go for The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus.

One of the better Christmas specials

[Keyan-the-Eagle144 · 7/10 · 13 December 2021]

I remember watching this one all the time after my folks taped it. As a Rankin-Bass production, and after watching the original 1980s Thundercats I started to see multiple parallels. The voices were similar (the villain is voiced by the same guy who did Panthro and also Bill Cosby's TV dad from The Cosby Show) and even the music sounds like Thundercats.

But back to the Christmas special. It wasn't until later I learned that the special was originally a novel by Oz creator L. Frank Baum. I read that book a while ago and really enjoyed it. It's like a Christmas version of The Lord of the Rings. All of the characters in this one were very unique and had personality. Yes, it's a little dark and it has nothing to do with Christianity but if you're sick of religious overtones this may be the perfect remedy.

What I'd really like now is to see this one brought back to TV or at least put on Apple TV's streaming service. I'd watch it in a second. Maybe the dark themes turned a lot of people off and that's why it's not on anymore. Still, it's a nice second viewpoint of the Christmas story.

What Just Happened

[peterjamescannon · 2/10 · 23 December 2020]

I originally gave this a 1 but after the battle scene I decided to double the rank. During the battle, the forces of good basically put on a clinic. We see disintegrating, flower transformation, elven branch conflagration, and shrinking. The invisi-gang were totally defeated. After the battle, I totally forgot the plot of this movie. Wait, there is no plot.

very nice

[zordon42 · 25 March 2003]

when i first saw this movie, i completly loved the songs, but now that i've got it recorded and got another look at it, i found that i loved the storyline. the characters were amazing, i loved how they represented themselves, and the scenery, i just loved this film for........ everything it had.

My Favorite Christmas Movie

[tropiqalkiwi · 10/10 · 10 January 2008]

I grew up watching this movie every year at Christmas time and continue to look forward to seeing it every year. This movie has a beautifully done story that shows how "Claus" goes from being a child to a Saint. He is not born in the faerie land, but adopted by them. Because of his unique experiences growing up with faeries instead of other men he brings unprecedented happiness to the children that he meets through a new creation of his, a toy.

If anyone is wondering about whether to show this movie to children or not, I would say go for it. Others feel it is a bit scary, and the "war" near the end of the movie is too harsh for children, but I disagree. The war only happens as a last resort after Great Ak tries to talk with King Awgwa. There is no actual killing in the war, the "bad guys" are simply turned into flowers through very gentle means, and the remaining ones flee.

This is in response to Goon-2's comment on this movie: The bat-like creature, who sits at the table with the other immortals, symbolizes the wind, he is NOT death. At the very beginning of the movie (with the credits) all of the immortals (each representing a different natural force) are introduced and he is the commander of the wind demons. I just want to make sure people know he is not representing death, and is interested in saving Claus not killing him.

Overall it is an uplifting tale of doing what you can to make the world a better place, and finding creative ways to do so when there are problems.

Rankin Bass Christmas special

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 5 December 2020]

In the Forest of Burzee, The Great Ak gathers the council of Immortals to consider granting immortality to Santa Claus. It's his last night unless he becomes immortal and continues his yearly ride. The Great Ak recounts his life. He is found as a baby and raised by a Wood Nymph named Necile. After seeing the suffering of people and the violence of the world, he sets off to give joy to the world.

It's Rankin/Bass animated special. It's a lot of myth making and a little complicated. Quite frankly, I would like a simple story and probably a story not told in a flashback. On the other hand, it has the appeal of good over evil. I'm sure that people who saw this as children would have some nostalgia. I'm not one of those. This is fine.

The Making of Santa Claus

[ladit96 · 9/10 · 1 December 2006]

As a child, this was my favorite Christmas movie. It is visually stunning and exhibits great artistry in claymation and storytelling. I was enthralled by the characters and enjoyed the tale of how "Santa Claus" came to be. This story is one of compassion and empathy. It really emphasizes the message of giving to those less fortunate and understanding the plight of others. A definite must see for my kids. The movie also has fun songs and funny characters to lighten the mood. I would not say this film is too dark. It has a villain and a conflict no more fierce than any others in children's films. I believe if you give this movie a chance they won't be disappointed. Anyone who enjoyed The Wizard of Oz or fantasy stories such as The Hobbit would really enjoy this take on a classic Christmas character.

SUPEISE! RANKIN BASS!

[DutchOompaLoompa · 9/10 · 23 October 2004]

This movie was excellent, very original and thought out. This movie another Rankin Bass classic (In my mind) is for once a dark Rankin Bass film! It's a holiday from the sweet happy go lucky film. It show how the man we all love (Santa) struggle to begin his career and later on becomes immortal. This show the side of Santa's life that we never see. Far from stereotypical I gave this movie a 9 rating. Although this is not very popular as say Rudolph, Frosty, The Year Without a Santa Claus, that doesn't mean it's any worse. If they made this movie on to a DVD format I would encourage anyone to go out and buy it. I'm sure you'll agree with me once you watch this wonderful masterpiece stop animation.

Santa

[BandSAboutMovies · 4/10 · 19 December 2023]

The last Animagic movie by Rankin/Bass Production, this is based on The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum and is not tied to any of the continuity of the other Rankin/Bass specials such as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town, Frosty's Winter Wonderland, Rudolph's Shiny New Year and Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July.

I can only imagine how this movie - made in the middle of the Satanic Panic - went over. It starts with the Great Ak telling the Immortals the story of Santa Claus so that they will keep him alive forever. Yes, Claus was once an abandoned baby given to the lioness Shiegra before he was stolen by a wood nymph named Necile.

In the world of humans, Claus tries to spread joy but has to battle the dark Awgwas who make children do bad things. Eventually, the Angwas attack Santa so many times that the Immortals get involved and destroy them, even telling Santa that they have perished. This is a show for kids. To bring that point home, this ends with Santa on his deathbed, asking his friends to decorate a tree to remember him, just as the Immortals decide to allow him to join them.

Baum introduced the Forest of Burzee in his short story"The Runaway Shadows or A Trick of Jack Frost" before using in The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus, "A Kidnapped Santa Claus," "Nelebel's Fairyland" and Queen Zixi of Ix. Burzee is in the same universe as Oz. Some examples include Queen Zurline of the Wood Nymphs and Queens Lulea and Lurline of the Fairies probably all being the same person and in The Magic Cloak of Oz, embassies between these universes are created and Santa becomes the ambassador to Oz.

It may also freak you out when you realize that most of the cast of this comes from Thundercats, so yes, Santa has the same voice as Mumm-Ra - Earl Hammond - possibly the most Satanic of all 80s cartoon characters.

Common Sense Media said, "Of possible concern for the youngest viewers are the several mentions that Santa's going to be visited by the spirit of death, some mildly scary monsters and a sad scene in which Santa talks about his mortality fading and that he wants decorating Christmas trees to be a kind of memorial to him. Fantasy violence includes a battle with magical powers to defeat the monsters once and for all. The ending is happy and safe, but be prepared to offer reassurance and answer questions about death and immortality."

Who is going to do that for me?

Psychedelic Tale Of Santa's Beginnings

[tdimitriou · 10/10 · 4 December 2012]

This is one of my favourite Rankin/Bass offerings. I think this was one of the last of the Christmas Classics they made. Basically, Santa is raised by wood elves and wild animals, fights off an ogre army, then has to go to trial for the mantle of immortality so he can continue delivering his gifts. Honestly, I think they were high on mescaline or something to come up with this wild tale.

Wonderful battle scenes of the hellbent ogres attacking the peaceful elves. There are many deaths in this children's cartoon, but do not despair, Santa wins in the end.

Highly recommended for:

• the Great Ak and his clan

• most deaths in a Rankin/Bass Christmas special

Highly Recommended!

One of the Best films i have ever seen

[cijidunn · 8 April 2003]

I have watched this movie since i was little, and for all i do admit the subject and the themes used in the movie are slightly darker then the average kids movie, it is one of the best i have seen. I've always loved the entire premiose of the story, and the characters are brilliant, especially the Commander of the Wind Daemons (The Bat like Creature) and Blinky the Cat.

A very underrated Christmas special and it's such a treasure

[meisterburger23 · 10/10 · 8 November 2017]

I've always been a fan of Rankin Bass, I grew up watching Rudolph, Santa Claus Is Coming to Town The Year Without a Santa Claus, Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas In July and also their underrated specials like Nestor the Long Eared Christmas Donkey, The First Christmas Snow, Pinocchio's Christmas and Little Drummer Boy and The Little Drummer Boy Book II

The Life and Adventures Of Santa Claus is a very underrated and overlooked gem to the Rankin Bass fan base. Sadly this is rarely shown on TV, and it appears Freeform, aka ABC Family has giving this special the chopping block. When this did air on ABC family it was heavily edited and not watchable

The story begins with the great Ak with a council with immortals explaining why Santa deserves the mantel of immortality and not die. He begins his tale of the life of Santa Claus by explaining how he discovered Claus as a newborn infant abandoned at the edge of the enchanted forest. He first enlists a lioness named Shegria to nurse and care for the child but a fairy called Neclie hears about the baby and steals it from Shegria. Ak agrees to allow Necile to care for the baby and she calls him Claus. Claus grows up in the forest and as a young adult Ak takes him on a journey to show him what humans are like, after witnessing dark scenes like poverty, child abuse, war and hunger Claus decides to live in a village not far and help children. He becomes a toy maker and makes toys for the village children. His talent in bringing joy to children makes him want to travel the world and deliver toys to all children thus becoming Santa.

Some evil villains called the Awguas cause trouble for Claus and steal his toys, but his immortal friends get the toys back by destroying the Awguas and their dragon. After an awesome battle with a dragon between good and evil, the immortals win and Claus gets to finish his journey on delivering toys,

As Santa gets older he decides to deliver the presents on Christmas Eve, hence why Claus makes his trip once a year. As Ak finishes his story, the council agrees to bestow the mantel of immortality for Claus. Claus gets to be immortal and becomes Santa Claus who continues to deliver gifts to this day.

This special again Is very much a part of my childhood and I love it, It's a lot different than the book such as a character called Tingler but it's a nice story about Santa Claus. The songs are nice and my favorite is A Child, We Wanna Wake Up to a Big Surprise is nice too. It's dark, but it's geared more toward older kids and adults. But if you want to watch something different I recommend this. Great special

10/10 stars

Rankin/Bass' weirdest and final stop-motion special

[josephbrando · 8/10 · 7 December 2023]

First let me state that I consider each entry in Rankin/Bass' library of holiday-specials nothing short of excellent and time has proven them to be iconic as they are permanently woven into the fabric of the Christmas season. However, I prefer the style of their earlier work which was firmly rooted in fairy-tale fantasy and classic Christmassy vibes. As time went on, they seemed to veer more and more into the wizardry/magic/sci-fi side of the fantasy world; ultimately culminating in this, their last Christmas production, which almost completely tosses aside all the things usually associated with Santa Claus and instead thwarts him into a Lord-Of-The Rings type universe. (Let's pause here to remember that R/B produced some of the earliest film versions of Tolkien's tales in "The Hobbit" and "Return Of The King").

Taking place in "The Forest Of Burzee" with a cast of wood-creatures and green-haired-nymphs who each control different elements of their world, all under the rule of their leader "The Greak Ak", this special tells a different tale of the child mysteriously dropped off into that forest who eventually grows up to be Santa Claus. And the plot revolves around his impending death!? I kid you not! Should the forest creatures vote to bestow the "mantle of immortality" upon him or no? Well, let the Great Ak tell you the entire strange alternate Dungeons-and-Dragons version of the life story of St Nick, including getting on the bad side of some evil monsters who can make themselves invisible, eventually building up to an all-out war against the inhabitants of the Forest of Burzee. Whew! Pretty crazy, huh?

The "Animagic" stop-motion animation is, as always, breathtaking and so beautifully detailed and immersive that sometimes the plots don't even matter. These are fantasy worlds that seem so real, you want to jump right into the screen and explore them. At this trait, Rankin/Bass only improved as time went on, even if the stories did get a little less charming and a lot more bizarre. The songs also follow suit and are less catchy and jingly-jangly than those in "Rudolph, "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" or "Frosty", with the exception of "Big Surprise" which is a great catchy Christmas tune in the style of the best offerings from the pantheon of wonderful timeless tracks from these specials. But the rest of the music is still enchanting, albeit in a more ethereal kind of way.

Even though it isn't my favorite from R/B (or even in the top 10) I still regularly rewatch this one almost every year. As I stated, the entire library from these masters of enchantment are fantastic with even the least of their output being magical and heads-and-tails above 99.9% of anything produced in the last four decades. And it may actually be more appealing to some others who love that early 80's sci-fi fantasy world encompassing things like He-Man, She-Ra, Smurfs, and two anime series produced by R/B themselves: Thundercats and Silverhawks!

Special story

[sadie_m_lady · 10/10 · 14 December 2020]

About Santa Claus timeless classic with cool characters