Robbie the Reindeer in Legend of the Lost Tribe (2002 TV Movie) User Reviews

A bit of a disappointment...

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 26 September 2009]

The Robbie the reindeer specials produced by BBC are made using stop-motion--much like the much more famous and higher quality Aardman productions (such as Wallace & Gromit or Shaun the Sheep). I liked the first Robbie the Reindeer show. It was a very sweet Christmas special and has a lot to recommend it. While there are plenty of jokes in LEGEND OF THE LOST TRIBE, however, this second installment is pretty weak. Sure, it's watchable but much of the sweetness of the first film has been replaced by goofy situations--too goofy. In fact, this film looks like they tossed a bunch of random plot elements together and had little regard for the spirit of the first.

I knew something was amiss when the show began. You aren't sure exactly where the action takes place, but it doesn't seem like the North Pole. Instead, the ground is a bit bare and it looks more like rural Scotland or Canada. And, there really is no Santa and these reindeer seem to have forgotten how to fly. Instead, they have built a vacation resort that is failing miserably (a vacation resort?!). Soon, Blitzen the evil reindeer is released from prison for good behavior and he returns to his old friends--supposedly a changed deer for the better. However, he and his evil bunny henchman turn all the reindeer into robots and torture them. So, it's up to a group of pacifist Vikings to come to the rescue!

As I said, this all seems amazingly random as well as 100% un-Christmasy. Sure, there are some funny jokes and all, but in only its second installment, it looks like Robbie has "jumped the shark". In other words, the series is in panic mode with the crazy plot devices and it's lost its way.

Try the UK voices!

[Aegina1028 · 7/10 · 21 August 2006]

They're a lot more fun. Plus, it adds a layer of appreciation if you are familiar with the voice talent. Perhaps it's because my husband is British, but I'm one American who really enjoyed this and who shudders to think of Britney Spears doing Jane Horrocks' role. I agree that it's not as terrific as Hooves of Fire, and I too noticed the absence of Vixen, but I thought overall it was very funny and clever, and my 18-month-old daughter seemed to enjoy it as well. I'd love another sequel. Perhaps I just differ from other Americans in terms of what I'm looking for -- I don't need "holiday cheer" or to be "uplifted" (although I found both here, actually) -- I just need intelligent writing and some decent acting, both of which are supplied here in abundance.

Could do better.

[adamjohns-42575 · 6/10 · 8 March 2024]

Robbie The Reindeer in Legend Of The Lost Tribe (2) (2002) -

The animation of this sequel was much better than its predecessor, even after just 3 years.

It was a slightly weaker plot and definitely more of a stretch for an idea than the original story of Robbie (Ardal O'Hanlon) finding his feet at the North Pole to pull Father Christmas' sleigh, but it was still good fun and a giggle.

It started with the reindeers failing to run a tourism business and built to a journey in which Robbie found a "Lost Tribe" of Vikings. Meanwhile the evil Blitzen (Steve Coogan) had also been freed from prison. Those events all combined for a cute climax and there were of course some great jokes dotted throughout.

The vocal acting was all done well again and I liked the use of Jeff Goldblum as the voice of White Rabbit, because the character needed to be more distinctive to stand out.

There were some obvious story similarities to 'The Simpson's' (1989-) episodes involving Sideshow Bob (Kelsey Grammar), with Blitzen out for revenge against Robbie, so it wasn't essentially very original, but I did like what they did with it overall.

Fun for all the family, but certainly not as good as the likes of 'Wallace & Gromit' (1989 - 2003) or 'The First Snow Of Winter' (1998).

637.11/1000.

Funny if not hilarious

[bob the moo · 24 January 2003]

Some time has passed since the race in `Robbie The Reindeer' and the group of reindeers have set up a tourist business offering guided tours. When an accident occurs on one such tour Robbie believes he was saved by a long lost tribe of Vikings - supposed to have been wiped out years ago. No one believes him and they are more concerned with the business losing money. When the evil Blitzen is released from prison 50 years early he promises to help them turn things around but double crosses them with the help of a master of disguise rabbit. Robbie escapes and goes to the Viking tribe to help him and his friends overcome Blitzen.

This programme will need to work hard to build the same Christmas anticipation as Wallace & Gromit did. On several occasions the BBC's big thing was the newest W&G short to be shown. Last year Robbie The Reindeer was the next shot at a clever comedy animation and it hit big with clever jokes and good voice work. Here the bar has dropped a little but it is still worth a look. The plot is a little more floppy and doesn't work as well and the jokes are funny if not hilarious.

The makers have tried to recreate the same magic but it doesn't always come off. It's telling that the sports commentators from the original, Des Yeti and Alan Snowman, have a brief cameo - they were the best bit of the last one. However it is still funny and has plenty of surreal moments and a funny (if straightforward) movie pastiche of Return of the Jedi's forest chase on Endor.

The voice work again is of an excellent calibre and you almost wish the animation had made better use of them. O'Hanlon is again good as a slightly more aware reindeer version of his Father Dougal. Coogan is great in a few roles and Horrocks et al do well in support. Alistair McGowan is again on hand for some brief impressions and a strange but enjoyable role is available for an instantly recognisable Jeff Goldblum (who is noticeable absent from the booths in the final credits).

This series needs to get better for next Christmas if the BBC want it to compete with W&G as the most anticipated Christmas animation, but aside from that it is well made, different and funny if not as funny as you'd want. Overall a quality animation to raise the mood after the Queen's speech.

stop-motion animation

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 29 November 2020]

It's a couple of years after Hooves of Fire. Robbie is searching for a lost tribe of Vikings. Blitzen is released from prison. He tries to get back in with the other reindeers but they refuse until he tricks them with his new criminal bunny friends.

This gets a bit random. I like Robbie a little more this time around. Maybe they should have skipped the Vikings and make the bunnies Easter rabbits. It would be fun to have a battle of the holidays.

Very entertaining

[Mightyzebra · 8/10 · 11 April 2008]

Review of the British version.

I very much enjoy this "Robbie the Reindeer" film. It includes the same, good cast (plus some more characters and minus one character), more hilarious jokes and gags and a really exciting plot, probably more developed and gripping than the plot of the last Robbie the Reindeer. The new characters are also very entertaining. However, if I had to choose one to prefer out of all three films, it would be the first film. Despite the good jokes, quality and entertainment of this and the third Robbie the Reindeer, I prefer the first one. This one just feels very short compared with Hooves of Fire.

Robbie and his friends are now running a holiday company and are having quite a lot of trouble. Not only is their accommodation not very good at all, but the customers are often very annoying people and often ask for refunds. When Robbie rescues a tourist off a cliff-face, he falls down into the canyon and is saved by someone who looks like a Viking. Robbie is determined to find them. Also, Blizten, the reindeers' old enemy is back...

I recommend this to people who have watched and enjoyed the first Robbie the Reindeer and to people who like short animated films with lots of clever jokes. Enjoy "Legend of the Lost Tribe"!

Yuk! Did the same team make this one?

[imdb-9394 · 4/10 · 18 September 2005]

My wife and I just ordered the new DVD with the original Robbie (Hooves of Fire) and this one on it. We have the older release with only Hooves of Fire, and absolutely LOVED that one. We were both shocked and disappointed at how bad this one is!! The story is weak, but worse yet the witty scripting from the original is completely absent. I gave it a 4 for the first minute or so of the movie - after that it's probably a 2 or even a 1.

Oh, and the "addition" of new voices for the US version is appalling! I was SO relieved when I found the audio setup item which lets you switch to the original British voice talent!! I only wish I could tell the DVD to NEVER EVER play it with the US voicing again. I actually liked several of the US voice actors, but it just seems wrong if you've seen (and heard) the original with its British cast. It is, after all, a British comedy, and I kind of expect the British accents.

Uninteresting sequel

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 5 December 2015]

"Legend of the Lost Tribe" is an award-winning short film for the holidays and the sequel to "Hooves of Fire". Just like that one, it runs for 29 minutes too and features a fairly prominent voice acting cast in the British version and an even more famous one for the American version. That is all positive there is though. The story is even less interesting than the first film, the characters are not relatable and the animation wasn't particularly to my liking either. This one is about a tribe of Vikings that Robbie accidentally comes across and they draw the most random parallel in terms of cowardice between the vikings and Robbie who needs to confess his love to his reindeer of choice. Not sweet, not funny, not worth the watch.

Stinker of a movie...and a waste of good clay

[Simba4 · 31 August 2004]

I read one of the user comments in Hooves of Fire and saw the 8 out of 10 rating and got my hopes up for this one. I can't begin to explain what a bad movie this is. It's certainly not for kids. And it's a waste of good clay too! The version I saw had Britney Spears as the girl reindeer (with breasts, no less). The story line is awful...renegade reindeer gone bad who comes back and imprisons his fellow reindeer by cruelly tricking them. Two of them escape and enlist the help of a long-lost tribe of tiny Norsemen. This is a holiday show?? This is good cheer?? Yikes...I couldn't turn it off fast enough. My 7-year old didn't like it either and said take it back to the video store.

Fun, intelligent, humor! Wake up Middle-America!

[thespasticatedkid · 12 December 2004]

Simba4 has it totally wrong! This is a classic piece of light-hearted frivolity and shouldn't just be assumed as child viewing due to animation. That said, there's no harm in kids viewing it. I'd like to at this point make clear that I watched the British(original) version and must say that Americans probably won't appreciate it. It's has multiple levels of humor including irony. (Enough said I think) I don't believe the American version will have done justice to it. Ask them to remake the Ladykillers and see what happens. Whoops! Silly me - they actually did do that. Adrian Edmondson (unlisted I notice) is excellent as EVER! Brilliant, fun, festive silliness!