Review of Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer (2000) by Fred M — 26 Jan 2012

It doesn't matter how many times I see this at Christmas, I always end up forgetting half of what was in the movie.....probably because for such an incredibly average and cliched Christmas movie, it's a really cheesy average and cliched Christmas movie. Nevermind the lazy animation and the only half-heartedly engaging story, but the songs are just lifeless, the characters are either stupid or annoying, and if the terrible song on which it is based isn't what drags it down, the voice acting will. None of the voice-acting performances here are particularly memorable despite the cast of very familiar voice-acting regulars who have been such great contributors to the cartoons we all love. Jake Spankenheimer is not a particularly engaging character, his family even less so. Grandma Spankenheimer's voice sounds like something ripped from a Looney Toon short, and don't even get me started on the female cop who constantly pops up. Also, am I the only one who finds their last names somewhat suggestive?

On a whole, the film is pretty harmless and the animation may not be the worst I've ever seen, but it's a very bland film with only modest entertainment value and its lessons of the holiday spirit and family only shine at very few select points. I can't say I ever liked the song on which it was based either, it being in itself obnoxious for what so many seem to consider a classic Christmas song. The song didn't do it for me, and neither does the movie, which doesn't hold a torch to the Rankin/Bass shorts that were made from even more primitive effects than this one was.

But what the heck. Maybe you all will find something to enjoy in this movie. On a whole it's really just a "eh" movie, but I guess it could do worse, so maybe it's got some heart to it I just have trouble finding .