Review of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie (1998) by Kaiden W — 06 Nov 2015

This Christmas classic is criminally underrated, constantly being overshadowed by the Rankin & Bass Rudolph movie, which gets re-released every year in a new special edition, while this Christmas classic just rots away, becoming more and more obscure and unseen with every passing year. That is baffling to me seeing as this movie not only has a better plot than the Rankin & Bass movie, but better characters as well. As the LoS games did with spyro, this movie takes the otherwise flat character that was rudolph and gives him not only a proper back story but some personality as well, making him seem more real than the stop motion puppet of the Rankin & Bass movie. If that weren't enough, this movie has a much more believable relationship dynamic between Rudolph and his love interest, Zoey. Much more three dimensional than Clarice from the Rankin and bass movie. Speaking of Zoey, thats another great thing about this movies, it doesn't take it's side characters for granted the way the Rankin & Bass movie does. Rather than push other potentially interesting characters aside just to develop the main character, they take care to flesh out the side characters as well, even the tertiary characters, the elves, have some personality to them. Some may call the music corny, but believe me when in say they aren't, they have the same charm as the songs you'd hear in Disney films, and always fit the scenes and mood.

Lastly, this version of the classic story has a proper villain and something that is actually threatening, that being the ice queen Stormella and her plans to bury the north pole with a storm.

Now, I don't have anything against the Rankin & Bass Rudolph movie and I recognize it for the classic that it is, but I find it sad that it constantly gets glorified year after year while this beautiful hidden gem languishes in the shadows, slowing rotting away.

I highly recommend this movie to anyone who likes the Rankin & Bass movie and to anyone who likes Rudolph in general.