Long, long ago, the North Pole was ruled by the good fairy Lady Boreal and her enemy was the wicked wizard Winterbolt. To protect Santa Claus from Winterbolt's foggy fury, Lady Boreal grants Rudolph the Reindeer a magical,... more » glowing nose. Years later, Rudolph and his friend Frosty the Snowman are called on to save a needy circus at a special 4th of July benefit. But their big-top act turns to big-time trouble when Winterbolt appears -- with a plan to steal Frosty's magic hat and extinguish Rudolph's legendary nose! Brought to shing Animagic life with the voices of Mickey Rooney, Ethel Merman, Red Buttons and Shelley Winters, this feature-length fable is a must-see for all seasons. Year: 1979 Directors: Arthur Rankin, Jr., and Jules Bass« less
Randall G. Cyrenne | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada | 12/19/2004
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I have more to say about it at DVDtoons.com, but here's the short of it: It does run a little long, and could have certainly used some editing, but this movie is fun and rates well against the R-B TV specials. Anyone who thinks this movie is too confusing could not have been paying much attention, and I also would not say it's scary--- my 3-year old loved it (of course, it will depend on your own child's "scare threshhold"). Personally, I enjoyed the "origin" of Rudolph, found the new mythology of the characters charming, and thought Winterbolt to be a great villain. The movie gets a 7/10 from me, although the video quality could have been a little better on the disc. The lack of extras was disappointing too."
Audio not in sync!
Troy G | 10/23/2004
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I just purchased this DVD and I must say I am greatly disappointed!
The audio is not in sync!!!
The audio is ahead of the video by 1 to 2 seconds.
I just can't imagine how this could happen with a Warner Brothers release.
Being a huge Rankin and Bass fan this was an utter let down.
I hope this error is corrected and Warner Brothers offers some sort of exchange.
"
Nice to see a forgotten favorite...
Jose Lucan | 01/14/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I have always wanted to find this item on DVD... and this past x-mas I did! As a prior review stated, the sound is a bit out of sync, but... I am a fan of Ethel Merman, and it is a kick to hear her sing about 4 to 5 songs... the price was nice, and it brings back good memories. It's just fun stuff, and new kids should be introduced to items which are truly classics, without all the high tech stuff!!"
Rankin-bass all stars reunited
Jose Lucan | 12/11/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you are a Rankin-Bass fanatic like me, you will want to add this video to your holiday viewing schedule. While it's not perfect, the enjoyable parts outweigh the flaws. It's wonderful to see old friends like Rudolph, Frosty, Crystal (along with their two snow children), Big Ben, Jack Frost, and others all reunited. Winterbolt and his crew are without a doub the most scary of all Christmas villains and lend a chilling element to the story that adults will love, but which may be a bit too much for children. Though I do agree that it would have been even better to see Clarice, Hermie, and Yukon again too, the characters who DO appear are wonderful. I think you'll enjoy this one."
A lovely film indeed!
Phoenician | Phoenix, AZ USA | 12/04/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"A fan of the Christmas classics as well, I feel that this sequel works quite well with the other films. Is it long? Perhaps. Is it scary? Not really. It does get dramatic just as much as it is cheerful. We get to see the Origin of Rudolph's Nose as well as Frosty's Hat.
In the spirit of Christmas, this film is well worth it. In July? Absolutely, especially when the winter temperatures seem to be gone forever and you begin to reminisce about winter and such.
Overall, this film grows on you, just because if you saw it as a child, you have a personal bond with it."