Search - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer on DVD

Santa Would NOT Be Pleased.

T.D. Maxon | United States | 10/24/2003

(1 out of 5 stars)

"If you're armed and also fond of the Rudolph cartoon and the classic "Christmas Comes But Once a Year" from other editions, don't watch this DVD. You're going to shoot your television."Rudolph" begins, preposterously, with a rendition of "Jingle Bells. Yes, I said "Jingle Bells," and not the namesake song.Then the narration begins in mid-sentence ("...and all through the hills..."), clipping the first line. It does the same thing at the end: "Merry Christmas to all, and --." And WHAT? The visual and sound quality is also poor--my VHS copy, an older one we've watch hundreds (and hundreds, and...) of times, remains far superior in clarity.But this edition saves its true savagery for "Christmas Comes...." Anyone who has seen the original knows this early Max Fleischer cartoon is a genuine classic for its sometimes dazzling animation, its inventiveness, and its score. Sadly, this edition obscures almost all of these qualities, and the result is barely watchable.On top of being visually fuzzy, this edition of "Christmas Comes" has a botched soundtrack. The different tracks are out of sync, twisting the originally well-done score into pure cacophony. Even my two-year-old noticed. And my four-year old went ballistic.The other cartoons on this edition are cute enough, but again they're dark visually--and only the first two are Christmas-themed.In case I've been unclear: Don't buy this DVD. It's garbage."