Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey

Whenever people think about a Christmas Donkey, the first thing comes to mind is...

(Dominick the Donkey.)

I meant in film.

(Sony’s The Star)

Respectfully better!

(Don Bluth’s Small One.)

I will mention you later in criticism part of this actual film. It’s Nector the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey!

Speiltoe the Donkey tells the story of his ancestor donkey in Bethlehem. (He’s voiced by Roger Miller. You may know his voices as a Rooster in Robin Hood.) Nestor was born with big ears and everyone laughs at him at the farm. (Sounds familiar?)   

A Roman Army soldier drafted the farmer’s donkeys, but Nestor reveals had his ears that cost the farmers all of his donkeys except for his mother, thus the farmer threw him out into the winter. Nestor’s Mom rescued her son as they spent the night, until she died.

For a short while, Nestor encounter a Cherub named Tilly (voiced by Johnny Bravo's Mom, Brenda Vaccaro), as she guides him to Bethlehem throughout the months. Tilly left Nestor at a merchant; until he was picked up by certain couples that contain someone may already know if you see Little Drummer Boy films already.  

So now I must address the other donkey film, Don Bluth’s Small One. Technically Nestor came first in 1977, while Small One came out the next year. You could declare rip-off, but usually rip-off has less to no thought and emotions. While it’s sad to see Nestor’s mom died, it’s slightly sadder when they showed her in the light above. Small One is REALLY emotional from the opening theme, to the story of boy trying hopefully to sell his old donkey he loved, or to be killed, to the ending that pays off. Don Bluth’s 80’s work is one of the rarest things in my life to give me a tear-jerking with the story that’s timeless and moments that we had or will deal with. The saddest being the Death of Littlefoot’s Mom. In Nestor, there can be some emotion, but not much as it’s the Rudolph Story that’s been told already before with the Baby New Year with his big ears. You can even go far back with Dumbo with his ears, or earlier with Elmer the Elephant with his big nose. The point is certain features to be born with are becoming less emotional the more you use them.   

The reason to even review this film while not the others now is a combination of my time crunch at my time in North Carolina, my volunteer at the Salvation Army, and it’s closer to what matter in continuity wise. In the opening and closing of Nestor, they showed The Year Without Santa Claus cast (though Santa’s face is different only here.) and Rudolph.

Nestor the Long Eared Christmas Donkey is a short little film to conclude the Bethlehem trilogy. If your eyes need a break from crying at Small One or cringing from twerking doves at Sony’s The Star, then Nestor is decent enough for you. Now with the time to combine three different films together, we’ll finally to replace one of those films, as we bring Frosty along to be in Rudolph and Frosty in Christmas In July.