Monday, December 25, 2017

Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas In July

 Let’s finish the continuity that matter…

*pushes Pinocchio’s Christmas out of the way.*

With Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July! I’ve seen this as long as the original films. So here’s the story not involving a forgotten live-action Paramount film of half the title.



Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman, Crystal (from Frosty Winter Wonderland), and their kids, Milly and Chilly (don’t ask how they procreate and how the age works with Snowman.) reside in the North Pole at June. Rudolph’s red nose was starting to light out of his control. Santa Claus (voiced this time by Mick Rooney) pointlessly explains to us the history about the King of the North Pole named Winterbolt (voiced by Paul Frees) and a bright spiritual Shakespearean Lady Borealis (voiced by Nellie Bellflower) had a battle that she defeats him into a deep sleep. Lady Borealis gave Rudolph a snowflake on his hoof aka the Star of Christmas to give him his shiny red nose, and later Winterbolt was awakened and the genie of the ice scepter suggest that he use the Snow Dragons to make that foggy Christmas Eve.

*scenes from Mega Shark jumping out and biting down the airplane.*

Though that would be funny how Donner can cover it when other reindeers notice the light in the cave.



Other Reindeer: Aurora Borealis? At this time of day, at this part of country, localized entirely within your cave!

Donner: Yes!

Other Reindeer: May I see it?

Donner: N-No! 

Winterbolt cast his spell to remove Rudolph’s light from his nose, but with failed with Frosty’s moral support and Rudolph memory and determination for good. Winterbolt want to rid of Rudolph’s light, and wants it gone now than waiting for Christmas Eve. Winterbolt finds the answer through the Viewing Globe- I mean Eye of Snow to show a Hot Aired Balloon with an ice cream man named Milton (voiced by Red Buttons, who you may heard as the little sidekick cat in Gay Purr-ee aka the film Aristocats kinds ripped off from. In fact, I made a mistake in my Shiny New Year that Red Buttons was in Pete’s Dragon, not Red Skeleton. Sorry, they’re both Red.) Milton tells that his girlfriend, Lady Loraine and her mom’s circus and their wedding are financially troubled to Professor Hinkl- I mean Doctor Sta- I mean Sam Spangle. Winterbolt cast a snow of thought into the Eye of Winter to give Milton the ideal of Rudolph to be in the circus. Frosty’s family wants to go the circus, but Frosty pointed out that they’ll melt there. Winterbolt as an Icy Fairy Godfather create an amulet for Frosty and his family to be melt-free at the circus before the 4 of July is over. With Santa’s approval to go to the circus and he would pick up the Snowpeople after the fireworks are finish. So Rudolph, Frosty and his family, and Milton fly on the hot aired balloon to the Circus By the Sea with the Ringleader Cowgirl named Lilly Loraine (voiced by Annie Gets Your Gun, Ethel Merman. Who may go crazy after this in Airplane.)

Meanwhile, Winterbolt makes things more complicated by by including a jailed reindeer named Scratcher (voiced by Allen Sue, who you may hear as Sir Loooney in Raggedy Ann and Andy: A Musical Adventure) Will the circus succeed, Frosty and his family has a snowball of a chance, and Winterbolt’s complex plan work?

There could be good and bad reasons why this was made. The good is probably an anniversary for Rankin Basss since it’s the 15th years for Rudolph and 10th for Frosty, and they’re the most icons out of all of their films. The bad is altering the past that we already seen and this would be another reboot after they just had a reboot not too long ago. All the actual flashback is altered. Frosty I can have a leeway since that was 2D animated. Why the entire snowman’s clothing is warm analogist colors instead of a black hat or Crystal’s pink apron won’t be explained. I almost believe there must have been more magic in that silk hat they found, including temperature color changing. I could believe that Rankin Bass wasn’t allowed to use footage from a previous film, as there wasn’t any VHS around at the time. This is where the one of the biggest shark jumping that even Shark Jumping on youtube even pointed this out. Rudolph’s red nose and the foggy were caused by magic than to be natural; something that Goodtime’s version did as badly. Being natural was believable and timeless than everything is done by magic. So whenever any such as a birth defect or a volcano happened, a wizard did it.

Just like Rudolph in Shiny New Years, they couldn’t reuse Santa Claus’ Comin To Town, and Ms. Claus in The Year Without Santa Claus. It’s interesting that they made models for Frosty’s cast, Rudolph’s parents and maybe Clarice to look updated. I do like it. Now why they didn’t make a Hermy’s redesign is not worth answering than a guess that Jingle and Jangle are his reject designs that was accepted to be animated.

The only way to describe this film is similar to Singin In The Rain; a film with majority of music of Arthur Freed, as Christmas In July is most of the music of Johnny Mark, the song writer for both Rudolph and Frosty. All the music are mostly recycled, with the exception of the instrumental Rocking Around the Tree and Sam the Snowman’s opening theme, as they get the lyrics in this film. This is the first time I’ve heard “We’re A Couple of Misfits” as it vaguely fits. While Singin In the Rain has the plot of the groundbreaking move of talking musical film, this film has a desperate circus in need of a show with a holiday icon. Some of the new songs included that isn’t sung by Ethel Merman are mostly forgettable, even the emotional moments.

Just like Easter Bunny Comin’ To Town, I have a soft spot that I can’t entirely hate this movie. It has nice instrumental music, I like Winterbolt (even after watching Bakshi’s Lord of the Ring, he does look like a frozen Saurumen)



, and I love Lilly Loraine. I like to see life happen in the North Pole to show some life outside of December without doing a Brigadoon; have the North Pole vanish outside of December, while the world floods. It’s still Rudolph and Frosty as they do grow as characters. It’s decent, but not on par with their original starter film. It’s amazing how much the stop motion evolves from the beginning. I wish that can work with the music, but the highest goal couldn’t be topped, just like the film’s original theatrical release. Then it hits me that the simple their film is, the more timeless and Christmas it is, whereas the more complicated they are, the more dated or lost they’ll be. It’s a mixed bag, but that’s this film or their career at that time in a nut shell.


Merry Christmas, and I’ll post the standalone films for the rest of December, starting with a tree.

1 comment:

  1. For some reason, this movie made me think of Robotech II The Sentinels; several somewhat originally unrelated stories and canons of different animated things, brought together with redesigned and retconned characters in a strange crossover. I only really saw it once and a few years ago but I felt it was kinda good and it was nice to see all these various characters show up together. Good review and love that Simpsons reference you drew.

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