Disney’s Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (1997) (Movie Review)

    I could honestly care less about reviewing a direct to video Disney sequel, however, in this case, I want to make an exception. It is the Christmas season, and back in January I did start the year with a review of the 1991 Disney classic “Beauty and the Beast”, so it only seems fitting that I close the year with a review of its 1997 sequel titled “Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas”. As you’d expect, this film follows suite with a long line of direct to video Disney sequels, which are commonly dismissed, and regarded as lessor follow-up's to their predecessors. This film in many ways is no exception, as it obviously doesn’t hold a candle to the original, but it’s also one of those films that I have something of a soft spot for. Regrettably, I didn't grow up watching the original “Beauty and the Beast”, but I did have this squeal on home video, and as a result, it's mainly where my childhood nostalgia for the Disney Beauty and the Beast characters steams from. Even with my own personal nostalgia factor aside, I still think it’s at least better than most of the other forgettable Disney sequels, and has some worthwhile things to offer. 

   In truth, having this movie themed around Christmas may seem random and out of place when compared to the original, but I honestly think it helps in this movies favor. Most other direct to video Disney sequels are just empty follow-ups to classic movies (with some small exceptions), but this movie has some small chance to stand apart as its own thing with a subtle splash of Christmas magic. The film plays less like a sequel, and more like a prequel or in-between sequel, as the plot takes place somewhere in between the events of the first movie. 

The story goes like this, it’s Christmas time at the castle and everyone is cheery, that is with the exception of the Beast who naturally can’t get into the spirit of the holiday. Now, it’s up to Belle and friends to get the Beast to see the real meaning and beauty of the holiday. Meanwhile, an evil villain aims to twist and cloud the beasts mind with misery and envy, all in hopes of preventing our two lead hero’s from falling in love. It’s about as generic as Disney plots go, and it sadly leaves the characters with little to do. Belle is still a great leading heroine, but in this film she feels more like a stereotype that will obviously do the right thing, rather than a character with either personality or a multilayered arc. Things only get worse with the Beast, who’s clearly just a stereotypical Mr. Scrooge that will act bitter, grouchy, and then learn something meaningful in the end.           

  

    Most of the primary supporting characters from the original are back and while they have little to do in the plot, they’re still just as charming as ever. The enchanted Candle and Clock named Lumiere and Cogsworth are still fun to watch, and Angela Lansbury respectively reprises her role as Mrs. Potts, which is very welcome. Belle’s father Maurice is given a small background cameo, but then again what else would you expect him to do. The only big cast change is the enchanted tea-cup Chip, who’s now voiced by Haley Joel Osment … someone often described as the greatest child actor of his generation. You may wonder why he’d waist his talents on a film like this, but on the contrary, he made a career out of doing voice work in Disney sequels. I’m not sure how many he did in total, but it was a tone of them. Then there’s some new characters that actually hold their own in the film. There’s a Christmas angle (by that I mean ornament) voiced by famous Broadway star Bernadette Peters, and she has her own unique charm. Plus, it’s an instant highlight hearing her sing. There’s also an amusing little whistle character named Fife voiced by Paul Rubens, who’s the same talent famous for playing Pee Wee Herman.    

    However, the best character, or perhaps I should say … the most entertaining character, is the villain Forte, voiced by Tim Curry. Do I need to say any more than that, I mean … it’s Tim Curry as an over the top cartoon villain, and he livens up everything. You could have the most passive, one dimensional character in the world, and he’ll still make the performance a lot of fun to watch. I especially love the design of this guy, as he’s basically a giant pipe organ with a scary face that reminds me of the face in the magic mirror from “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”. The animation on the character is great, and while he’s obviously CGI in a 2D setting, the effects are still cutting edge for the time. 

In fact, he just looks like something that should be CGI, and it’s also cool to have a villain that’s just towering over our heroes. It’s a good thing Forte is fun to watch, because his motivations are probably the stupidest I’ve ever heard. Namely, he doesn’t want the Beast and Belle to fall in love because that will break the enchantment, and Forte refuses to become human again. I guise he enjoys spending eternity as a piano that’s chained to a wall, and can’t even leave a single room. Seriously, why wouldn't he want to become human again? Thankfully, Tim Curry still redeems the character by acting so deliciously over the top, especially during the climax, as he goes all out with wicked laughter and destructive magic spells. In comparison to the villain Gaston from the first “Beauty and the Beast”, Forte is a million times hammier. You could argue that Gaston was silly, but at least he had charisma, and even a subtle metaphor at the center. Forte on the other hand is just a goofy villain, yet while obviously not as well rounded as Gaston, I personally find Forte more fun to watch then his predecessor.

    The musical score in this film is quite nice to listen to, and the individual songs themselves range from surprisingly good, to unsurprisingly bland and generic. The movie begins with “Deck the Halls”, performed by a Chorus, and that dose a good job putting me in the proper Christmas mind set. There’s a song called “Stories”, which doesn’t really have anything to do with the holiday, but it has a nice melody, it’s up-beat, and the scene boasts some really nice animation. Forte has his own villain song called “Don’t Fall in Love”, and while it's boring on it's own, the scene itself once again has a creative design, and more delightful Tim Curry villain quirks. The weakest song is called “A Cut Above the Rest”, which is a buddy song for Lumiere and Cogsworth, which could have been passable, but the song itself comes out of no-where and it happens just before the climax. The big musical number of the film is “As Long As There's Christmas”, which I have mixed feelings about. The version that plays during the movie is descent enough, it’s lively, colorful and the environment is very active, but the lyrics are just a little silly at times, and you can’t help but feel that it’s just trying to be this movies “Be Our Guest”. The final version of this song performed by Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack is really good, in fact this version of the song can easily stand on its own as a genuinely great Christmas song, and it’s one that I really love listening to every year.                

   I know it isn’t fair to compare the animation of a direct to video movie to that of a theatrical motion picture, especially considering that one film has a much bigger budget then the other. In fact, I’ll go so far to say that the animation really isn’t that bad by direct to video standards, and there are some really nice winter visuals. However, there’s one glaring problem that needs to be addressed, especially in comparison to the first “Beauty and the Beast”. Despite being a story set almost entirely in a castle, the first movie never once felt confined or claustrophobic. 

Everything was brought up on a grand scale, the backgrounds were beautifully detailed, and the surroundings all felt magical and lively. Unfortunately for this movie, it has very empty backgrounds, tight spaces, and less colorful interiors ... that is with the exception of the song numbers. In fact, most of the interiors are dark, gloomy and the characters are mostly trapped in shadows. When you mix that with the films slightly harsh tone, and constant scenes that feature characters moping, it just makes this film feel empty and joyless at times. Oh, and when I say this film can be harsh, it can actually be really harsh. There’s a scene when Belle falls in a frozen lake, almost drowns and nearly freezes to death. It's immediately followed by a scene in which Beast locks Belle in a dark and gloomy dungeon while loudly stating that she’ll rot in there for the rest of her miserable life. I just don’t get this movie, I mean, didn’t anyone on the righting staff look at this, and think it might be a little too joyless.

    The movie tries to redeem itself by addressing virtues like “hope” and “forgiveness”, which to the films credit are done fairly well. Unfortunately, the story is just so passive and uneventful that viewers could probably care less. In the first movie, every scene was important and helped build on the story, but many of the scenes in this film come off as filler. There's also a more detailed flashback of the spell that the enchantress unleashes on the castle, which is cool to see, and the Enchantress herself looks awesome, but the scene doesn't tell us anything that we didn't already know. The only new information we get is that the enchantment was cased on Christmas, hence why the Beast hates the holiday. However, information like that is only at the convenience of this sequel, and adds nothing to the first film.  

   There just isn’t enough depth to either the story or characters to really justify its existence, but sense it’s here, I can still enjoy it for the select things I like. I do have the nostalgia for it, and it's something that I just can't help but look forward to re-watching now and then around the Christmas season. There is still just enough of that classic Disney magic, and enough enjoyment that the film can pass as a fine little diversion. I will say that of all the disposable direct to video Disney sequels, I don’t think this one is all that bad. It does have its good morals, some of the music is pleasant, the villain is a lot of fun to watch, and there’s a hand full of genuine Christmas charms on display. This still isn’t a great movie by any means, and it doesn’t even touch on the brilliance of its predecessor, but at the very least, I'd say it’s slightly better than just another bland, or uninspired direct to video sequel.

Thanks for reading my review of the 1997 sequel “Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas” ... and continue to enjoy whatever movies or holiday specials you love!

              

My Top 10 Favorite Santa Claus's

  Well, Christmas just isn't complete without Santa Claus is it. He’s one of the most famous holiday icons of all time, and there have been countless interpretations of this character throughout various holiday movies and specials. So, for a special holiday treat, here are my personal top ten favorite renditions of Santa Claus, as portrayed in movies and television.

10. Father Christmas from “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” 

    Here’s one of the more unique renditions of Santa. First of all, I like how his formal title is “Father Christmas” as opposed to one of his more common names. Second, I like how he’s from a fantasy setting, with an original, mid-evil design to boot. This is a Santa who doesn’t shy away from weapons either, as long as their used for a good purpose.

  

9. Santa Clause from “The Polar Express” 

   Even though this Santa isn’t on screen for that long, he still leaves a subtle impact. This Santa has a genuinely magical presence, feeling less like a person in a suit, and more like a mystical being that was created from the joy and good tidings of the holiday. Tom Hanks delivers a subtle performance, I like how the character even glows, and he delivers those speeches that are short, but simple and to the point. Sometimes a magical presence is all I really need from a film rendition of Santa Claus. 

8. St. Nicolas from “Nicolas: The Boy Who Became Santa” 

   This is a half hour, holiday short from a company called CCC Entertainment, and they specialized in developing animated, direct to video movies, which always focused on a famous individual with a religious back story. In the case of this special, it’s Saint Nicolas, the boy who would grow up to become the embodiment of Santa Claus. Many people forget to connect Santa to Christianity, but he's in fact based on a Saint with Christian ties. This special is a great little reminder of that, and it’s an interesting take on his life, beginning as a humble child, and then growing up to be a charitable adult, who thinks nothing of himself or his needs, just the needs of others. If you can find a copy of this special, give it a watch, and check out one of the most selfless, and faithfully inspiring Santa’s you’ll ever see.

7. Santa Claus from “A Christmas Story” 

   Well, not every variation of Santa is kind and cheery, some are downright cruel (as seen in movies like “Bad Santa”). But of all the “jerk Santa’s”, my favorite by far is the one featured in “A Christmas Story”. The idea of Santa can warm any child’s heart around the holidays, but when you meet him in a shopping mall, Santa starts getting a little scary. Speaking from personal experiences, I was never happy visiting Santa in a shopping mall, and this movie represents that perfectly. This Santa is so enjoyably over the top with his big bug eyes, overblown laugh, and extremely uncomfortable close-up shots, that I couldn’t help but give him a spot on the list.   

6. Santa Claus from “The Santa Clause” 

   Oh, this movie is such a treasured gem, and a lot of that stems from the films simplistic story of how an ordinary guy can become someone as special as Santa. Actually, Tim Allen’s character isn’t just an everyday, common guy, he’s also a complete jerk, and seeing him slowly become Santa, not just in physical form but also in spirit and tone, makes this flick all the more warm and joyful. Interestingly enough, he feels like a genuine Santa Claus, with a cheery personality, and a high spirited performance from Tim Allen to boot.

 

5. Santa Clause from “Rise of the Guardians” 

   Okay, so, this is an unusual take on Santa, because this one goes into battle swinging two swords, dresses up like a pirate, has a Russian accent, and could put up one heck of a fight. Yet, he still feels like a classic, cheery Santa Claus, with wholesome morals, words of wisdom, and nothing but sheer joy for what he does. I just love how energized and upbeat this guy is, even when he’s aiding the tooth fairy with a task that’s nothing like his own, he still enjoys every second of it, and does the best he can at his job. He’s energetic, fun, loving, and sure knows how to use a sword. That makes him one of the most unique, yet thoroughly enjoyable Santa Claus. 

4. Santa Claus from “The Twilight Zone: Night of the Meek” 

  This particular “Twilight Zone” Christmas episode is one of my personal top 25 Christmas specials, and a lot of that has to do with the Santa featured here. This is a very tragic and down beat Santa, but he’s also one of the most thoughtful and charitable Santa’s I’ve ever seen. This guys determination to give to the need and destitute is just so admirable and joyful, despite coming from a unique source. I highly recommend looking up this fantastic episode from this even more fantastic TV series, just so you can view one of the greatest Santa’s of all time.   

3. Kris Kringle from “Miracle on 34^th Street” (The Original)

   This is perhaps the most famous Santa on my list, which is no surprise, considering that he comes from one of the most famous Santa Claus themed movies ever. In this film, Edmund Gwenn plays Kris Cringle, and the brilliance of this film is that we never know for sure if he’s the real Santa or just a kind old man who believes he’s Santa. However, when you see this guy do what he does, there’s absolutely no doubt in your mind that he’s the genuine article. This is the movie that made Santa feel the most human and relatable, and it’s Edmund Gwenn’s performance that makes the character feel all the more real. Even though this isn’t my absolute favorite portrayal of Santa, he’s still one of the absolute best, and for all the right reasons. 

2. Santa Claus from “Ernest Saves Christmas” 

   Now I’m not going to argue that this isn’t a stupid movie, as it is for the most part. However, the Santa Claus in this film played by the late Douglas Seale is an absolute gem. This is perhaps the most joyful Santa Claus of all time, and by that, I mean he’s an instant joy to watch. Every time he’s on screen, you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Every time he chuckles, or gives a simplistic speech, it can make anyone’s small heart grow three sizes. It’s one of those performances where I never see an actor delivering memorized lines, it genuinely feels like Santa, right there in the flesh. If you think this movie is stupid, that’s perfectly understandable, if you think Ernest is stupid, that’s especially understandable, but I think at the very least ... you can find something to like about this films version of Santa.   

 

Before I reveal my number one favorite, here are some quick Honorable Mentions ... 

Santa from "Santa Claus: the Movie" (1985)

Santa from "The Legend of Santa Paws"

Santa the 20th from "Arthur Christmas" 

Santa from "Fred Claus" 

Kringle from "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" 

1. Kris Kringle from “Miracle on 34^th Street” (1994) 

   When it comes to different variations of Santa Claus, my personal favorite is this one, played by Sir Richard Attenborough. He is just the kindest, sweetest old man that just embodies the spirit of the holiday. He’s also very sophisticated and dignified, which balances off his magical charm, and persona perfectly. I especially love his presentation, the design of his costume is beautifully detailed, and his smile is simply contagious. He simply embodies everything jolly, wholesome, and dignified that you’d expect to see in a rendition of Santa Claus, and for that, he’s my personal favorite.

Thanks for reading my countdown ... and continue to enjoy the Christmas and Holiday specials you Love!  

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) (Movie Review)

   Today’s review begins with the origin of the “National Lampoon” magazines”. National Lampoon was an American hummer magazine sensation that started back in the 1970’s, with each containing several different running comedy sketches (like the Sunday newspaper comics) and would often be advertised with absurd taglines like “If you don’t read this magazine, we’ll kill this dog”. So, there was obviously a lot of dark comedy involved. This magazine was so popular, and successful that it spawned various spin-offs ranging from radio shows, too live theater productions, and several different film adaptions’ over the years. 

These included “National Lampoons Animal House”, “National Lampoons Van Wilder” and “National Lampoons Gold Digger”. My absolute favorite by far is the 1983 comedy masterpiece “National Lampoons Vacation”. This road trip comedy starring Chevy Chase was simply comedic gold, and personally one of my all-time favorite comedies. To this day it’s still regarded as one of the greatest that the genera has to offer, and with a hit film of this magnitude, sequels were unavoidable. Following the film’s success were three direct sequels, two spin-off sequels, and a reboot film. These sequels ranged from mediocre, to just plain laugh-free, and didn’t even come close to capturing either the charm or hummer of the first. That is however with the exception of the third installment, which may not have surpassed the original, but escaped it’s long shadow and is regarded as a comedy classic in its own right. 1989’s “National Lampoons Christmas Vacation” really is one of those rare sequels that can stand on its own, and doesn’t even require viewing the first film to enjoy it.

   The first ingredient for this film’s success was breaking away from the set formula of the series, and keeping the family at home instead of another road trip. Plus, making it Christmas themed was another key ingredient that helped give the movie its own identity separate from the first. Based on his short story in National Lampoon Magazine titled “Christmas ’59”, this film goes for both laughs, and genuine holiday charms. Once again, we focus on the Griswold family, with Chevy Chase reprising his iconic role as Clark Griswold, and Beverly D’ Angelo returning for a third time as the wife Ellen Griswold. As usual, Clark wants to treat his family to the best holiday vacation possible, but what he didn’t count on was all the rest of the family coming over to share the holiday. With the house getting more overstuffed with grandparents, relatives and the especially dopy cousin Eddie, things get out of control, and it’s one hilarious disaster after another. Can Clark keep his cool or will the stress finally break him down? The kids Rusty and Audrey are back and played by different actors as usual, but this time they’re ages are switched. In every other film, the brother Rusty is the oldest, but in this movie it’s the sister Audrey who’s the oldest. That never made any sense to me, but I do have some fondness for the two child actors, as they both went on to other noteworthy films and TV projects.

   Chevy Chase is just as charismatic and funny as ever, and it’s probably one of his most unforgettable performances. Truthfully, I always looked at “National Lampoons Christmas Vacation” as his last great comedy, as his rain as comedic titan quietly died in the 90’s. Still, this was a great cap to his 80’s winning streak. He’s such a filthy jerk who can stoop as low as too flirt with other women, and he loses his temper with everyone around him, yet at the same time he’s such a likable father character who wants nothing more than to treat his family to a great holiday celebration. 

It takes talent to make a character of this nature flow through the different emotions and personalities, which is why this remains such a shining performance in Chevy Chase’s career. Next to our charismatic lead, it’s this visiting family that’s at the center of all the films comedy, and their all memorable in their own quirky ways. We have two groups of arguing grandparents, a lovable niece named Ruby Sue, the delightfully absent-minded Aunt Bethany, the enjoyably grouchy Uncle Lewis, and best of all is the goofy Cousin Eddie, played again by the one and only Randy Quaid. Eddie has a metal plate in his head, and while he goes around smiling and having fun, he’s completely oblivious to how annoying he is to everyone else. He’s such a lovable dufus, short on brains, but has a big heart, and it makes him an innocent buffoon. My favorite Cousin Eddie moment is when he empties his toilet full of crap from his RV into a sewer full of gas, he then casually looks over at a neighbor and says “Merry Christmas, my shitter was full”. That cracks me up every time, and its sense become a classic holiday line.

    

   I also love this short little montage of downtown Chicago mixed to the song “Hey Santa Clause”, as we see bands in the street, people shopping, decorations and the editing paired with the cinematography is fantastic. While on the subject of musical highlights, there's a daydream sequence in which Clark imagines his Christmas bones going to the construction of a swimming pool in his back yard. The scene is set to Bing Crosby’s “Maliki Liki Maka”, and features Clark’s secret dream girl sneaking into his subconscious. While the girls bathing-suit strip scene is censured for PG-13 viewings, this is still a highlight and leads to a very funny payoff. There are also several running jokes throughout the film, with my favorite centering around this grouchy married couple living next door. They’re the worst neighbors you could possibly have, and their so much fun to hate as a result. Every time something bad happens to them, due to an accident form the Griswold home, you cheer about it! Sense this is the only Vacation film to take place at home, we never hear the classic “Holiday Road” theme song from the other movies. In its place is a terrific new “Christmas Vacation” theme song, which always puts me in the proper mood for the season. The opening credits set to this song is also paired with a fun little animated sequence of Santa trying desperately to drop off presents at their home, but we see the Griswold curse can even have an effect on the Claus himself, as he just can’t get a break and stumbles into one goofy blunder after another. It's a fun opening, and feels like a nod to the classic cartoons in the vein of Silly Symphony's "The Night Before Christmas".  

    I’ll admit that some of the jokes get old and repetitive ... particularly Clarks ongoing efforts to get 25’000 Christmas lights strung up to the house. There’s also a needlessly long scene on the highway in which Clark gets into a scuffle with a lumber truck, and some jerks on the road. Thankfully for every joke that doesn’t work, there’s at least 30 others that hit bulls-eyes. I love this one scene with Clark ridding an out of control sled that’s moving too fast for its own good. 

Then there’s this fun little sequence in which Clark gets himself locked in his own attic, which offers a terrific layout of select little events. The scene starts with loads of goofy slapstick, then as the scene continues, he discovers old family Christmas videos of him when he was a child. His home videos are amusingly branded as “Christmas ’59”, which was the name of the magazine short this movie was based on. The whole scene is matched to the song “That Spirit of Christmas”, and as you watch him view his old videos, it becomes a genuinely touching little scene. That’s really the beauty of this film, as it certainly has all those classic slap stick jokes involving people tripping and falling, but it also gives us more. 

Unlike most other goofy holiday comedies, this film is very detailed with little things you don’t often think about but always recognize, and they add a layer of charm to the film. There’s the father reading “Twas the Night before Christmas” to the family on Christmas eve, the grandparents sleeping on the sofa, and people just mindlessly watching other classic holiday movies like “It’s a Wonderful Life”. Speaking of which, there's a funny little call back to “It’s a Wonderful Life” when Clark "fixes" a broken post on a stair set. There are some other relatively subtle scenes that also add a lot of charm to the experience. I like seeing Clark have a sweet little conversation with his adorable niece, and there’s also a very nice bounding scene between Clark and his father, which is nothing too preachy, just simple and touching. It’s really these little details that go a long way, and really make this feel like a genuine holiday special. Another little touch that I really love is how the movie makes transitions with a calendar that’s built into a little playhouse, and every time we start a new day with the Griswold’s, we cut to this calendar house to see just what day of the month it is.  

    

    The absolute highlight of the film is when we get to the third and final act, which is set entirely on Christmas eve. For lack of better words, this is when all Hell breaks loose for the family, and all of the movies funniest sequences fall side by side, one right after the other, and truthfully, this is one of my favorite comedy climaxes I’ve ever seen. It all starts slow and simple at first, with a poorly cooked meal, and sick pets. Then things gradually begin to escalate, as a cat gets loose and starts spending it’s nine lives. The Christmas tree is set to flames, a squirrel goes running throughout the house with the dog chasing him, cousin Eddie kidnaps Clarks cruel boss, a SWAT team is laying siege outside, Clark goes completely nuts delivering the greatest breakdown monologue in the history of cinema, and it’s all happening in one night! I mean sweet spirit of Christmas … can this get any more entertaining?! All the holiday hi-jinks of this finale are also balanced out with more subtle moments, which last just long enough for the audience to catch their breath before the next big laugh. 

    Overall, “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” still remains to this day one of my absolute favorite movies to watch around the holiday season. Personally, I think it’s the absolute best Christmas comedy, and one that continues to make me laugh to this day. 

I’ll admit that it has a lot of slow moments in the first act, but once the film gets into its groove, it really finds a place among the best of the series. Even if it’s not quite as good as the original “National Lampoon’s Vacation”, it still has its own appeal, and has two functional legs to stand on its own apart from the first movie. In fact, this film even has its own separate sequel titled “Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddies Island Adventure”, and isn’t that interesting ... a third movie sequel gets its own second installment. “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” is even a contender in our pop-culture with the first film, as people still quote lines, dress as the characters, and reenact favorite scenes. Even though this movie doesn’t contain the same touching qualities of other Yuletide classics, it’s still risen above its initial cult following, and has earned the right to be labeled one of the great classic Christmas movies for the modern age.  It’s funny, detailed and captures every wholesome little Christmas moment you could experience with a family during the holiday season. It’s a good one to watch while wrapping up Christmas presents, and it deserves to be seen once a year around this time.

Thanks for reading my review of the 1989 comedy classic “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” ... and continue to enjoy both the Christmas and Holiday movies you Love!  

Have a Merry Christmas Vacation Everyone!