We’re closing in on Thanksgiving with Christmas right around the corner. In honor of the holiday season, there is plenty of new Christmas content out there. That includes a pair of family-friendly releases that are making their way to audiences this week. Check out a quick synopsis and review below!
The Magic Reindeer: Saving Santa’s Sleigh
Where to Find It: Releases in theaters in the U.K. on November 22
What’s It About: This follows the adventures of Niko (Matthew Whelan), the flying reindeer and son of Prancer (Paul Tylak). Niko is recruited to join the flying forces, who lead Santa’s sleigh. But first, he has to pass the trials against another recruit, Stella (Lucy Ebert).
Niko can’t quite see Stella as competition. Instead, he tries to make a friend. But when he lets her in on the secrets his father has taught him, it creates a situation. When Santa’s sleigh goes missing, it kicks off a crisis. Niko ends up taking some of the blame.
With all of Santa’s reindeer out searching for the sleigh, Niko decides to do the same, hoping he can help save Christmas and save his chance of making it on the Flying Forces.
You Should Try It If: You are a fan of Christmas content and looking for something family-friendly this holiday season.
One Man’s Opinion of The Magic Reindeer
I love this time of year and all the new Christmas content we get. It’s a great time to gather with the family and watch something that gets you into the spirit. This film certainly fits the bill. It’s a fun story with fun animation that is great for the whole family.
I enjoyed the adventure and some of the humor here. It was a breezy watch at just about 85 minutes, and it has plenty of Christmas spirit. It’s worth checking out.
The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland
Where to Find It: Now streaming on Hulu
What’s It About: This film is based on the novel from Carys Bexington that finds St. Nick (Gerard Butler) receiving a letter from the princess of Wonderland. While his team is opposed, St. Nick decides he must make a detour to Wonderland to deliver to a young girl expecting a present.
When he arrives, he runs across the Queen of Hearts (Emilia Clarke), who isn’t thrilled to see him and even less excited about Christmas. She orders his head be removed, but St. Nick escapes and tries to make sense of the world, find his princess, and get back on track to save Christmas.
You should Try it If: You’re looking for holiday content, enjoy animated features, and are a fan of the world of Alice in Wonderland.
One Man’s Opinion of The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland
This is a unique mashup of Christmas content and the stories from Alice in Wonderland. It’s a clever premise but something a little different for the holiday season. It also has a great voice cast, led by Butler and Clarke.
But this didn’t quite work for me. I liked the idea, but even at just 80 minutes this feels like it drags a bit. There are some fun moments, but it takes a long time to get where it’s going. This feels like the kind of content that would be better as a 30-40 minute short. It will likely wear even thinner for younger viewers.
Fans of the world will likely be drawn to this, but it might be a tough watch for casual viewers.