Rudolph & The Island Of Misfit Toys (UK)

This latest story about Santa`s favourite reindeer is based on a story by Kevin Hopps, and uses advanced computer animation techniques to bring to life Santa`s busy workshop in the leadup to Christmas. It features a star-studded cast, including Jamie Lee Curtis as a cute voiced Rudolph, Richard Dreyfuss, Rick Moranis, Scott McNeil and Tony Bennett, who sings the title song (a nice version I might add). The film is a very American one (as befits the very American song), with a very snowy, wintry Christmas and giggling starstruck reindeer who want Rudolph`s autograph. Rudolph himself is young, modest, and adorable in a corny Bambi kind of way. The production is very slick though and the songs good enough to make top 40, including "Beyond the stars," "We`re Just Fine," "Beautiful Like Me" of course the Tony Bennett theme song, which your child probably already knows well.

The story is narrated by roving reporter snowman (Dreyfuss) who chronicles how Rudolph travels through the Arctic Ocean to the Island of Misfit Toys (Rudolph use to be a misfit toy, and still feels like a misfit, so he understands) to help track down Santa`s stolen toys, find the mean "Toy Taker" and save Christmas day once again. Sound familiar? Well, the story isn`t an original one - most Christmas stories revolve around "saving the day" at the last minute, but few preschoolers will complain, since Christmas is a very popular topic this time of year. Kids will enjoy the funny toys like the Boomerang that doesn`t come back, the lion with a toothache, the telephone with hang-ups and the vain Queen hippo who speaks like Zsa Zsa Gabor, and will also enjoy the colourful graphics, very fancy effects, musical interludes, and the drama which builds effectively (a few parts may scare younger preschoolers).

All in all it`s a fun film which the kids will enjoy ( even though the Toytakers story is too similar to Jessies story in Toy Story 2! ).