We dig not too far back , just to 2007. I found this movie about a couple years ago and never really thought to get to in the future, but here we are. It's called "Christmas Is Here Again" Before I talk about the special , I have to mention the voice cast which is an impressive amount of stars : Jay Leno is the narrator , Ed Asner, Kathy Bates, Brad Garret , Shirley Jones (you may know her from the Partridge Family) , Colin Ford, Madison Davenport, Norm Macdonald, Andy Griffith (who gets to play Santa.) But wow they got a strong celeb cast for this movie. It came out as direct to video in 2007. The Animation company is Renegade , which also did the animation for the cartoon Hi Hi Puffy Ami Yumi. Which looking at the animation , I see it.
The movie starts with Santa preparing for Christmas when he finds out that his sack has been stolen (in song) by a figure named Krad (voiced by Ed Asner). Over the next thirty years Christmas has become forgotten. The main character we meet named Sophianna who is trying to help a caterpillar from a tree and she names him Mr.Caterpillar. Some kids start throwing snowballs knocking her and the caterpillar from the tree and stealing her cane. She lives at an orphanage run by a woman named Miss Dowdy (voiced by Kathy Bates) . A woman comes to get some huckleberries for her pie and when Miss Dowdy comes out Sophianna runs and hides in the forst because she wasn't supposed to be out there after being sent to her room for the day. This is where she meets an elf who was frozen in some ice, his name is Paul Rocco. (Voiced by Daniel Roebuck , you may know him from Matlock , or the Dad from the TV movie "Quints") He finds out that she doesn't know who Santa is or what Christmas is , so he explains the whole story and situation that is at present.
Me myelf and I /copyright Screen Media Films
The two of them go the North Pole to find out what to do next. (I'm glad the North Pole wasn't that far) Santa is noticeably thinner and sadder. The Woman from earlier was Mrs. Claus. Santa explains that Krad took the sack , Krad used to provide Santa with coal for the naughty children, but Santa stopped doing that and Krad took revenge. (Krad should have diversified his business , or started a power plant) Krad lives in the earth with Selves , which are children he converted do his bidding. (The darkest thing in this movie if you think about it.)
I mean really, dark.... /copyright Screen Media Films
Sophianna asks why Santa can't just get a new sack to which the answer is that it was made from the swaddling clothes of the baby Jesus, as a way to remind children of the birth of Christ. Sophianna wants to help find Santa's sack, instead of going back the orphanage. (We don't blame her) They meet a small reindeer named Dart, the grandson of Prancem and all 3 of them go the way to Krad's to get the sack. Next two more animals meet our three some (because why not?) a polar bear named Charlie (voiced by Brad Garret) and a fox named Buster (voiced by Norm McDonald) and since they are voiced by celebs they will be here for a while.
Good the animals talk , or otherwise this would be weird.
Anyway, Buster agrees to help them after Sophianna decides to give up her precious locket ,but their plan was a trick to lead them somewhere but not to a secret enterance. (because never trust a fox) But this ends up they really do find the secret entrance and fall inside a room with jewels. (hhahhahahaha) Buster decides to let them go ahead and leave him and they rest go and find the sack, when he shows up again , it's because he told Krad about then and sells them out for money. (never trust a fox) But later, Buster helps break them out and gets them the bag as well. (Fine)
No comment, just need a picture of the Santa...
Krad is defeated quite quickly he and the selves are covered in coal. Buster gives back the locket and they part paths. Sophianna returns to Santa's workshop. When Santa asks her for anything she (implied ) asks him for a family, but he says that sometimes anything doesn't mean anything. (well that's sad) Meanwhile , Christmas is back. Mr. Caterpillar has become a butterfly. (with the name Violet now)
Get it ? Violet because....
Now the red text is a spoiler so if you want to skip , skip to the next black text.
After the butterfly leaves , Sophianna is surprised when Miss. Dowdy tells her that there's someone who wants to adopt her. She follows and finds out that the family that wants her is Santa and Mrs. Claus, who adopt her. Miss. Dowdy gives her a parting gift of a new cane.
So that's the movie. It was an enjoyable movie, yes predictable , but it's Christmas, though the end did kind of surprise me . It's a nice movie to view for Christmas and all the big stars did a good job and the voices sound like they enjoyed being in the movie. The animation is not bad and for a 2007 movie it's nice to see that's not 3D CGI. The plot stayed on plot, and the songs were numerous but enjoyable and didn't fell to out of place. Give it a try ,yourself.
That's the lookback and review , tune in next time, when Santa's bag gets stolen again because he doesn't have good security.