Pete Rating: 7.7
This one doesn’t hold up too well. First of all, I’m pretty sure the writers were on drugs during Jessica’s song near the end. What was that? It looked like a mix of all the colors of the rainbow and everything in the background was melting. I had a few questions during that scene, and it made me worry about the writers a bit. Other than that, the animation was not anything special. The characters were very bland, and actually had no character to them. And the story was a bit messy and went nowhere at points. Still a fun Christmas watch, though.
Dad Rating: 3.3
Man, this Rankin/Bass staple has gotten really, really tough to watch as the years go by. It’s an origin story, which has become a familiar genre in recent years with all the superhero movies that get made. But whew, this one is just not good at all. The storytelling is atrociously lazy. Mickey Rooney’s voiceover work made me want to punch the TV. The songs are second-rate, with the lowest point being the psychedelic number that the future Mrs. Claus sings in the town square. What the whaaaa????? Brutal. Couldn’t wait for this TV movie to end.
Movies with Pete and Dad 