Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
This is the last of the "four pillars" of the classical animated Christmas specials. No, wait. It's the last of the four AMERICAN animated Christmas classics. There is... another. But we'll leave that ominous assertion for another day. Rudolph is a tough nut to crack. It's a decent special, but it certainly lacks the consistency or quality control of How the Grinch Stole Christmas or A Charlie Brown Christmas. This is a flawed gem, that much is certain. There are some slow spots, some weak writing, and some songs that are hard to sit through year after year. Plus, all character growth takes place off screen: between scenes, Rudolph miraculously decides he can't run away from his problems, even as everyone at Santa's workshop realizes they were ripe bastards. Despite all that, it's really intriguing. It's just so damned imaginative, it's impossible not to like. Between the elf wanting to be a dentist, Yukon's team of show do