While plenty of Christmas specials and movies get the spotlight they deserve, some tend to fly under the radar more. We all know Rudolph and Frosty, but if you are looking to discover or rediscover some lesser-known characters, here are four Christmas movies you may enjoy adding to your yearly rotation.
Olive the Other Reindeer (1999)
Olive showed up on my TV back when I was still in elementary school, and it has been a yearly re-watch ever since. The story follows a dog, Olive, voiced by Drew Barrymore (“The Drew Barrymore Show”) who believes she is a reindeer when she hears Santa’s plea for help from “all of the other reindeer.” It is a feel-good story about following your convictions even when the world tries to beat you down and features just the right amount of music to be a cute Christmas special without getting annoying. It also features Dan Castellaneta (“The Simpsons”) as a villainous postman, who has a wonderful villain arc about how heavy his mailbag is with children’s letters to Santa. With a unique 2D animation style, it is a fun watch.
Christmas with the Kranks (2004)
“Christmas with the Kranks” gets a brutal rap, with only a 5% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The audience score is not much better, at only 39%. The movie is far from a masterpiece, but it is a goofy family watch if you need a laugh. The movie follows a married couple, played by Tim Allen (“The Santa Clauses”) and Jamie Lee Curtis (“Haunted Mansion”) who decide that they will spend all of their typical Christmas savings on a cruise. This decision is met with criticism from neighbors, particularly since the Kranks’ annual Christmas party will be canceled. But when their daughter surprises them with a visit home, the Kranks are forced to rescind their statement and resume festivities as quickly as they can.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022)
Marvel has lost favor in my eyes since “Avengers: Endgame,” but this holiday special was one of their rare recent releases that really knocked it out of the park. A unique take on understanding culture shock, Peter Quill’s (Chris Pratt) non-human friends seek to find him a Christmas present. They choose one of the few things that they know he loves: Kevin Bacon. Mantis and Drax, played by Pom Klementieff and Dave Bautista, journey to Earth to kidnap him. The highlight of the special is the opening song, “I Don’t Know What Christmas Is (But Christmastime is Here),” played by the Old 97’s. It features hilariously written lyrics about the alien perception of Christmas traditions, and has become a standard on all of my Christmas playlists.
Prep & Landing (2009)
How in the world does Santa visit every house across the globe in just one night? The answer: he has a massive crew of elves behind him, ensuring that every house is ready for his arrival. This Disney special follows Wayne (David Foley) and Lanny (Derek Richardson), a veteran and a rookie on the “Prep & Landing” team. While Wayne is expected to mentor Lanny, it turns out that the rookie ends up teaching his mentor a long-needed lesson about the meaning of their work. This special still holds up years later, consistently making it into my holiday watch rotation. A quick 20-minute feel-good watch, “Prep & Landing” is well worth your time.
Image from Gary Spears via Pexels.com
