By Joseph Walter
To quote a little known song: It's the most wonderful time of the year! I thought it would be fun to do a series of very quick mini-reviews of Christmas specials that I love to watch annually (or semi-annually) to get into the proper spirit.
I love Rudolph, the Grinch and so many other well-known, treasured classics, but that'd be boring to write about, so I'll be talking about specials you may not have heard of, but are still deserving of some holiday accolades! However, despite an influx of relatively unknown shows, some classics and nostalgic favorites will make the cut, so keep your eyes peeled!
And going with the theme of doing non-traditional shows, I was originally going to have twelve of these mini-reviews, but opted for ten because, why not?
But anyway, without further ado, let's open our first Christmas Special present!
I love Rudolph, the Grinch and so many other well-known, treasured classics, but that'd be boring to write about, so I'll be talking about specials you may not have heard of, but are still deserving of some holiday accolades! However, despite an influx of relatively unknown shows, some classics and nostalgic favorites will make the cut, so keep your eyes peeled!
And going with the theme of doing non-traditional shows, I was originally going to have twelve of these mini-reviews, but opted for ten because, why not?
But anyway, without further ado, let's open our first Christmas Special present!
Synopsis:
The Power Rangers are enlisted to save Santa Claus, who is being held hostage (along with his elves) by the evil moron Rito Revolto, at the behest of Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa, in order to stop the spread of Christmas cheer and instead spread negative feelings. The Rangers use their wits (since "Holiday Magic" cancels out their powers) to take out their enemies, and then help Santa and the Elves finish their toy orders. After the day is saved, the Rangers return to the Juice Bar to watch a group of kids sing in the Christmas Pageant.
Thankfully, despite the title, there is very little focus on you-know-who. For once.
Thankfully, despite the title, there is very little focus on you-know-who. For once.
"Who, me?"
Christmas Spirit:
Despite my extremely low expectations after the last Holiday-themed Power Rangers episode (the one that left me with a potent haze of confusion. Seriously, WHAT DOES THAT TOMBSTONE SAY?) I was floored by how good will and clever cuteness was infused into these brief 30 minutes.
There are just so many genuine, good moments: From the weirdness of the Rangers being nonchalantly briefed by Zordon that they need to save Santa, to the Rita complaining that the gifts Santa left her and the rest of the villains were "the same toys as last year" (coal), I found myself laughing a lot. On the more sentimental side, when one of the kids in the Christmas pageant sees that her Dad came to watch her perform (after she thought he couldn't make it) I may have had a little tear in my eye, which was only amplified when the little girl went to thank Bulk (who was dressed as Santa). They have an extremely touching exchange, and soon enough, I was bawling just like Skull. But most importantly, at the very end, the characters break the fourth wall, get in front of the camera with the children's choir, and wish everyone a merry Christmas. I'm a sucker for that in Christmas specials, and my dopey, real smile proved it.
There are just so many genuine, good moments: From the weirdness of the Rangers being nonchalantly briefed by Zordon that they need to save Santa, to the Rita complaining that the gifts Santa left her and the rest of the villains were "the same toys as last year" (coal), I found myself laughing a lot. On the more sentimental side, when one of the kids in the Christmas pageant sees that her Dad came to watch her perform (after she thought he couldn't make it) I may have had a little tear in my eye, which was only amplified when the little girl went to thank Bulk (who was dressed as Santa). They have an extremely touching exchange, and soon enough, I was bawling just like Skull. But most importantly, at the very end, the characters break the fourth wall, get in front of the camera with the children's choir, and wish everyone a merry Christmas. I'm a sucker for that in Christmas specials, and my dopey, real smile proved it.
Christmas Rating:
7/10
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