No matter where you are at this special time of year, Christmas will still come. Even if you don't celebrate it or decorate your house top to bottom, that special holiday will still arrive. Even if you're stranded far away from home, lost and alone, desperate for a miracle, Christmas will still come, and whether or not it's good or bad depends on how you handle your situation. Help can exist in many forms, even magically sentient toys and household items, who help bring a stranded family's Christmas wishes to fruition. It all started one Christmas Eve when a family consisting of Mom, Dad, Tom, and Suzie, get in their car and head over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house. Tom and Suzie have their favorite stuffed teddy bears, Christopher and Holly, held tightly in their hands, and it's a very good thing they brought them along as we'll see later. During the drive, the snow begins falling very hard and it soon becomes hard to see the road. At one point, they veer off and get stuck in a snowbank, just as the radio announces a severe storm warning and road closures. The family sits it out until nightfall when the blizzard finally stops, and that's when Mom discovers that they just happened to be stopped near a cabin. An abandoned cabin in the middle of nowhere? I've seen a lot of horror movies that start out like this. You guys better just wait in the car. Nah, it's okay, this is a family Christmas special, not a horror movie, they'll be fine. They build a fire in the fireplace and tuck the kids in bed, putting at ease their worries about bears and about missing Christmas, as Dad promises tomorrow will be the best darn Christmas they ever had, though secretly he has no idea how they'll pull that off without a miracle. Well, ask and ye shall receive, for later that night, a flashing beam of starlight shines upon the cabin and brings Holly and Christopher to life. They heard about Tom and Suzie's worries about Christmas and Santa not being able to find them, and take it upon themselves to lend a paw. Holly, the optimistic one, suggests they go out and find a Christmas tree, while Christopher has to remind her of their limitations, what with being stuffed toys and all, and that securing a large pine would be an impossible task. Holly finds a flashlight, who is also alive for some reason. This is Flashy the Flashlight, and he's afraid of the dark. Got lost on his way to the Island of Misfit Toys, I imagine. They also meet a sentient compass named Charlie, ready to point them in the right direction, even if he doesn't have a very strong sense of direction. Okay, all they need is an ax with a dull blade or a chainsaw with no gas and they'll be all set. No, no cutting tools for them, which makes me wonder how they intend to get the tree back to the cabin, but hey, they only just came to life, they haven't figured everything out yet. So optimistic Holly, pessimistic Christopher, nyctophobic Flashy, and topographically disorientated Charlie set out on their adventure.
Trudging out in the snow in the middle of the night, they're nearly crushed by a falling tree, courtesy of Bobby Bucktooth, a mischievous little beaver who was out chopping down trees in the middle of the night for no reason. He tells the teddys about the infamous Black Bart, a dangerous bear, but he says that BB shouldn't be a problem, as bears hibernate in the winter. Yes, I'm sure we won't be seeing him at any point in this cartoon. Anyway, Bobby leads the hapless quartet over to Blue Mountain Ridge, where they have the best pine trees, but to reach it, they would have to cross a lake, only they have no boat and Christopher repeatedly states that they "definitely cannot swim, definitely cannot," almost sounding like Rain Man. However, no boat or swimming skills will be required, as the lake is frozen over. Holly and Christopher slip and slide across the ice and just when they get the hang of it, Bobby the showoff slides over a patch of thin ice and falls right into the frozen water. He definitely cannot swim either. Definitely not. With Charlie's improved sense of direction, Flashy experiencing a moment of bravery and shining a light on Bobby, Holly reaches into the water with Christopher holding her feet, and rescues the cocky beaver just before hypothermia can set in. Just then, Mrs. Bucktooth comes running up in search of her missing child. How did she know to find them there? She thanks the group for saving her Bobby and says that if she can ever repay the favor, they just need to ask. Okay, how about helping them cut down a Christmas tree? It never occurs to Holly and Christopher to ask the beavers to help them cut down the tree. So they press on toward Blue Mountain Ridge, and after a slide down a snowy hill, they discover the forest of Christmas trees. How will they pick the right one? Luckily, a beam of light shines down over one tree in particular, much like when the Griswolds found theirs. But now comes the part where they can't figure out how to cut it down. Man, if only they had some bucktooth friends who are experts at sawing through wood. Instead of going back and asking the beavers, the bears just decide to give up. At least until Christopher once again points out to his sister that they're just teddy bears, it gets her back on course. Now, as if he could read minds, Bobby Bucktooth just happened to be at that one particular tree and cuts it down for them. Man, he must move really fast if he got to the forest before the teddy bears. Just when it seemed like all their problems were over, who should be awakened from his hibernation but a very angry Black Bart, who gives chase when Holly and Christopher book it. Do grizzly bears eat teddy bears? Well, when it's the dead of winter and they've been woken out of a sound sleep, I guess they're bound to eat anything. The teddys run like hell, with Charlie trying to point them in the right direction. He takes them on a shortcut, which thankfully leads them right back to the cabin. Just a few feet away with an angry grizzly bear hot on their heels. Fortunately, Mrs. Bucktooth chops down a large tree to block his path. Man, the Bucktooths are a great pair of guardian angels. Need help while lost in the woods? Leave it to the beavers. Oh, and Bobby is with her, because he somehow possesses powers of teleportation. As Black Bart sniffs for his prey, he comes dangerously close to a bear trap, and since her heart is bigger than her brain, Holly runs out to warn him. Christopher proves to the bear that the trap would've been deadly by setting it off with a twig. The real bear is confused as to why these two teddy bears would want to save his life, but when Holly explains their predicament and tells Black Bart about Christmas, he becomes reformed and is all nice and stuff. He helps them bring the Christmas tree into the cabin before going back to sleep, then the teddy bears fashion decorations out of leaves, holly, and fruit and hang them on the tree and around the cabin, under Charlie's direction. Flashy even attracts a whole swarm of fireflies to light up the tree. It was a beautiful sight. Then, dawn approached and the sun rose over the hilltops. Christmas morning! Tom and Suzie get out of bed and are greeted by the sight of a decorated Christmas tree with presents, including Holly and Christopher. Mom and Dad are perplexed as to who set this all up, but it looks like their promise of the best Christmas ever came true, and it was all thanks to a little magic and the will power of household objects.
The Bears Who Saved Christmas is a cute, funny, and entertaining Christmas special. The animation is decent, even if in a few scenes the cels were not properly aligned, the story and plot are simple, and the voice acting is really good. We've got Charlie Adler as Christopher, Mary Kay Bergman as Holly, Henry Gibson as Flashy, Jonathan Winters as Charlie, and Brad Garrett as Black Bart, to name a few. The scene towards the end where they're decorating the tree with items from the outdoors reminds me of The Tiny Tree, another Christmas cartoon where small animals acquire a tree to make a child's Christmas special, and that one included magic from above as well. I certainly recommend it, and I do recommend The Bears Who Saved Christmas. At one point I thought Holly and Christopher were based off existing toys and that this special was some type of promotion, but it seems I was wrong. However, I think people would really want those stuffed bears after watching this. Now, I watched a review of this cartoon made by Bobsheaux, who made a lot of interesting observations, but he pointed out the sudden appearance of presents under the tree and footprints leading away from the cabin in the final shot, suggesting that Santa Claus himself showed up. No, the parents already had the presents in the car and just brought them in, and the footprints were made by the family upon going inside. They must ride single-file like Sandpeople. Plus, there was no time for Santa to show up as the teddys and flashlight worked until dawn. Oh well, check out The Bears Who Saved Christmas this holiday season.
Trudging out in the snow in the middle of the night, they're nearly crushed by a falling tree, courtesy of Bobby Bucktooth, a mischievous little beaver who was out chopping down trees in the middle of the night for no reason. He tells the teddys about the infamous Black Bart, a dangerous bear, but he says that BB shouldn't be a problem, as bears hibernate in the winter. Yes, I'm sure we won't be seeing him at any point in this cartoon. Anyway, Bobby leads the hapless quartet over to Blue Mountain Ridge, where they have the best pine trees, but to reach it, they would have to cross a lake, only they have no boat and Christopher repeatedly states that they "definitely cannot swim, definitely cannot," almost sounding like Rain Man. However, no boat or swimming skills will be required, as the lake is frozen over. Holly and Christopher slip and slide across the ice and just when they get the hang of it, Bobby the showoff slides over a patch of thin ice and falls right into the frozen water. He definitely cannot swim either. Definitely not. With Charlie's improved sense of direction, Flashy experiencing a moment of bravery and shining a light on Bobby, Holly reaches into the water with Christopher holding her feet, and rescues the cocky beaver just before hypothermia can set in. Just then, Mrs. Bucktooth comes running up in search of her missing child. How did she know to find them there? She thanks the group for saving her Bobby and says that if she can ever repay the favor, they just need to ask. Okay, how about helping them cut down a Christmas tree? It never occurs to Holly and Christopher to ask the beavers to help them cut down the tree. So they press on toward Blue Mountain Ridge, and after a slide down a snowy hill, they discover the forest of Christmas trees. How will they pick the right one? Luckily, a beam of light shines down over one tree in particular, much like when the Griswolds found theirs. But now comes the part where they can't figure out how to cut it down. Man, if only they had some bucktooth friends who are experts at sawing through wood. Instead of going back and asking the beavers, the bears just decide to give up. At least until Christopher once again points out to his sister that they're just teddy bears, it gets her back on course. Now, as if he could read minds, Bobby Bucktooth just happened to be at that one particular tree and cuts it down for them. Man, he must move really fast if he got to the forest before the teddy bears. Just when it seemed like all their problems were over, who should be awakened from his hibernation but a very angry Black Bart, who gives chase when Holly and Christopher book it. Do grizzly bears eat teddy bears? Well, when it's the dead of winter and they've been woken out of a sound sleep, I guess they're bound to eat anything. The teddys run like hell, with Charlie trying to point them in the right direction. He takes them on a shortcut, which thankfully leads them right back to the cabin. Just a few feet away with an angry grizzly bear hot on their heels. Fortunately, Mrs. Bucktooth chops down a large tree to block his path. Man, the Bucktooths are a great pair of guardian angels. Need help while lost in the woods? Leave it to the beavers. Oh, and Bobby is with her, because he somehow possesses powers of teleportation. As Black Bart sniffs for his prey, he comes dangerously close to a bear trap, and since her heart is bigger than her brain, Holly runs out to warn him. Christopher proves to the bear that the trap would've been deadly by setting it off with a twig. The real bear is confused as to why these two teddy bears would want to save his life, but when Holly explains their predicament and tells Black Bart about Christmas, he becomes reformed and is all nice and stuff. He helps them bring the Christmas tree into the cabin before going back to sleep, then the teddy bears fashion decorations out of leaves, holly, and fruit and hang them on the tree and around the cabin, under Charlie's direction. Flashy even attracts a whole swarm of fireflies to light up the tree. It was a beautiful sight. Then, dawn approached and the sun rose over the hilltops. Christmas morning! Tom and Suzie get out of bed and are greeted by the sight of a decorated Christmas tree with presents, including Holly and Christopher. Mom and Dad are perplexed as to who set this all up, but it looks like their promise of the best Christmas ever came true, and it was all thanks to a little magic and the will power of household objects.
The Bears Who Saved Christmas is a cute, funny, and entertaining Christmas special. The animation is decent, even if in a few scenes the cels were not properly aligned, the story and plot are simple, and the voice acting is really good. We've got Charlie Adler as Christopher, Mary Kay Bergman as Holly, Henry Gibson as Flashy, Jonathan Winters as Charlie, and Brad Garrett as Black Bart, to name a few. The scene towards the end where they're decorating the tree with items from the outdoors reminds me of The Tiny Tree, another Christmas cartoon where small animals acquire a tree to make a child's Christmas special, and that one included magic from above as well. I certainly recommend it, and I do recommend The Bears Who Saved Christmas. At one point I thought Holly and Christopher were based off existing toys and that this special was some type of promotion, but it seems I was wrong. However, I think people would really want those stuffed bears after watching this. Now, I watched a review of this cartoon made by Bobsheaux, who made a lot of interesting observations, but he pointed out the sudden appearance of presents under the tree and footprints leading away from the cabin in the final shot, suggesting that Santa Claus himself showed up. No, the parents already had the presents in the car and just brought them in, and the footprints were made by the family upon going inside. They must ride single-file like Sandpeople. Plus, there was no time for Santa to show up as the teddys and flashlight worked until dawn. Oh well, check out The Bears Who Saved Christmas this holiday season.
