This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

My family recorded this special on tape when it aired in 2001, when I was two years old, not knowing that was the only time it would ever air on TV! Since then I've watched it every year. Its a fun, lighthearted Christmas special with a decent message and plenty of humour for kids and parents. Very much something in the spirit of classic cartoons, especially with its timing, but being a computer-animated film it doesn't quite capture the same feeling.The story here is that Donner wants to join Santa's reindeer team, but he can't because he doesn't know how to fly. He teams up with some oddball elves who create various contraptions to make him fly, leading to a lot of slapstick comedy, but no success. Finally, he overcomes his inability and believes in himself, finding the power to fly after all. It's a simple plot, but for a special like this, that's all you need.The animation doesn't hold up very well (it's 2001 CGI, so that's to be expected), and some of the references and characterizations are a bit weird, but it's a charming short and one that deserves to be seen. Unfortunately, not only has it never been shown on TV in Canada since its initial airing, it also never came out on VHS or DVD in this country. It is on YouTube in full HD, though, so check it out!