If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Good concept, poorly executed.

it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

"Santa vs. the Snowman" is a 22-minute animated short film special from 1997, actually from 13 December 1997, which means it has its 20th anniversary exactly today. What a great occasion to review this one. The writer and director is John A. Davis and he was not yet an Oscar nominee at that point. Anyway, his work here was remade in 3D a few years afterward, but I recommend this original here. It is not flawless visually, but overall I liked the animation. The voice acting was solid too and so was the story. This is a little tale of a snowman who no longer wants to be lonely, but be loved like Santa, so he comes up with a wicked plan to follow in Santa's footsteps. Of course, this one is all about the kind spirit, so he finds friends indeed eventually, but not the way he thought he would. At slightly over 20 minutes, this is an essential story with good focus that has exactly the runtime it should have. The music is nice fun too. The song that includes a girl singer hoping Father Cringle would be single was pretty hilarious. There is a bit of everything here, funny moments, good music, a heartfelt message that will especially appreciated by those in the shadows. It is a good watch with or without children in my opinion and did not really need the modernization it was given later on. Retro is king here, even if I am not sure "retro" is the right word to describe the style and looks here. My suggestion is to check this one out if you can and not go for the 2002 version, even if that one may be easier to get a hand on.

This selection just gets better and better upon repeated viewings!How many selections can that be said of? I've not seen it in 3D or at an IMax theater, (where it has been shown). Now it is available in DVD, but I saw it when it first aired in 1997. Watch it with your children, watch it with the neighbor kids, watch it with your pets. Try and entice "adults"? to watch it. Of course they might not immediately "love" it upon first viewing. However, every time I see it, I notice something else. Yes, it does have a little conflict, but war? I hardly would call shooting marshmallows and snowballs war. The looks on their faces, the figures themselves, the story, all produce mirth.

Ok, it was pretty funny, and the animation was nice, but this film destroyed my view of Santa. He is presented as an indoctrinating corporate logo/warlord! At first, I couldn't believe it was being shown for children, what with the apparent anti-Santa perspective the first part of the film gives. But the ending confirms that the main purpose of this short film is to bludgeon children into consumer-driven mindframe. And I thought those people griping about the commercialization of Christmas were just Humbugs. Now I know that they were on to something! Consumerism is the new ideology of the international marketplace, and this seemingly benign cartoon is a tool propaganda for that "Buy Toys!" doctrine. What a sad image for Christmas.

I loved this! The animation was excellent, there were take-offs galore, and the creator's twisted sense of humor is a delight to behold. I won't spoil the surprises, though. The voice actors did very well (atypical for American animation), and the sound effects were well done, too.I haven't seen it since it was on TV.