Did you people see the same film I saw?

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Blistering performances.

During all my childhood I wasn't allowed to watch any kind of Holiday movies. Or celebrate for that matter. I didn't see this movie until I was older now I have kids. This one for sure shows the true meaning of Christmas. If I am to explain to my kids about Santa, this movie is the best for that.For most holiday movies I seen.This one is the best. Not only it is full of beauty, colorful, well done for clay animation, the story and characters are great! The singing and the meaning behind it all is wonderful put together. This one brings the magic and spirit of Christmas. Hope it comes out on DVD soon. I missed it last year on TV. So bummed it wasn't on. I want it in my collection.

I would just like to comment on the last posting. This is NOT claymation! This was made with stop-motion puppets not clay. Yes there is a difference. Each puppet is painstakingly made by hand,First pre-production drawings of each puppet are made,an armature is created,Someone has to sculpt a character,molds are made,foam latex is put into molds then puppets are baked in an oven,Artists paint the details,clothing has to be made...so on. I want to educate people on this so there will not be any confusion in the future. Sorry if I am preaching...I take this seriously. In conclusion, I do agree this movie is quite enjoyable! Happy Holidays!

Somehow, most Christmas related movies and specials seem to be sendemental, campy or some times even sickening sweet. But "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus" is a big relief from those Holiday special clichés.Think of putting together a typical Rankin Bass special, Mythology of the British Isles and Jim Henson's "The Dark Crystal" and you get this movie about a mortal named St. Nicholas and how he came to be.Some people seemed to complain about the film being too dark. But face it, some things may tend to be *gasps* ARTISTIC, and *gasps* original and *gasps* not sappy or an un-artistic film just made to tell you to shell out your bucks on the crappy merchandise.If you catch this on TV or on any VCR format, or if you love "The Dark Crystal" or Mythological based films, you will love this special. I know I do!

**DEFINITE SPOILERS AHEAD**This is the story of the youth of the lad who became Santa Claus and how he was adopted by the faerie folk of an unspecified woods and eventually earned the right to be the immortal friend of all children in a suffering world.The story has moments of elegant insight. For example, at one point the young Claus is given a tour of the human world so that he can see how much misery and needless cruelty afflicts people throughout the world, particularly children. Like the better Rankin/Bass specials and the better stories in general, this tale does not shirk from the realities of human pettiness and suffering.But the story is ruined by moments of needless ugliness. This Santa Claus and his faerie friends encounters opposition from monsters, and Santa Claus deals with this opposition . . . by killing. He goes to war, and he kills his enemies in a battle which, while mild by adult standards, is gruesome for a children's 3-D puppetry special. Because of this, despite its wonderful beginning, I consider this and "The Leprechaun's Christmas Gold" to be two of the worst Rankin/Bass specials ever made.