Such a frustrating disappointment

Please don't spend money on this.

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

I've always been a fan of Rankin Bass, I grew up watching Rudolph, Santa Claus Is Coming to Town The Year Without a Santa Claus, Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas In July and also their underrated specials like Nestor the Long Eared Christmas Donkey, The First Christmas Snow, Pinocchio's Christmas and Little Drummer Boy and The Little Drummer Boy Book IIThe Life and Adventures Of Santa Claus is a very underrated and overlooked gem to the Rankin Bass fan base. Sadly this is rarely shown on TV, and it appears Freeform, aka ABC Family has giving this special the chopping block. When this did air on ABC family it was heavily edited and not watchableThe story begins with the great Ak with a council with immortals explaining why Santa deserves the mantel of immortality and not die. He begins his tale of the life of Santa Claus by explaining how he discovered Claus as a newborn infant abandoned at the edge of the enchanted forest. He first enlists a lioness named Shegria to nurse and care for the child but a fairy called Neclie hears about the baby and steals it from Shegria. Ak agrees to allow Necile to care for the baby and she calls him Claus. Claus grows up in the forest and as a young adult Ak takes him on a journey to show him what humans are like, after witnessing dark scenes like poverty, child abuse, war and hunger Claus decides to live in a village not far and help children. He becomes a toy maker and makes toys for the village children. His talent in bringing joy to children makes him want to travel the world and deliver toys to all children thus becoming Santa.Some evil villains called the Awguas cause trouble for Claus and steal his toys, but his immortal friends get the toys back by destroying the Awguas and their dragon. After an awesome battle with a dragon between good and evil, the immortals win and Claus gets to finish his journey on delivering toys,As Santa gets older he decides to deliver the presents on Christmas Eve, hence why Claus makes his trip once a year. As Ak finishes his story, the council agrees to bestow the mantel of immortality for Claus. Claus gets to be immortal and becomes Santa Claus who continues to deliver gifts to this day.This special again Is very much a part of my childhood and I love it, It's a lot different than the book such as a character called Tingler but it's a nice story about Santa Claus. The songs are nice and my favorite is A Child, We Wanna Wake Up to a Big Surprise is nice too. It's dark, but it's geared more toward older kids and adults. But if you want to watch something different I recommend this. Great special10/10 stars

This is one of my favourite Rankin/Bass offerings. I think this was one of the last of the Christmas Classics they made. Basically, Santa is raised by wood elves and wild animals, fights off an ogre army, then has to go to trial for the mantle of immortality so he can continue delivering his gifts. Honestly, I think they were high on mescaline or something to come up with this wild tale.Wonderful battle scenes of the hellbent ogres attacking the peaceful elves. There are many deaths in this children's cartoon, but do not despair, Santa wins in the end.Highly recommended for: the Great Ak and his clan most deaths in a Rankin/Bass Christmas special Highly Recommended!

I love Rankin' Bass Christmas specials and have done so since childhood. I love Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus is Comin' To Town, The Little Drummer Boy and Nestor The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey, and while The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus is not quite as good it still stands on its own as a Christmas classic. The stop-motion is gorgeous to look at, the settings are some of the most beautiful and imaginative-looking I've seen and the characters move easily. The music is tuneful and memorable, it is very original while maintaining that feel of Christmas sparkle. Ora E Sempre is really powerful stuff. The script is thoughtfully written and engaging, with some heart-warming sentiment and important themes without beating the audience around the head with them. The story is imaginatively done and interesting, there are some dark moments(though nowhere near as nightmare-inducing as other films/shows/specials I've come across) but also some moving ones as well. The characters are really memorable, Claus is immediately likable and a character to root for, Weekum and Blinky are cute, Tingler is amusing, The Great Ak is a firm and kindly storyteller and the fairies are sweet and have great personalities, but I find Commander of the Wind Demons to be the character I remember most. The voice acting is really excellent as well. In conclusion, just as much as I do with other Rankin' Bass Christmas specials I love this. 10/10 Bethany Cox

As a child, this was my favorite Christmas movie. It is visually stunning and exhibits great artistry in claymation and storytelling. I was enthralled by the characters and enjoyed the tale of how "Santa Claus" came to be. This story is one of compassion and empathy. It really emphasizes the message of giving to those less fortunate and understanding the plight of others. A definite must see for my kids. The movie also has fun songs and funny characters to lighten the mood. I would not say this film is too dark. It has a villain and a conflict no more fierce than any others in children's films. I believe if you give this movie a chance they won't be disappointed. Anyone who enjoyed The Wizard of Oz or fantasy stories such as The Hobbit would really enjoy this take on a classic Christmas character.