Powerful

The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Blistering performances.

Here is another animated Christmas TV special straight from my childhood. I had barely remember seeing it as a kid, until I saw it on YouTube. Anyway, this special is about six "horribly ugly; rougish and rascally; tricky and troublesome" trolls who snuck into Santa's village dressed like elves, to stop Christmas from coming.With the vocal talents of Roger Miller (Disney's Robin Hood and Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey) and Hans Conried (Disney's Peter Pan); the animation from Atkinson Film-Arts known for the four "Raccoons" TV specials are the reasons I love this holiday classic. So that is all I have to say.

This animated show sets out exactly what it intended for a family Christmas show. The storyline is unique but simple enough for kids to follow. The animation is simple but effective. The voices are perfect for the characters -- several long-term character actors were employed. The music (Roger Miller - "King of the Road") is memorable and encourages children to dance and act silly. Our children are now 20, 15, and 13, but this is still required viewing in our family every holiday season.Sure, Charlie Brown, Frosty the Snowman, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer are classics. But hunt down this video or some other lesser-known production while your children or grandchildren are young and start your own special tradition.