Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie
Encyclopedia
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie is a 1998 animated film based on the film of the same name
by Robert May
. It was the first theatrical feature from GoodTimes Entertainment
, long known as a home video company. The film's animation was produced by Yowza! Animation
, Wang Film Productions
& Colorland Productions Inc. The character designer was Phil Mendez. In 2001, GoodTimes followed this up by licensing the Rankin-Bass characters for a CGI
special titled Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys.
, put on a special light show to celebrate a special occasion for Santa's reindeer Blitzen and his wife Mitzi: the birth of a baby reindeer named Rudolph. While trying to take his first steps to his dad, Rudolph trips and tumbles into a pile of hay bales. He sneezes, causing his shiny red nose to glow.
Shortly after his birth, Rudolph's parents take him to visit Santa's workshop, where Rudolph gets a teddy bear. Suddenly, a woman resembling a sorceress enters the workshop. The woman is Stormella, a cold-hearted ice queen who dwells in a castle situated by Grand Chasm, a large chasm near Santa's village. When confronted by Santa Claus himself, Stormella explains why she is there: earlier that day, two of Santa's elves, Boone and Doggle, had passed by Stormella's castle while delivering mail to Santa, where they veered off-course and accidentally destroyed her ice garden, for which Stormella wants justice by taking the elves to be her new ice statues. When Santa refuses, Stormella declares her ice bridge, the only way across Grand Chasm, closed to the public. However, Stormella hopes that someone will eventually cross her bridge anyway, which will allow her to cast a great blizzard over the Arctic and bury Santa's Village in snow.
As he gets older, Rudolph dreams of becoming a "flyer" (a reindeer who pulls Santa's sleigh), just like his dad. Because of Rudolph's nose, however, there are problems. All but his parents in the North Pole make fun of him, while others dislike him outright. When Rudolph is sent off to school, he is laughed at by everyone in his class except for Zoey, a smart young doe whom Rudolph develops romantic affections for. On Christmas Eve, Rudolph dejectedly wanders off after a particularly bad school day and tries to hide his nose in a snow bank, but Santa notices him and tells him his nose isn't something to laugh at. That evening, while watching Santa and his reindeer take off, Rudolph finds himself with Zoey, who in fact wants to be friends with him. The moment is interrupted by Arrow Rudolph's cousin and rival who is also in love with Zoey. He orders Zoey go with as she does Zoey looks over to Rudolph and he sees that she likes him not Arrow.
Time passes and Rudolph and the other young reindeer reach their teenage years. With the annual Reindeer Games underway, Rudolph participates alongside Zoey and Arrow. During the first game in the tournament, a "Sleigh Race" in which the competitors pull miniature sleighs driven by elves, Rudolph is up against Arrow and Zoey, among others. Arrow starts cheating, taunting Rudolph when the latter is in the lead, but this backfires when he causes Rudolph's nose to glow in frustration and subsequently crashes. Rudolph wins the race, but is disqualified for making his nose glow, and Arrow is named winner by default. However, Zoey has apparently seen all this and leaves Arrow in anger. Rudolph overhears his dad arguing with the coach, who claims his son's nose was an "accident." Frustrated and miserable as he can't take his ridicule life anymore, Rudolph runs off into the Arctic.
Rudolph's parents discover a note that Rudolph left them, informing them of his departure. Zoey appears at their door, wanting to visit Rudolph. When Blitzen tells her that Rudolph ran away, she decides to go look for him. However, she goes a little too far when she crosses Stormella's ice bridge. Stormella captures Zoey and imprisons her inside her castle before making plans to cast a huge storm over the North Pole. Meanwhile, Rudolph befriends an albino arctic fox named Slyly and a polar bear named Leonard during his travels. While sleeping in Leonard's cave, Rudolph starts having flashbacks of his dark days of non-stop ridicule, as he walks out of the cave, he is approached by the Sprites of the Northern Lights, who inform him of Zoey's capture. After they teach him how to use his nose (which previously only glowed when he was angry, embarrassed, or sneezed) properly, Rudolph sets off with his friends to save Zoey. Rudolph and Leonard successfully reach Stormella's castle and are led to Zoey by her singing, but Stormella discovers them and imprisons them as well before leaving and casting the storm she planned over the Arctic. After she leaves, Rudolph and Zoey confess their love for each other. Fortunately, Slyly, who had initially stayed behind because he feared Stormella, frees Rudolph, Zoey and Leonard. The four heroes attempt to escape, but Stormella again corners them and threatens to freeze them, starting with Zoey. Rudolph leaps to Zoey's defense, blinding Stormella with light from his nose and causing her to topple over the cliff behind her. Rudolph rescues Stormella with the help of his friends, as well as Stormella's wolves and her penguin butler, Ridley. For saving her, Stormella allows the group to go free, but Slyly points out that she must grant Rudolph one wish, as dictated by the rules of the North Pole. Much to Stormella's dismay, Rudolph wishes for her to be nice. Reluctantly, Stormella complies. Unfortunately, she cannot stop the storm she caused.
Rudolph, Zoey, Slyly, and Leonard get a ride home from Boone and Doggle, who have been given a chance to redeem themselves since destroying Stormella's garden and have been searching for them. Once they arrive home, however, they soon discover that Stormella's snowstorm was so strong that Santa may have to cancel his Christmas Eve flight. But when Santa catches a glimpse of Rudolph's nose, he develops a plan for Rudolph to guide his sleigh with his glowing red nose. Rudolph accepts, and Santa and his reindeer make it to their first destination. On Christmas Day, Leonard, Slyly, and Stormella all receive presents from Santa. Leonard gets a scarf that Rudolph got from Santa, Slyly gets Rudolph's teddy bear (which he adores), while Stormella gets a new ice statue of herself. Santa's sleigh touches down successfully in the North Pole, and the film closes with everyone, even Arrow and Stormella, singing "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
".
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (TV special)
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a Christmas television special produced in stop motion animation by Rankin/Bass. It first aired Sunday, December 6, 1964, on the NBC television network in the USA, and was sponsored by General Electric under the umbrella title of The General Electric Fantasy Hour...
by Robert May
Robert L. May (Rudolph)
Robert Lewis May was the creator of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.-Life and career: Graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Dartmouth College in 1926...
. It was the first theatrical feature from GoodTimes Entertainment
GoodTimes Entertainment
GoodTimes Entertainment, Ltd. was a home video company that originated in 1984 under the name of GoodTimes Home Video. Though it produced its own titles, the company was well-known due to its distribution of media from third parties and classics...
, long known as a home video company. The film's animation was produced by Yowza! Animation
Yowza! Animation
Yowza! Animation is an animation studio based in Toronto, Canada and founded by Claude Chiasson in June 1996. They specialize in providing additional animation and/or clean-up and ink-and-paint for various shorts and feature films.*Mr...
, Wang Film Productions
Wang Film Productions
Wang Film Productions is one of the oldest and most prolific Taiwanese animation studios...
& Colorland Productions Inc. The character designer was Phil Mendez. In 2001, GoodTimes followed this up by licensing the Rankin-Bass characters for a CGI
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
special titled Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys.
Plot
One night at Santa's Village, the Sprites of the Northern Lights, a group of four singing spritesSprite (creature)
The term sprite is a broad term referring to a number of preternatural legendary creatures. The term is generally used in reference to elf-like creatures, including fairies, and similar beings , but can also signify various spiritual beings, including ghosts. In Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl books,...
, put on a special light show to celebrate a special occasion for Santa's reindeer Blitzen and his wife Mitzi: the birth of a baby reindeer named Rudolph. While trying to take his first steps to his dad, Rudolph trips and tumbles into a pile of hay bales. He sneezes, causing his shiny red nose to glow.
Shortly after his birth, Rudolph's parents take him to visit Santa's workshop, where Rudolph gets a teddy bear. Suddenly, a woman resembling a sorceress enters the workshop. The woman is Stormella, a cold-hearted ice queen who dwells in a castle situated by Grand Chasm, a large chasm near Santa's village. When confronted by Santa Claus himself, Stormella explains why she is there: earlier that day, two of Santa's elves, Boone and Doggle, had passed by Stormella's castle while delivering mail to Santa, where they veered off-course and accidentally destroyed her ice garden, for which Stormella wants justice by taking the elves to be her new ice statues. When Santa refuses, Stormella declares her ice bridge, the only way across Grand Chasm, closed to the public. However, Stormella hopes that someone will eventually cross her bridge anyway, which will allow her to cast a great blizzard over the Arctic and bury Santa's Village in snow.
As he gets older, Rudolph dreams of becoming a "flyer" (a reindeer who pulls Santa's sleigh), just like his dad. Because of Rudolph's nose, however, there are problems. All but his parents in the North Pole make fun of him, while others dislike him outright. When Rudolph is sent off to school, he is laughed at by everyone in his class except for Zoey, a smart young doe whom Rudolph develops romantic affections for. On Christmas Eve, Rudolph dejectedly wanders off after a particularly bad school day and tries to hide his nose in a snow bank, but Santa notices him and tells him his nose isn't something to laugh at. That evening, while watching Santa and his reindeer take off, Rudolph finds himself with Zoey, who in fact wants to be friends with him. The moment is interrupted by Arrow Rudolph's cousin and rival who is also in love with Zoey. He orders Zoey go with as she does Zoey looks over to Rudolph and he sees that she likes him not Arrow.
Time passes and Rudolph and the other young reindeer reach their teenage years. With the annual Reindeer Games underway, Rudolph participates alongside Zoey and Arrow. During the first game in the tournament, a "Sleigh Race" in which the competitors pull miniature sleighs driven by elves, Rudolph is up against Arrow and Zoey, among others. Arrow starts cheating, taunting Rudolph when the latter is in the lead, but this backfires when he causes Rudolph's nose to glow in frustration and subsequently crashes. Rudolph wins the race, but is disqualified for making his nose glow, and Arrow is named winner by default. However, Zoey has apparently seen all this and leaves Arrow in anger. Rudolph overhears his dad arguing with the coach, who claims his son's nose was an "accident." Frustrated and miserable as he can't take his ridicule life anymore, Rudolph runs off into the Arctic.
Rudolph's parents discover a note that Rudolph left them, informing them of his departure. Zoey appears at their door, wanting to visit Rudolph. When Blitzen tells her that Rudolph ran away, she decides to go look for him. However, she goes a little too far when she crosses Stormella's ice bridge. Stormella captures Zoey and imprisons her inside her castle before making plans to cast a huge storm over the North Pole. Meanwhile, Rudolph befriends an albino arctic fox named Slyly and a polar bear named Leonard during his travels. While sleeping in Leonard's cave, Rudolph starts having flashbacks of his dark days of non-stop ridicule, as he walks out of the cave, he is approached by the Sprites of the Northern Lights, who inform him of Zoey's capture. After they teach him how to use his nose (which previously only glowed when he was angry, embarrassed, or sneezed) properly, Rudolph sets off with his friends to save Zoey. Rudolph and Leonard successfully reach Stormella's castle and are led to Zoey by her singing, but Stormella discovers them and imprisons them as well before leaving and casting the storm she planned over the Arctic. After she leaves, Rudolph and Zoey confess their love for each other. Fortunately, Slyly, who had initially stayed behind because he feared Stormella, frees Rudolph, Zoey and Leonard. The four heroes attempt to escape, but Stormella again corners them and threatens to freeze them, starting with Zoey. Rudolph leaps to Zoey's defense, blinding Stormella with light from his nose and causing her to topple over the cliff behind her. Rudolph rescues Stormella with the help of his friends, as well as Stormella's wolves and her penguin butler, Ridley. For saving her, Stormella allows the group to go free, but Slyly points out that she must grant Rudolph one wish, as dictated by the rules of the North Pole. Much to Stormella's dismay, Rudolph wishes for her to be nice. Reluctantly, Stormella complies. Unfortunately, she cannot stop the storm she caused.
Rudolph, Zoey, Slyly, and Leonard get a ride home from Boone and Doggle, who have been given a chance to redeem themselves since destroying Stormella's garden and have been searching for them. Once they arrive home, however, they soon discover that Stormella's snowstorm was so strong that Santa may have to cancel his Christmas Eve flight. But when Santa catches a glimpse of Rudolph's nose, he develops a plan for Rudolph to guide his sleigh with his glowing red nose. Rudolph accepts, and Santa and his reindeer make it to their first destination. On Christmas Day, Leonard, Slyly, and Stormella all receive presents from Santa. Leonard gets a scarf that Rudolph got from Santa, Slyly gets Rudolph's teddy bear (which he adores), while Stormella gets a new ice statue of herself. Santa's sleigh touches down successfully in the North Pole, and the film closes with everyone, even Arrow and Stormella, singing "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer is a fictional reindeer with a glowing red nose. He is popularly known as "Santa's 9th Reindeer" and, when depicted, is the lead reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve. The luminosity of his nose is so great that it illuminates the team's path through...
".
Cast
- Kathleen BarrKathleen BarrKathleen Barr is a Canadian voice actress. She is also the sister of Professor Mark Lyle Barr at Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.-Filmography:...
as Rudolph the Red-Nosed ReindeerRudolph the Red-Nosed ReindeerRudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer is a fictional reindeer with a glowing red nose. He is popularly known as "Santa's 9th Reindeer" and, when depicted, is the lead reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve. The luminosity of his nose is so great that it illuminates the team's path through...
and Twinkle- Rudolph - Blitzen and Mitzi's son. Throughout most of his childhood Rudolph is bullied because of his red nose. But is later hailed a hero after he guides Santa's sleigh through the fog saving Christmas.
- Twinkle - One of the sprites who help Rudolph control his red nose.
- Eric Pospisil as Young Rudolph
- Myriam SiroisMyriam SiroisMyriam Sirois is a Canadian actress and voice actress, mainly known for being the voice of Akane Tendo in the English version of Ranma ½. She also portrayed Sarah Cantrell in the Babylon 5 movie The Legend of the Rangers: To Live and Die by Starlight.- External links :...
as Zoey - Rudolph's love interest and one of the only reindeer who does not make a fool of Rudolph's red nose. - Vanessa MorleyVanessa MorleyVanessa Morley is a Canadian actress and is the younger sister of another actress, Natasha Morley.-TV and movie roles:* The X-Files: I Want To Believe as random FBI Agent * The Engagement Ring as Young Alicia...
as Young Zoey - John GoodmanJohn GoodmanJohn Stephen Goodman is an American film, television, and stage actor. He is best known for his role as Dan Conner on the television series Roseanne for which he won a Best Actor Golden Globe Award in 1993, and for appearances in the films of the Coen brothers, with prominent roles in Raising...
as Santa ClausSanta ClausSanta Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
- A Christmas icon who delivers gifts to the children of the world on Christmas Eve. - Whoopi GoldbergWhoopi GoldbergWhoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won...
as Stormella - The main antagonistAntagonistAn antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
a cold hearted ice queen who through the film plans a way to stop Santa from making his Christmas Eve trip but Rudolph makes her turn nice at the end of the film. - Debbie ReynoldsDebbie ReynoldsDebbie Reynolds is an American actress, singer, and dancer.She was initially signed at age 16 by Warner Bros., but her career got off to a slow start. When her contract was not renewed, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer gave her a small, but significant part in the film Three Little Words , then signed her to...
as Mitzi, Mrs Claus and Mrs Prancer- Mitzi - Blitzen's wife and Rudolph's mother.
- Mrs Claus - Santa Claus's wife.
- Mrs Prancer - Prancer's wife
- Bob NewhartBob NewhartGeorge Robert Newhart , known professionally as Bob Newhart, is an American stand-up comedian and actor. Noted for his deadpan and slightly stammering delivery, Newhart came to prominence in the 1960s when his album of comedic monologues The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart was a worldwide...
as Leonard - A polar bearPolar BearThe polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
who befriends Rudolph after he runs away. - Eric IdleEric IdleEric Idle is an English comedian, actor, author, singer, writer, and comedic composer. He was as a member of the British comedy group Monty Python, a member of the The Rutles on Saturday Night Live and author of the play, Spamalot....
as Slyly - An albino artic fox who befriends Rudolph after he runs away. - Gary ChalkGary Chalk (actor)Gary Chalk is an English-born Canadian actor, tri-national US-Canadian-UK citizen and voice artist. He has lend hit voice in over 30 animated television series and has been in films such as The Fly II and Freddy vs. Jason....
as Blitzen - One of Santa's reindeer, Rudolph's father, Mitzi's husband. - Richard SimmonsRichard SimmonsMilton Teagle Simmons , known professionally as Richard Simmons, is an American fitness personality who promotes weight-loss programs, most famously through his Sweatin' to the Oldies line of aerobics videos and DVDs and is known for his eccentric, outgoing and frequently flamboyant personality...
as Boone - One of Santa's elves, Doggle's best friend. - Alec Willows as Doggle and Prancer
- Doggle - One of Santa's elves he rides rudolph during the reindeer games, Boone's best friend.
- Prancer - one of Santa's reindeer.
- Lee TockarLee TockarLee William Tockar is a Canadian voice actor and visual artist who works for several studios in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He is also a writer of children's literature, a musician, sculptor, illustrator and collected painter...
as Ridley, Vixen and Milo- Ridley - A penguin who serves Stormella.
- Vixen - One of Santa's reindeer.
- Milo - One of Santa's elves.
- Matt HillMatt HillMatthew "Matt" Hill is a Canadian voice actor. He is known for several roles, including Kevin Keene/Captain N in Captain N: The Game Master, Kira Yamato in Gundam Seed and Gundam Seed Destiny, Ed in Ed, Edd n Eddy, Raphael in Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation, Ryo Sanada in Ronin Warriors and Artha...
as Arrow and Donner- Arrow - Cupid's son. He is a rival and bully to Rudolph as they both are in love with Zoey.
- Donner - One of Santa's reindeer.
- Christopher Gray as Young Arrow
- Elizabeth Carol Savenkoff as Aurora, one of the sprites who help Rudolph control his red nose.
- Cathy WeseluckCathy WeseluckCathy Weseluck is a Canadian voice actress who frequently works with Ocean Productions in Vancouver, British Columbia. She is known with providing the voice for characters in various anime series such as Mirai Yashima , Dorothy Catalonia and Catherine Bloom , Near , Shampoo , Kagome's mother , Misa...
as Sparkle, one of the sprites who help Rudolph control his red nose. - Paul DobsonPaul DobsonPaul Dobson, of the Dobson brothers , is an accomplished Canadian voice actor, one of the many who work with Ocean Group, based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Paul is frequently cast in one of two roles: a brilliantly cunning, evil villain, or a thuggish strong guy...
as Dasher - One of Santa's reindeer. - Terry KlassenTerry KlassenTerry Klassen is a Canadian voice actor and voice director in Vancouver, British Columbia. He co-created Yvon of the Yukon. He is the voice director for shows including Martha Speaks, "Johnny Test", "George of the Jungle", "Ed, Edd n Eddy", several "Barbie" movies, "Transformers", "CardCaptors",...
as Dancer - One of Santa's reindeer. - Colin MurdockColin MurdockColin Murdock is a Northern Irish former footballer.He is currently a trainee solicitor at Manchester law firm George Davies LLP...
as Comet - One of Santa's reindeer, Blitzen, Cupid and Dasher's brother and Rudolph and Arrow's uncle. - David KayeDavid KayeDavid V. Hope , known professionally as David Kaye, is a Canadian American actor who is better recognized for his work as a voice actor...
as Cupid - One of Santa's reindeer, Arrow's father.