Characters from animated Christmas movie “Klaus” (left) and the cover of Justin Bieber’s Christmas single “Mistletoe” (right) are juxtaposed. Variety Staffers Aliyah Wymbs and Angel Tejada reviewed various holiday songs and movies, including “Mistletoe.” “All in all, ‘Mistletoe’ is a short and sweet song to play if one is feeling the holiday spirit and love is in the air,” Wymbs said. Illustrations by Sam Harwell
Variety Staffers Angel Tejada and Aliyah Wymbs review winter holiday songs and movies.
Hits or Misses: Holiday Movies
The animated Christmas movie “Klaus” was released on Nov. 8, 2019. While the movie’s plot was excellent, the animation made it stand out. “The movie’s animation exceeds all expectations with many visually appealing shots and colors that bring each scene to life, elevating sentimental scenes,” Variety Staffer Angel Tejada said. Video courtesy of Netflix
Hit: Klaus
An interesting and original animated movie, “Klaus” is one of the most visually stunning and heartwarming holiday movies of the 21st century.
Released to Netflix on Nov. 8, 2019, and produced by The SPA Studios, the PG-rated movie follows postman Jesper Johansson (Jason Schwartzman), a lazy worker disenchanted with his life. To change Jesper’s spoiled ways, his father sends him to an isolated Nordic island to establish a postal service and rack up 6000 Christmas letters to return home.
While he’s there, Jesper meets toymaker Klaus (J.K. Simmons), who ultimately changes Jesper’s ways.
The movie’s animation exceeds all expectations with many visually appealing shots and colors that bring each scene to life, elevating sentimental scenes.
The voice acting was powerful, too, with Simmons providing Klaus vocal strength in the movie’s most heartwarming – or devastating – sequences.
The plot builds on Jesper’s character, slowly showing Klaus’s positive impact on Jesper’s life. As the movie goes on, the audience witnesses Jesper turn from his self-serving ways to care for the kids in the town.
Overall, for a standalone Christmas movie, “Klaus” delivered more than expected with its stunning visuals and storytelling that should put this movie on top of anyone’s holiday watch list.
A trailer for The Hanukkah movie “An American Tail,” released on Nov. 21, 1986, is shown. Despite the movie’s age, the animation held up under modern scrutiny. “Especially for a nearly 40-year-old movie, the movie’s animation style is very crisp and gives every scene a sense of life,” Variety Staffer Angel Tejada wrote. Video courtesy of pbiasizzo on YouTube
Hit: An American Tail
An oldie but a goodie, “An American Tail,” released Nov. 21, 1986, is one of the most creative and adorable holiday movies with its incredible animation and lovable mice characters.
On the Mousekewitz family’s ship ride to New York after fleeing Russia on Hanukkah due to cats destroying their home, Fievel Mousekewitz (Phillip Glasser) gets thrown off due to a storm and is presumed dead by his family. The movie follows how Fievel survived, sailing in a glass bottle to shore on a quest to find his family in the big city.
Especially for a nearly 40-year-old movie, the movie’s animation style is very crisp and gives every scene a sense of life.
The plot and storytelling were drawn out and paced incredibly well with suspenseful scenes, keeping viewers on their toes. The soundtrack was amazing, too, with the classic “There Are No Cats in America” matching the hope of the mice on their journey.
While the movie is suitable for kids with its G-rating, it does highlight a more serious historical comparison. The Mousekewitz family represents the thousands of Jewish people fleeing oppressive antisemitism in Europe, which is portrayed in the film by the cats.
The movie is currently streaming on AppleTV and Amazon Prime for $3.99 and $4.29, respectively.
Overall, “An American Tail” creates a heartfelt, beautiful story, albeit one with a serious undertone, for a younger audience to learn about history and the holidays at once.
A trailer for the Kwanzaa movie “Holiday Heritage,” released on Dec. 16, 2022, is shown. One of the biggest flaws of the movie was the underwhelming acting. “The acting was subpar throughout the film, especially in the more sentimental scenes where conveying strong emotions is crucial,” Variety Staffer Angel Tejada said. “The chemistry between most characters was also awkward, making it seem like they had just met for the first time.” Video courtesy of the Hallmark Channel
Miss: Holiday Heritage
One of Hallmark’s recent holiday movies, “Holiday Heritage,” released on Dec. 16, 2022, and available on Peacock, did not have a solid plot direction and ultimately felt like a holiday movie cash grab.
During the movie, Ella (Lyndie Greenwood) tries to stop her mom Micah (Holly Robinson Peete) from moving from Mary’s Town, Pennsylvania, to Chicago, Illinois, after the seventh day of Kwanzaa in order to repair the rift between her mom and grandma, Tess Chapel (Darlene Cooke).
The plot of the mom and grandma’s relationship was interesting, but competed with the subplot of Ella reconnecting with her ex-boyfriend Griffin (Brooks Darnell) to poor effect. Yet, when the plot’s resolution occurs, it’s not near the end of the movie and just seems shoved in to finish the plot in time.
Additionally, the acting was subpar throughout the film, especially in the more sentimental scenes where conveying strong emotions is crucial. The chemistry between most characters was also awkward, making it seem like they had just met for the first time.
Overall, while the movie was an interesting concept, “Holiday Heritage” under-delivered in many aspects and failed to make even an average holiday movie.
Bops or Flops: Holiday Songs
The holiday pop song “Mistletoe” by Justin Bieber was made into a music video and released on Oct. 18, 2011. Bieber’s music video is cute as it represents being in love during the holidays for the first time. “Family is a common theme in the holidays, but in ‘Mistletoe,’ Bieber is expressing how he missed out on the holidays with them to spend it with a significant other instead,” Variety Staffer Aliyah Wymbs wrote. Video courtesy of the official Justin Bieber YouTube channel
Bop: Mistletoe
On Justin Bieber’s “My World Tour” he debuted “Mistletoe” live on Oct. 6, 2011, then afterwards released it on all streaming platforms on Oct. 17, 2011.
An ongoing theme in Bieber’s songs are pop, love songs – and “Mistletoe” is no exception. Though this single is less upbeat than what Bieber usually produces, his vocals accompany an acoustic guitar while jingle bells ring faintly in the background.
Unlike many of his other tracks, “Mistletoe” would make listeners sway along to its simple beat rather than get up and dance to the techno studio sounds in songs like “Where Are U Now” and “Beauty and a Beat.”
Family is a common theme in holiday music, but in “Mistletoe,” Bieber expresses how he missed out the holidays with them to spend it with a significant other instead. In a one line refrain, Bieber sings “I’ma be under the mistletoe,” repeating the corny, but cute, line as a reference to the holiday tradition of kissing a significant other under the mistletoe.
All in all, “Mistletoe” is a short and sweet song to play if one is feeling the holiday spirit and love is in the air.
An animated music video of “Winter Wonderland” by Bing Crosby was released on Oct. 23, 2020. The cheery song with the new animation brings everything to life, but the song is still perfect on its own. “Winter Wonderland” is a comforting song that nobody should ever skip. “The famous refrain ‘Walking in a winter wonderland’ will make listeners take in their surroundings and think of all the iconic winter scenes,” Variety Staffer Aliyah Wymbs wrote. Video courtesy of the official Bing Crosby YouTube channel
Bop: Winter Wonderland
Bing Crosby’s version of the classic holiday song “Winter Wonderland” was first released in 1962, remastered in 2006 and available for listeners to enjoy on all streaming platforms.
If listeners do not want to hear the usual pop holiday songs that usually consist of upbeat instrumentals, “Winter Wonderland” is a great alternative as it goes into the world of jazz with its high saxophone licks and rhythmic drums.In the background, jingle bells ring, giving the song more of a holiday feel.
Crosby sings at a slow pace that meshes beautifully with his deep voice. Every few seconds, background singers will join in, making Crosby’s lyrics harmonious.
The famous refrain “Walking in a winter wonderland” will make listeners take in their surroundings and think of all the iconic winter scenes such as falling snow, festive lights and chimney smoke.
With the combination of Crosby’s slow, deep vocals and the jazzy instrumentals, “Winter Wonderland” is a comforting song that will make listeners feel as warm as if they were sitting in front of a fireplace.
The holiday song “Christmas Wrapping,” originally by American New Wave band The Waitresses, was covered by English girl group Spice Girls in 1998. According to Variety Staffer Aliyah Wymbs, the song did not live up to its hype. “‘Christmas Wrapping’ had the potential to be a nice holiday song, but wasn’t well executed and instead brought down the spirit,” Wymbs wrote. Video courtesy of the official Spice Girls YouTube channel
Flop: Christmas Wrapping:
“Christmas Wrapping” by Spice Girls, released in 1998, is a cover of the song of the same name by The Waitresses released in 1981.
The intro to the song starts off with some jingle bells, but quickly goes into a very upbeat instrumental that turns obnoxious. The jingle bells transition into strange sound effects that would be more at home in a funky, techno soundtrack – not a Christmas song.
The vocals and instruments don’t compliment each other well, either. The group tried to sing and rap simultaneously, which resulted in them sounding out of breath.
One line that repeats multiple times is, “Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas! But I think I’ll miss this one this year.” This brings a negative outlook for the holidays, which goes against the whole point of a holiday song. During the holidays some people partake in activities such as skiing, decorating, making a snowman, but “Christmas Wrapping” will make listeners think The Spice Girls don’t care about the holidays.
The singers reminisce on bygone lovers they met during the warmer months and on how they wish they could go back. Instead of focusing on the holidays and spending them with loved ones, they’re stuck on someone random.
Overall, “Christmas Wrapping” had the potential to be a nice holiday song, but wasn’t well executed and instead brought down the spirit.
Hits or Misses by Angel Tejada
