ABC Family
Tom Cavanagh, Ashley Williams, Patrick Fabian, Bobb’e J Thompson, Jackie Burroughs, Leslie Carlson, Karen Robinson, Paul Bates
This is a story about a little zoo. Tasked to get some reindeer from a game farm, Buck Seger (Patrick Fabian) envisions himself and instead captures a wild reindeer. But mostly Buck is interested in catching Sandy Brooks (Ashley Williams) who is the caretaker of the zoo. Sandy doesn’t want to deal with him and his constant attempts to ask her out. But it turns out that the captured reindeer is actually Buddy, Santa’s new reindeer. Santa comes to San Ernesto to rescue Buddy. He takes the name of Nick Snowden (Tom Cavanaugh) and he gets a room in a boarding house where Sandy lives. Nick figures the easiest way to get Buddy back is to get close to Sandy, but this angers Buck. Nick can travel back and forth from anywhere (and from the North Pole) via mirrors. Nick’s got to get Buddy back, and teach him to fly, before Christmas Eve.
This is a different kind of Christmas movie. No snow and ice, it’s California after all, and Santa is not a jolly fat man with a long white beard and hair. He’s tall, thin, young, and has brown hair. Santa/Nick says this is his first year as the “man” so maybe he will grow into his white hair and beard. Nick is very awkward and clumsy and not at all like a Santa. At the same time though, this movie is different, and that is what gives it a lot of its charm!
It’s a cute little movie and one the kids are likely to really enjoy as all the animals are really cute. I have to suspect it’s not too deep, but the perfect kind of movie for ABC Family’s 25 Days of Christmas, and it’s sure to be on every year! There is also a sequel to this film, “Snow 2: Brain Freeze” which will be my next review. There are also lots of supporting characters including Hector (Bobb’e J Thompson) who add a lot to the movie.
** Snow (2004),
