The Snowman and the Snowdog

Yesterday I reviewed the 1982 TV classic, “The Snowman.” Little did I know is that last year, they made a sequel, “The Snowman and the Snowdog.” How is it? Let’s find out:

“The Snowman and the Snowdog” certainly shows how far we have come along. The animation definitely looks a step up from the first one as it looks smoother but it’s still like how Walt Disney has always done. It’s pencil drawn and still looks great for today.

The story this time is about a young boy, his mother, and their dog that moved into the house that the boy from the first one lived in. There isn’t a father in this one, which could be a number of reasons. Seasons go on and then one day, the dog passes away. Next thing you know, the boy’s writing his letter to Santa and stumbles upon a broken board in his bedroom and finds the scarf and hat from the Snowman. When he sees the picture of the kid and Snowman from the first movie, the boy in this film goes out and builds an exact replica of the Snowman with a Snowdog.

Now this is the symbolism here since the Snowman is supposed to be a father figure to the young boy. When you think about it, the Snowman represents the father we never see in the special, and the Snowdog represents the dog that the boy misses.

Just like in the first special, the Snowman and the boy fly off in the sky, which looks fantastic in this one. The song this time is Light the Night by Andy Burrows which is just great and far better than Walking in the Air. The singer isn’t a high pitched boy rolling his Rs like he is from Russia or somewhere (not meaning to be racist). The scene is more eye candy with a handful of other snowmen flying and other lights turn on, which fits the song. Next thing you know, they see an airplane, and they ride the rest of the way on that since the boy loves planes. Don’t worry, they return the plane.

When they get to the North Pole, they see all of the other Snowmen from different nationalities and they all get together for some sort of a circus I think. Then, they meet Father Christmas who gives the kid the gift of life. Watch the special if you want to know what I mean.

The music is still orchestral but much more global with the sound of the acoustic guitar and some backing vocals. It’s a very fitting film for this time around, and gives you a warm feeling by the end.

Overall I also give this special a solid 10. It’s much better than “The Snowman” in my opinion, and I recommend you all look it up. Stay tuned tomorrow when I continue my 25 days of Christmas reviews.