Let the bell ring!

From the newspaper, to comic books, to television and now to digital animation cartoons have been altered. The 1998 movie, Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer: The Movie and the 2004 The Polar Express are Christmas movies that show a change in the different animation. Not to mention as children grow older, and people tell them different things about Santa and how Christmas works, they also teach valuable lessons about treating others with respect, to never stop believing in what you believe.

Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie or Rudolph is one of the classic type of cartoon comics. Although it is always a family favorite, the animation is good for the 90's but in this day and age, its not the most exciting thing to watch. Rudolph is about one of Santa's reindeer who has to guide the sleigh to each house on Christmas! At first, all his friends make fun of him but after he saves Christmas he gets the respect he deserves. Just like in the song, "Rudolph with your nose so bright won't you guide my sleigh tonight? Then how the reindeers loved him..." This song uses one of children's favorite holidays to show how everyone should treat each other. In my opinion, every parent should show this movie to their child around Christmas time to show what it really means to act correctly in different situations.

The Polar Express has incredible animation that blows me away. Robert Zemeckis, the director, had a great vision that worked extremely well. The Polar Express is a digital 3-D animation film that is so realistic it's like the characters were acted out by real people. Even a snowflake looked realistic. The Polar Express is about a true-believer of Santa clause who on Christmas evening takes a magical train containing other passengers who truly believe. When they reach the North Pole the boy is chosen by the man himself, Santa Clause, to receive "The First Gift Of Christmas". Throughout the movie there is a bell that only true-believers can hear ring. This movie teaches children to continue to believe what they believe and to not change their beliefs with what others stay. Because Santa is a big controversial argument on whether he is real or not, kids should learn to believe what they truly do and not what others tell them too.

Even if Santa Clause is different for every lucky child, the spirit of Christmas should never die. I will never regret all those Christmas' where I would look outside my window on Christmas eve for hours waiting for Santa and the reindeer all lined up in two by twos like in Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie. Rudolph leading with his red nose of course, then in pairs, Dasher and Dancer, Prancer and Vixon, Comet and Cupid, Doner and Blitzen and last of all Santa in the sleigh himself. If those movies didn't teach me to keep believing, I wouldn't have ever enjoyed Christmas as much as I did, and still do.

Word Count: 503 words

Is it Christmas time already?!

Snow on the ground - Check! Christmas decorations filling the room - Check! Tree put together (in my household we decided it would be neater if we just got a plastic one, shh its our little secret!) - Check! Supermarkets stocking up on hot cocoa- Check! And one last thing, Christmas movies all throughout T.V. guide - Check! Now that the Holiday Checklist is complete it's time to enjoy some Christmas movies including How The Grinch Stole Christmas and Elf. These are my favorite movies that I seem to watch more than a healthy amount of times every holiday season.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a lovely movie about a mean monster that tries to ruin the holiday season for the Christmas-obsessed town of Whoville. It's a classic tale of how a small town can stick together. Although this time, both comedy and musical talents are brought to the table. The Grinch says unforgettable quotes like, "6:30, dinner with me - I can't cancel that again" when the Who's (the townspeople of Whoville) invite him down for a christmas celebration. He and his dog Max take the presents from each house in Whoville on Christmas morning, but the vocals of Cindy Lou Who, who sings "Where Are You Christmas", "Your a Mean One Mr. Grinch" and the "Whoville Melody" brings the Grinch to the revelation of what Christmas really is. In my opinion, Christmas is a holiday where people can come together and appreciate all they have, their family and friends. Christmas is also a time to give back, and help people who aren't as fortunate. The Grinch Who Stole Christmas is a great movie to show the essence of the holiday.

Another inspirational movie is Elf. It is about Buddy the elf, played by Will Ferrel, who is actually a human that grew up in Santa's Workshop. Papa Elf (the man who took care of Buddy throughout the years) encourages Buddy to go find his real father in New York City. Through his trials and tribulations from christmas crazy Santa's Village to strict upper class work-a-holics. Dressed as an elf walking through times square Buddy gets a lot of weird looks and glances. It seems that all the people Buddy meets he changes the way they think about the holidays. Buddy says, "The best way to spread Christmas cheer, is singing loud for all too hear." A girl who in the beginning could care less about the spirit of the holidays, later ends up singing carols with Buddy to help Santa's sleigh fly out of central park.

The difference between both holiday movies is simple. The main ideas are exact opposites. The Grinch Who Stole Christmas is about a town who tries to change one man. Elf is about one man who tries to change a city. Even so, both feats are hard to accomplish as shown in the movies. Similarly, true love has an effect on both main characters of each movie. In my opinion, winter is the most romantic season with the holidays, snow and mistletoe. Also, in both movies the overall feats are accomplished and Christmas is saved!

Word Count: 523 words