6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Santa's rival, Nevill Baddington, is informed of the North Pole's location after the hologram device designed to hide it malfunctions during a power cut. As he then hatches a plan to steal Santa's time-travelling sleigh for his own gain, it falls to the loyal and ambitious elf Bernard to save Christmas for good.
Starring: Martin Freeman, Tim Conway, Tim Curry, Ashley Tisdale, Joan CollinsFamily | 100% |
Animation | 88% |
Comedy | 65% |
Holiday | 16% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Christmas is a day that holds all time together.
If insanity may be defined as doing the same thing over and over, then the Christmas season certainly qualifies, as do the misadventures of one little
elf who does what he can -- over and over -- to save Christmas from an evil delivery baron. Saving Santa is a charming little Christmas film
featuring the voices of Martin Freeman, Tim Conway, Tm Curry, Joan Collins, and Ashley Tisdale that blends simple animation, music, and a story
packed with equal parts humor, heart, and harrowing action set against the backdrop of Christmas Eve and the exploration of the age-old question of
just how, exactly, Santa manages to cram so many visits to so many houses into so few hours. It's safe, reliable family fun, nothing particularly new
or
noteworthy but a worthwhile little endeavor that the young ones should enjoy for years to come as part of their holiday film rotation.
The secret.
Saving Santa's 1080p transfer satisfies basic animation Blu-ray requirements. While there are a few jagged lines and a hint of aliasing on straight lines -- they're particularly noticeable on eyeglasses -- the image otherwise looks quite good, with bright, cheerful colors throughout, with an abundance of red particularly popping off the screen at regular intervals. The image favors a slight warmth, helping to create a more inviting mood. The remainder of the palette -- Christmas greens but also a nice bit of additional color -- also appears well balanced and bright. Details are about as good as the animation allows. Hair is clumpy and mostly indistinct by its nature, but various surfaces and clothes see some solid wear and texture. This isn't a reference grade digital animated transfer, but it will satisfy most viewers with its basic technical proficiency and color vibrance.
Saving Santa enjoys a spirited and technically sound DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. There's a good dominant front-end musical presence, with the orchestral score yielding commendable clarity and precision detail throughout the range. The track features a few nicely supportive environmental effects that help better define its North Pole environments, whether minor background commotion or snoring reindeer in stables. The track features a handful of heavier action-style sound effects, usually tied in with various Christmas inventions that cause a bit of sonic ruckus when used. Santa's time travel device delivers a particularly potent pulse through the listening area. Dialogue delivery is smooth and precise whether considering basic speech or musical number lyrics.
Saving Santa contains several minor supplements. Inside the case, Blu-ray buyers will also find a DVD copy of the film.
Saving Santa isn't really at all ambitious and not particularly memorable, but it does everything well, from its story and script to its characters and voice acting. It's fun and friendly, easy on the eyes and ears and suitable for the entire family. While it may not live on for decades to come as a Christmas season staple, audiences could do much worse and anyone looking for something new this Christmas is encouraged to give it a spin. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release of Saving Santa features solid video and audio. Supplements are limited in number and content but will fill in a few minutes worth of extra time. Recommended.
(Still not reliable for this title)
2-Disc Edition
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