Christmas Videos

I have searched the Amazon library for the best Christmas videos, so you don't have to. You can check out at our selection of Recommended Christmas Videos or take the following link to Amazon's total collection of . Alternatively, you can get up to date with the currently most popular videos at .

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This charming British animated short film is based on the classic children's book by Raymond Briggs and crafted with a colored-pencils-on-paper look, like fluffy, hand-drawn illustrations. Small children should be entranced by the story of a small boy in rural England whose lovingly constructed snowman comes to life and takes him flying over the white-blanketed landscapes, in a beautiful sequence based on live-action flying footage. Part of the charm of the film is the gentle, everyday quality of its fantasy adventures: the snowman is invited in to try on clothes and play with the Christmas decorations, then plays host to the boy at a party in the woods, at which his snowy relatives do English country dances. This is one of the very few Christmas tapes on the market that really deserves to be a holiday perennial, a gentle fable of friendship and the power of imagination. Reviewed by David Chute

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Caregivers looking to keep the littlest kids occupied while they wrap a present or two this Christmas season have lucked out: Teletubbies: Christmas in the Snow is a two-volume, 90-minute jumble of the usual near-mindless meanderings of Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa, and Po mixed with a handful of visits to Christmas celebrations in faraway lands. More fascinating to the target audience than the traditional Finnish Christmas carol sung by a roomful of elves in stocking feet, of course, will be the Tubbies' brisk-weather escapades. Something's changed in the Astroturfed kingdom where bunnies, flowers, and the funny-looking foursome frolic in every episode--the place has been doused with snow. First it's just a sugary dusting, but a downright deluge follows, and the Tubbies get busy making sense of it all. In the first episode, Po wipes out on her scooter; Tinky Winky's not careful and, to his delight, slides helplessly down a hill; and the gang plays a guessing game to figure out what's under the snow (either Laa-Laa's ball or Dipsy's hat). More of the same follows in the second episode--along with Christmas cutaways to the U.K. and Spain, we tag along as Po makes Po prints in the snow and the Tubbies team up to make a snow-Tubby, complete with snazzy hat and red patent-leather purse. This is harmless, semi-educational fun for kids under 4; Tubby tolerators everywhere can tuck it under their trees with confidence. Reviewed by Tammy La Gorce

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Bob the Builder's infectiously optimistic battle cry ("Can we fix it? Yes, we can!") rings truer than ever in a very busy Yuletide in the delightful Bob's White Christmas. Already committed to play Santa Claus at a children's party, Bob finds that Christmas Eve gets a lot more complicated when freezing temperatures and a blanket of snow arrive. Suddenly, Bob and his crew--Wendy, Scoop, Dizzy, and the others--get an SOS from a snowbound Farmer Pickles, help Spud the scarecrow identify a mysterious "snow monster," and save some stranded critters. There's still time, fortunately, for snowball fights and gift exchanges, but the best part of this holiday is the camaraderie between a great bunch of friends. Keen characterizations and a happy, fluid animation style make Bob the Builder one of the best children's TV programs around. If anything, this Christmas special has even more of the show's vitality and good cheer. Reviewed by Tom Keogh.

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Under a thick carpet of green-dyed yak fur and wonderfully expressive Rick Baker makeup, Jim Carrey is up to all of his old tricks (and some nifty new ones) in this live-action movie of Dr. Seuss's holiday classic. He commands the title role with equal parts madness, mayhem, pathos, and improvisational genius, channeling Grinchness through his own screen persona so smoothly that fans of both Carrey and Dr. Seuss will be thoroughly satisfied. Adding to the fun is a perfectly pitched back-story sequence (accompanied by Anthony Hopkins's narration) that explains how the Grinch came to hate Christmas, with a heart "two sizes too small." Ron Howard proves a fine choice for the director's chair with a keen balance of comedy, sentiment, and light-hearted Seussian whimsy. Production designer Michael Corenblith gloriously realizes the wackiness of Whoville architecture, and his rendition of the Grinch's Mt. Crumpit lair is a marvel of cartoonish, subterranean grime. Then there's Cindy Lou Who (Taylor Momsen), the thoughtful imp who rallies her village to recapture the pure spirit of Christmas and melts the gift-stealing Grinch's cold, cold heart. You've even got a dog (the Grinch's good-natured mongrel, Max) who's been perfectly cast. (Ages 5 and older.) Reviewed by Jeff Shannon.

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Brian Henson directs his late father's creations in the Charles Dickens classic, the best known (and most oft-filmed) Christmas story of all time. Michael Caine plays the old miser Scrooge with Kermit as his long-suffering but ever-hopeful employee Bob Cratchit, Miss Piggy as Cratchit's wife, and a host of Muppets (including the Great Gonzo as an unlikely Charles Dickens) taking other primary roles in this bright, playful adaptation of the somber tale. At least it starts brightly enough. The anarchic humor soon settles into mirthful memories and a sense of melancholy as the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future take Scrooge on a journey of his lonely, wasted life. Michael Caine makes a wonderful Scrooge, delightfully rediscovering the meaning of life as fantastic creations from Henson's Creature Shop (developed specially for this film) take the reins as the three ghosts. While the odd mix of offbeat humor and somber drama undercuts the power of Dickens's drama, this kid-friendly retelling makes an excellent family drama that adults and children alike can enjoy. Reviewed by Sean Axmaker.

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Clive Donner made this worthy 1984 small-screen production of the Dickens tale. George C. Scott brings some new colors to this movie's interpretation of Scrooge, making the character less nasty for the sake of nastiness and more a product of a life of lovelessness. The supporting cast is first-rate, and the production is far more handsome than most TV fare. Reviewed by Tom Keogh

A beautifully staged retelling of the Dickens classic with a memorable interpretation of Scrooge by Scott, by George! Handsomely filmed in Shrewsbury, England. Script by Roger O. Hirson. Reviewed by Leonard Maltin

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Handsome musicalization of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, with Finney genially hamming it up in the title role and Guinness a surprisingly fey Marley's Ghost. Leslie Bricusse's score is pretty forgettable, save effervescent ``Thank You Very Much''; lovely sets by Terry Marsh and evocative title design by Ronald Searle. Reviewed by Leonard Maltin.

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Originally a special for HBO, this Jim Henson production was one of the first real forays into the more realistic, less vaudevillian direction for the Muppets. It also included Frank Oz (Muppeteer), Paul Williams (songs), and Jerry Juhl (script).. Emmet Otter and his jug band are trying out in the local talent show, but they face fierce competition from a gang of toughs, the Riverbottom Gang and their rock band. Perhaps the most notable thing is the creation of a sense of poverty and want that suffuses the little production. Even Emmet's mother, who sacrifices her washtub to further Emmet's cause, gets in the act. Fine Christmas viewing for all ages. Reviewed by Keith Simanton

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The friendly home-owning grizzly and his pals celebrate the traditions of a secular Christmas but pay more than a passing nod to both Hanukkah and Kwanzaa in this 50-minute holiday video. Agenda items include a gift exchange and a visit to Santa Hog at the mall, but everything is put in perspective when the household discovers a homeless hound bellowing outside their door. They invite him in, share the holiday, find him a home, and learn a valuable lesson. Meanwhile, "Shadow" shows up to sing about the other two holidays in accompaniment to shadow cutouts. The bear, twin otters, lemur, mouse, and little bear were created by the Jim Henson folks.. The earnest Bear is kin to another outsized softie of a (purple) predator; tand both are strictly for the kiddies. Ages 2 to 7. Reviewed by Kimberly Heinrichs.

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This television classic features the Peanuts characters in the story of Charlie Brown's problematic efforts to mount a school Christmas pageant. Everybody's on board: Lucy, Snoopy, Schroeder, Pig-Pen, but the biggest impression is surely made by Linus, who stops the show with his recitation from the gospels of the story of Christ's birth. Reviewed by Tom Keogh.

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Even Santa can suffer a case of the holiday blues. In this stop-motion holiday family favorite, a sparkly eyed Mrs. Claus (voiced by Shirley Booth) sings and tells about the year her hubby felt too weary and too unappreciated to prepare for his annual Christmas rounds. Mickey Rooney stars as the voice of Santa, a rosy-nosed puppet who travels incognito to Southtown in search of his tiniest reindeer, Vixen, and two well-meaning elves. Seems Mrs. Santa sent them to find proof of Christmas spirit, but all they've discovered is ambivalence about Santa's year off. Luckily, when Santa arrives and befriends a buck-toothed lad named Ignatius Thistlewhite, spirits begin to lift rapidly. Adult fans of this cousin to the 1970 television special Santa Claus Is Coming to Town will remember it as the Heat and Snow Miser movie--their vaudevillian theme songs, complete with trombone and piano riffs, are hard to forget; but other treasured musical moments include "I Believe in Santa Claus," "I'll Have a Blue Christmas Without You," and "Here Comes Santa Claus.". reviewed by Liane Thomas.

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Share a hilarious and joyous holiday with the Recess kids, as they convince the Third Street Elementary School teachers that miracles really do come true at this special time of year. When Principal Prickly�s car gets stuck in the snow, he unfairly blames the Recess gang. But as he and his marooned passengers, Miss Finster and Miss Grotke, start to relive their students� outrageous escapades, a new truth emerges: these kids are both naughty and nice. And after a surprise rescue frees the stranded trio, they�re treated to a special Recess rendition of "Jingle Bells" to get them in the holiday mood. This delightful movie features the impressive voice talents of Dick Clark, Robert Goulet and James Earl Jones in a holiday adventure that reveals the Santa inside everyone.