Christmas usually isn’t a holiday connected with bears in a good way. Most stories involve a family camping at the end of December being eaten by a grizzly. You never find a nativity scene with a bear looking down at the baby Jesus. They have no problem with stinky camels, sheep and donkeys. Why doesn’t anyone want to let a bear adore inside a manger? Yogi Bear’s All Star Comedy Christmas Caper finally gives us a heartwarming bear tale for the holidays.
Yogi Bear’s All Star Comedy Christmas Caper (23:24) unites all the old school Hanna-Barbera stars for a holiday special in Jellystone Park. Huckleberry Hound, Quick Draw McGraw, Snagglepuss and others arrive for a snowy good time. Trouble is Yogi and Boo Boo have fled for the big city to spend time with their friends. Because of the mix-up Yogi gets a job at a department store as Santa Claus. Ultimately this becomes about a poor little rich girl and her business obsessed father. The guy drops her off at the department store with the order to charge what she wants on his account. Now that’s the greatest Christmas gift ever.
But it’s not good enough for her.
She wants Santa Yogi to bring Christmas into their lives. The little girl’s wish is for her daddy’s love instead of a pony. It takes all the help of his friends to escape the authorities and deliver her wish. There’s holiday themed chases when the police make capturing Yogi their top priority. They fear the headline of bear eating child at Christmas. Fred Flinstone and Barney Rubble appear as sidewalk Santas. This was made in 1982 so the animation doesn’t resemble the original series.
Yogi’s Birthday Party (22:45) has Ranger Smith taking part in a surprise for the bear’s birthday. Yogi knows he’s the host of a big time TV show so he’s self-conscious of his fame. Ranger Smith sets him up with news that he’s appearing on a special show. He’s sent off to learn how to play musical instruments. There’s a fake Liberace cameo when he learns piano. Can Ranger Smith and Boo Boo keep their secret from Yogi until he’s at the TV studio? Plenty of the Hanna-Barbera stars of the time make appearances. This was part of the original Yogi Bear Show.
Yogi Bear’s All Star Comedy Christmas Caper is one of the few holiday tales that remind us that bears can do more than eat people at the end of December. They can bring the magic of the season into our lives. It helps if they talk and can wear a Santa suit. The reunion of the various early Hanna-Barbera TV characters makes it an All Star celebration worthy of holiday fun.
The video is 1.33:1 full frame. It’s a decent transfer although the limited animation has smutz trapped between the frames. The audio is Dolby Digital mono. There’s not much dynamics in the mix. The levels are fine. There are dub tracks in Spanish and Portuguese. Subtitles are in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese.
None.
Yogi Bear’s All Star Comedy Christmas Caper is fun for kids familiar with the older Hanna-Barbera characters. The story of how these characters attempt to bring holiday joy to a family is short enough to not get painful. This is a lot more fun than the big screen Yogi Bear film currently in the theaters. Grab this now so you’ll have it ready for next year’s Christmas viewing rotation.
Warner Home Video presents Yogi Bear’s All Star Comedy Christmas Caper . Starring: Mel Blanc, Daws Butler, Allan Melvin, Don Messick and Janet Waldo. Running Time: 46 minutes. Released on DVD: December 7, 2010.
