Sometimes a minor character makes a bigger impact than the hero. Boba Fett took over The Empire Strikes Back. The Gingerbread Man stole Shrek. During the heyday of Rankin-Bass’ holiday specials, The Year Without a Santa Claus was supposed to be about how Mrs. Claus saves Christmas with the help of the two elves: Jingle Bells and Jangle Bells. However the duo that emerged as the stars were two unusual brothers: Snow Miser and Heat Miser. These sons of Mother Nature were constantly battling. They also had amazing theme songs. They were the reason people remembered this special. Nearly a quarter century later, A Miser Brothers’ Christmas arrives.
The new special opens with Santa’s sleigh getting an upgrade. It’s an aerodynamic wonder that will allow him keep up with the growing population of good boys and girls. He enjoys streamlining his job. However there’s someone coveting his position. Mother Nature tells the North Wind that he gets to give out the gifts if Santa can’t fulfill his duties. When Santa hits the sky with his new sleigh for a test ride, the North Wind sabotages it. While dealing with the malfunctioning machine, Santa gets trapped in a battle between Snow Miser and Heat Miser. Jolly Saint Nick takes a tumble. It looks like he’s not going to make his only day of real work.
As punishment for putting Santa on his back, Snow Miser and Heat Miser are sent by Mother Nature to make toys at the North Pole. There’s more arguing and the brothers revive their old theme songs. The North Wind isn’t happy that he’s not getting the full gig. He makes further diabolical plans. In the end, the Miser Brothers must overcome their differences to help Santa keep his job from the North Wind. It’s a family special so there’s nothing too traumatic in the holiday tale.
A Miser Brothers’ Christmas maintains the stop motion puppets used by Rankin-Bass. They even bring back Mickey Rooney to voice Santa and George S. Irving for Heat Miser. Juan Choiran gives a chilly new vocal to Snow Miser. They do a few computer effects for snow and things, but the main characters are puppets like the originals. Visually it is a festive joy to see the Misers back in motion. The one downside of the production is the score. They just have a guy with a synth for a majority of the time. It sounds like a rough track. Luckily they lift the Brothers theme songs from The Year Without Santa Clause soundtrack. It features a small combo with the tacky piano giving it a Tin Pan Alley appeal. It was a good move to bring back the original hit instead of remixing it for modern ears. The kids watching A Miser Brothers’ Christmas were excited to see the duo return as headliners along with a few grown ups. Always good when old friend return for a visit during the holidays.
The video is 1.78:1 anamorphic. The transfer allows the red and blues of the two characters dazzle the eyes. The audio is Dolby Digital Surround 5.1. The mix allows you to enjoy the bass levels of Heat Miser with the upper range of Snow Miser. The subtitles are in English and French.
What Makes Stop Motion Go (23:17) explains how a new generation of animators brought back Rankin-Bass magic. They didn’t go CGI. These are real puppets being bent. The entire process is explored. Mickey Rooney is happy they invited him back.
A Miser Brothers’ Christmas lets the scene stealing duo get top billing. They revive their theme songs and come up with new ways to torment each other. It’s one of the better Christmas specials that revives old characters. This should play well with kids eager for more Heat Miser and Snow Miser after The Year Without a Santa Claus.
Warner Home Video presents A Miser Brothers’ Christmas. Directed by: Dave Barton Thomas. Starring: Mickey Rooney, George S. Irving, Juan Chioran, Brad Adamson. Screenplay by: Eddie Guzelian. Running Time: 44 minutes. Released on DVD: October 6, 2009. Available at Amazon.com
