Possibly it is as a result of the principle character is called Peter. Or as a result of the aliens look spectacular (even now). Or as a result of I first noticed it after I was 5. Or perhaps it is the pet goose…
For no matter purpose, the 1977 vacation particular Cosmic Christmas — the first-ever cartoon from the long-time Canadian animation powerhouse Nelvana — has been my December consolation leisure ever since I rediscovered it streaming on-line. This 12 months it is solely out there to observe totally free on Tubi.
In contrast to right this moment’s pixel-perfect and polished animation, the drawings in Cosmic Christmas are a retro delight — it appears like a messy mashup of Mad Journal’s Don Martin and traditional animator Ralph Bakshi. Cosmic Christmas is not as squiggly as Dr. Katz or Residence Films, however there is a hand-drawn chaos that appears to not exist in trendy cartoons.
The city’s outrageous mayor and befuddled police chief get a few of Cosmic Christmas’ greatest jokes.
The story of Cosmic Christmas follows Peter, a younger boy with a pet goose named Lucy. He discovers three mysterious aliens who’ve landed their spaceship on the outskirts of a city making ready for Christmas. The three guests report seeing a brand new star within the sky outdoors Earth 2,000 years in the past, and have come to the planet to study the true which means of the vacation.
Peter’s grandma, a gang of colourful teen delinquents and Lucy the goose drive the vacation plot ahead till it reaches an thrilling climax that should not be too scary for teenagers of any age, and a decision that warms the guts.
A gang of robust speaking youngsters have their eyes set on Peter’s goose Lucy.
Clocking in at a brisk 24 minutes, Cosmic Christmas wastes a bit time on bizarre musical interludes — together with a weird dance quantity with Lucy and the alien’s flying robotic helper — however the core motion retains the story shifting ahead to a satisfying conclusion.
When first assembly the aliens, Peter explains the “Star of Bethlehem” and mentions Jesus Christ, however Cosmic Christmas largely approaches the vacation from a secular perspective. The true which means of Christmas, based on Peter, is, “love, peace and caring for others.”
For those who get pleasure from bizarre retro animation or are searching for one thing a bit completely different to observe with the youngsters this vacation season, give Cosmic Christmas a shot whereas it is free on Tubi.
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