Review: Reindeer in Here

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Based on Adam Reed’s award-winning Christmas book and plush set, the story centers on Blizzard (Blizz), a young reindeer with one antler that’s significantly smaller than the other. Blizz and his unique group of friends band together to save the future of Christmas. In doing so, they unknowingly create a magical holiday tradition.

Our Take:

The holiday season isn’t complete without a traditional holiday special. Nothing is more relaxing and joyful than sitting with your loved ones, grabbing some popcorn, and watching some of our favorite specials on television. Who could’ve forgotten about watching the likes of Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman, and even Charlie Brown every year to get into the festive spirit? I haven’t. This year is no different, with CBS kickstarting the holidays early with a new Christmas special setting its sights on being the new traditional classic.  

This latest holiday event has me exploring unfamiliar territory compared to the other Christmas classics. Before viewing Reindeer in Here, I didn’t know about Adam Reed’s book and the toy it’s based on. I remember plenty of reindeer that pulled Santa’s sleigh, including Dasher, Prancer, Blitzen, and even Rudolph. Blizz, on the other hand, doesn’t exactly ring any bells, or should I say “sleigh bells”?  

So I was curious to see if this Christmas special does enough to properly introduce me to the source material, especially since it’s directed by Lino DiSalvo. DiSalvo is known for working in the animation department for several Disney projects like Chicken Little, Bolt, Frozen, and the Prep & Landing shorts. However, he also directed the terrible Playmobil movie back in 2019, so there’s definitely some room for concern about his direction on the television adaptation. Thankfully, Reindeer in Here manages to be miles better than Playmobil. Despite a couple of predictable moments in its plot, including the villain reveal, the special has enough holiday joy to provide  

The story in the adaptation follows the traditional “saving Christmas” storyline focusing on Blizz’s quest to fix the mistake he made. Wanting to share his big idea with Santa, Blizz plans to put his wish inside Santa’s snow globe, which stores children’s desires. When a mysterious cloaked person steals the globe, Blizz and Candy team up with a young boy named Theo to locate it and clear Blizz’s name.

Along with its usual yuletide cheer, the special portrays a positive message that celebrates the uniqueness in people like the book. Its themes resonate mainly with Theo, who recently moved into a new town with his parents, and Isla (Brooke Monroe Conaway), who loves bugs. Theo’s having trouble making friends due to him practicing ventriloquism, which he thinks is weird. However, Theo would later discover that his talent came in handy when getting caught in a tight situation. I always love messages like this because they help me appreciate my unique talents, including movies, no matter how bizarre they are. Even if the story is hit-and-miss regarding its execution and humor, it managed to capture the spirit of its themes through its heart and Christmas cheer.

Reindeer in Here also packs a surprisingly impressive voice cast. You got the likes of Adam Devine from Pitch Perfect as Blizz, Candace Cameron Bure as Pinky, and Melissa Villaseñor as Candy. But, of course, it also has some big familiar names like Jim Gaffigan (Santa Claus), Jo Koy (Hawk), Henry Winkler (Smiley), and Gabriel Bateman (Theo). At first, Devine seemed like an odd choice regarding Blizz’s character design. For a reindeer who looked small, I originally thought they would get someone younger. The same goes for Gabriel Bateman, who sounded a bit too old to voice a kid like Theo. Fortunately, Devine managed to make it work for me. I’ve been enjoying his charisma since Pitch Perfect, and his vocal performance as Blizz showed that he still hasn’t missed a beat.  

Overall, Reindeer in Here is an enjoyable and charming holiday special that honors the source material’s celebration of people’s differences. It’s far from a perfect representation regarding its average plot and modern humor. However, it compensates for it by having enough spirit in its messages and characters to provide some decent family fun. The voice cast is serviceable in their roles, including Devine as Blizz and Winkler as Smiley, and the animation is passable for an hour-long, low-budget television special. It may not join the ranks of the other memorable Christmas specials like Rudolph and The Grinch, but it does deliver the usual holiday cheer we’ve known since the beginning.