On paper, AN ALMOST CHRISTMAS STORY sounds like the most exciting holiday treat this season. It features up-and-coming director David Lowery (THE GREEN KNIGHT), everyone’s favorite producer/director Alfonso Cuarón (GRAVITY, ROMA, and so much more), and an original Christmas I.P. in stop-motion Rankin/Bass-like style. While the short film is exceptional in style and story, it lacks the heart to make it a Christmas classic that audiences will watch annually.
I want to double-click on that style. It’s awe-inspiring. Each piece of stop-motion animation is unique. I loved seeing Moon’s (the owl) eyes look like E.T. and the stop-motion paper cutout characters. The film reminded me of how different and sad THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS characters were when they burst onto the screens in the ’90s. Again, though, it’s lacking in the heart department, and the songs (sung by John C. Reilly as a stop-motion animated character) are not catchy.
AN ALMOST CHRISTMAS STORY is less about Christmas and more about the kindness of strangers. Any film with such a kind message and uniqueness for families gets a thumbs up. However, with the pedigree of filmmakers that created it, audiences should lower their expectations a bit.
It’s available on Disney+.