12 Reviews of Christmas - Disney's The Little Matchgirl (2006)

        Hey guys, Chuck here, and while this one isn't strictly a Christmas short, I, like the Nostalgia Critic, feel that it's certainly one that's worth a watch around the holiday season. Disney's The Little Matchgirl is a 2006 animated short based on the story of the same name by Hans Christian Anderson, and was directed by Roger Allers. 

       Set to the tune of the Nocturne from Borodin's String Quartet #2, The Little Matchgirl is set at Christmas time in pre-Revolution Saint Petersburg, Russia. The story focuses on a little girl selling matches to passersby, but to no avail. The remainder of the short sees her lighting her matches in a snowy alley, in an effort to get warm, seeing warm visions of her grandmother, a Christmas dinner, and so forth. By the next morning, the girl passes away due to the cold, and her spirit is brought to the afterlife in the warm embrace of her grandmother's spirit. The short ends with a comet across the sky, indicating the girl's spirit has moved on to the next world. 

         Much like The Snowman, The Little Matchgirl is a short told with no dialogue and entirely through visual storytelling. And, a part of that has to do with the fact that Disney initially intended the short to be a segment for a cancelled third film in the Fantasia series. So, it makes sense that The Little Matchgirl is told through animation and music alone, with no dialogue. 

        Speaking on the animation, it is absolutely incredible, and is definitely reason enough for Disney to maybe consider refocusing on hand-drawn animation. The artistry of contrasts between cold reality and the warm memories the girl sees witch each match she lights is truly special, and I am always amazed when I watch it. Also, the choice of music, the Nocturne from Borodin's String Quartet #2, was equally brilliant and melancholic at the same time. 

       Now, obviously setting aside the fact that the short is set at Christmas time, heck the girl even sees a Christmas tree in one of her memories, the themes of keeping hope alive in a cold and harsh world are universal themes that go beyond the Christmas holiday. Even still, it's a thoroughly enjoyable short to watch, especially during the Christmas holiday season. The short is streaming on Disney+, and I recommend -- scratch that, I ENCOURAGE you to check it out this holiday season. I'm giving Disney's The Little Matchgirl a rating of 5/5. Definitely give it a watch. 

       Alright guys, this is Chuck signing off, and 12 Reviews of Christmas will continue tomorrow with another Disney favorite: Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review - The Thundermans Return (2024)

        Hey guys, Chuck here. Last night, I watched the new movie The Thundermans Return on Nickelodeon, and I have a few thoughts on it. For those who don't know what The Thundermans was, it was a Nickelodeon sitcom that ran from 2013 through 2018, and focused on a family of superheroes known as, well, the Thundermans. The show was okay, at least the episodes I happened to catch when it was on, but after seeing a lot of the advertising for this movie, I was genuinely tempted to check it out. So, here's my review of the new Nickelodeon movie The Thundermans Return.           So, the movie starts off with the Thunderman family, who since the end of the series have moved to the city of Metroburg, and are fighting crime as the superhero team the T-Force. And, something worth noting is that the family has aged in real time, so we see that Phoebe and Max are now adults, Nora and Billy are high schoolers, and Chloe is a middle schooler. Unfortunately, after a mission gone awry due to
Read more

Review - Ocean's Eleven (2001)

       Hey guys, Chuck here. Back in the 1960's, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and the rest of the Rat Pack teamed up and made a movie called Ocean's 11 , which told the story of a military veteran named Danny Ocean, who teams up with his fellow squad members to rob a number of casinos in Las Vegas. It was definitely a product of the time, and is actually a really fun movie. Seeing Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and the Rat Pack on screen together is just genuinely fun.        In 2001, producer Jerry Weintraub and director Steven Soderbergh would bring together a fantastic cast to tell a more modern version of the Rat Pack classic, and that's the movie we're talking about today. This is my review of the 2001 Steven Soderbergh film Ocean's Eleven starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, and Julia Roberts, along with the likes of Bernie Mac, Don Cheadle, Eddie Jemison, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Elliot Gould, Carl Reiner, and
Read more

Review - Night at the Museum (2006-2014)

          Hey guys, Chuck here, and after reviewing Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon, I needed something of a pallette cleanser. And, thus, I'm taking a look at the Night at the Museum trilogy, directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ben Stiller, Rami Malek, Mizuo Peck, Ricky Gervais, Patrick Gallagher, Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan, and Robin Williams, with additional cast members throughout the series including the likes of Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, Carla Gugino, Bill Cobbs, Charlie Murphy, Jake Cherry, Amy Adams, Bill Hader, Hank Azaria, Jon Bernthal, Christopher Guest, the Jonas Brothers, Dan Stevens, Skyler Gisondo, Rebel Wilson, and Ben Kingsley.          So, the first Night at the Museum was released in 2006, and focuses on struggling entrepreneur Larry Daley, who ends up getting a job as the new overnight security guard at the Museum of Natural History, taking over for the older guards Cecil, Reginald, and Gus. Larry also befriends one of the daytime staff, Rebecca, and has a few r
Read more