Santa and the Fairy Snow Queen (Rifftrax Shorts)

Rifftrax Year:  2014
Riffers:  Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy, Bill Corbett

Santa sighs in relief that this time it was just a Fairy Snow Queen and not an Ice Cream Bunny.  Yes folks, we are given one of the greatest Christmas specials to ever feature Snoopy...no, not THAT Snoopy...a tiny imp woman who brings all of Santa's toys to life while Santa is napping.

This is one of those short films that tries to charm through it's quaint whimsy, as it doesn't really have a story and is just a fun idea for kids of "What if your toys were alive?"  Toy Story this is not, though arguably it's more terrifying than Chucky.  The short relies a lot on imagination, as the toys themselves aren't really toys, but rather people in costumes.  Perhaps I can suspend disbelief on some of them, but when I see that sorry Raggity Anne or that crummy Candy Lion costume, it's really hard to play at the short's level.

To be honest, I found myself nostalgic for that classic episode of The Twilight Zone, not the one with the living doll, but the other one with that group of people trapped in a cylinder and can't get out.  Those who've seen it know what I'm talking about.

This short was initially riffed for the Santa Claus Conquers the Martians Live show.  It's been a while since I've seen that one, but I think it played well with the audience, if memory serves.  But like most studio riffs of Live performances, recreating the experience isn't quite successful.  What strikes me about Santa and the Fairy Snow Queen is just how little goes on in it, and it's a very meandering sixteen minutes.  Credit where credit is due, the trio make the most of their time, but boy was I wearing out by the end.

The big plus of this short is that there is a lot of physicality in it without dialogue, which does provide ample opportunity for commentary.  When actions start repeating themselves is where the short starts to wear, though surprising the riffs don't feel too repetitive.  There are some running gags about a candy-eating lion and the imp's name being "Snoopy" possibly treading a copyright issue.  There are some good belly laughs at the core of this short that make it worthwhile to recommend, but I don't think it's something I'll pop in every Christmas.

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