I wanted to but couldn't!

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Blistering performances.

When i first saw this on VHS years ago, I enjoyed what would've happened if Christmas was in the Stone Age. The result is a great cartoon that has great music, decent animation, and a good plot, which centers on Fred Flinstone becoming Santa Claus, disappointing his boss at work. Along the way, Fred and Barney travel across the world and finally come home after getting lost in China. In the end, Fred thanks Santa for helping out and his boss decides to keep Fred's job. While not the first Flinstones Christmas themed cartoon (that honor goes to an xmas episode of The Flinstones), it's the best that Hanna Barbera has ever made.

Flintstone Christmas, A (1977) *** (out of 4) Christmas time in Bedrock becomes an issue when Santa Claus slips on Fred's roof and injures himself. Being unable to deliver presents to the children Santa asks Fred and Barney to do it. I've read countless reviews of this film and the majority of them put this film down because it doesn't contain any of the magic of the television show. I'll admit that this isn't nearly as good as even the weakest episode of the television show but at the same time it's hard to deny that there's still some pretty funny stuff going on here. Many of the original voice actors aren't here but that doesn't take away too much as for the most part the new people fits the roles nice enough. Again, the voice work isn't nearly as great as the television but for the most part the actors get the job done. What I appreciate most about this film is that they keep the visual look of the show and to me this is a very important part. I enjoy the fact that they really didn't tamper with the characters very much, although they do make Pebbles and Bam-Bam pre-teens here. Mr. Slate is on hand and of course we've got Wilma and Betty. I think what makes this film work so well is that they don't try to change the humor of Fred and Barney. The original series was wonderful because of the witty dialogue and this was especially true when it came time to insult Fred and his weight. That same type of humor is carried over here and for the most part it made me laugh. There are many great jokes about Fred "fitting" the part of Santa and Barney has many good one-liners. At just under 50-minutes the film doesn't run too long and I think fans of the series should really give this a break. Sure, it's not as great as the TV show but everyone knows they could have tried changing everything up and end up delivering a dud but they didn't.

I'm not really sure how Christmas can exist in a prehistory setting, but I tried not to let this spoil my enjoyment.Fred is roped into playing Santa Claus by his boss for a bunch of underprivileged kids, but the real Santa falls off his roof and sprains his ankle, forcing Fred to take his place.As Xmas Specials go it's certainly one of the better ones. But it gets off to an iffy start when they recycle a song, frame-by-frame, from the dull as ditchwater 1972 Special 'A Christmas Story', thankfully the rest is all Flintstones. And without the distracting laugh track which frequently spoiled enjoyment of the TV show.

Hey, kids, knock it off. Christmas isn't all about presents, ya know? Who raised you selfish little ruffians? This would be followed by Casper's First Christmas and the movie Yogi's First Christmas.They are kind of like a trilogy of poor story characterization, draining the last bits of life out of dead corpses, all to make a quick buck, for whatever it was supposed to do.Christmas classics like the Rankin Bass offerings? I Don't Think So!! The Flintstones episode when Fred works as the department store Santa then fills in for the real Santa is a gem. It has aged well and is remarkably sincere.Children should be made happy during the holidays and their love for Santa Claus is natural.In the '77 Flintstones Christmas, the kids rant and rave for Santa and those presents like drunks on the weekend in a bar wanting a stripper.Pebbles and Bamm Bamm are now small kids, not quite teens.Mr. Slate: "If Flintstone doesn't get here in five minutes, he's fired!" Wilma: "Ohhhh, that Fred! Wait till I get my hands on him!" This is the plot.Wilma and Mr. Slate don't gradually get mad at Fred, they turn it on like a faucet.Where's Fred? Get Mad.Also worth noting an incredibly weak song that is sung (was it supposed to be Wilma singing?) to Pebbles about having hope. I guess hope that Santa Claus will arrive. Boo Boo Bear sings this same song in the Yogi's First Christmas cartoon. Not rich their either.There is a much later Christmas special where Fred does the Ebenezer Scrooge bit, which believe it or not, it was just fun seeing the Bedrock gang again.In the end, that is about where this Christmas special will stand; as a transition from the sixties originality, Flintstones vitamins and Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles, to 1970s weak duplication, the movie specials, finally the real life transitions and direct to video.No harm will be in this cartoon, it may be brainless enough to watch at Christmas, but it could have definitely been stronger.