The Snowman and the Snowdog DVD review

Hey-- look at that: a review!

I was sent a copy of the new DVD The Snowman and the Snowdog, so, yeah, I'll review it.

The long-awaited sequel to the 1982 short animated film based on Raymond Briggs' children's book  is told in much the same style as the original. Hand-drawn, hand-colored, and without dialogue, this short (about 30 minutes) film has a timeless, magical quality about it.

A young boy finds a hidden box in his bedroom and uses the contents to make a snowman and a snowdog companion. One night, the snowman and snowdog come alive and take the boy on an adventure.

So, as I mentioned above, there is no dialogue and no words at all aside from a song, but the storytelling and music are so wonderful, that none are needed. We feel the boy's pain at being lonely, and we feel his excitement at going on this magical trip.

It also can't be dismissed that this film is hand-drawn. No insult intended to computer animation, but this film had a certain soul about it because hands touched each frame. The animators lovingly recreated Briggs' style with colored-pencils filling in the lines that computer-rendered animation just wouldn't be able to capture.

Along with the film is a 40 minute documentary about making it interspersed with details about Briggs' sometimes difficult life. This was actually a fantastic extra as it really gave viewers a look into what goes into making even a 30 minute animated feature. It probably wouldn't surprise an animation enthusiast, but I hope people who don't know the process-- such as kids-- will gain an appreciation for what goes into it.  I think Briggs also has an interesting story, and it really informs us of why much of his work is tinged with sadness.

So is it worth the $10 it retails for?  Well, I'm pretty cheap, and I think it's a bit much for just over an hour of content.  BUT-- I remember how many times a young child will ask to watch the same thing over and over, and even if a parent only pulls it out every few months, that $10 is a good return on investment because I don't see kids or parents getting tired of it. This is a story that I think offers more with repeat viewings.

If you have young children-- or remember the original fondly-- this is a good pick-up to add to your collection.