Prep & Landing (2009)

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Don't listen to the negative reviews

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Watched 'Prep & Landing' as part of my "watching as many Christmas films and shorts not yet seen before as possible" quest. Of this quest, 'Prep & Landing' was among the best and one of the revelations. Then again, expectations were quite high in the first as a big Disney and Christmas fan. Cannot add much to the previous positive reviews that have summed up what is so wonderful about 'Prep & Landing' so well. Can say very little better. Anybody who hasn't seen it yet is seriously missing out, am kicking myself at how it could have taken so long to see it and the only reason that comes to my head was that it was recommended to me after having never heard of it until now. The animation is bright and colourful, some of it also very imaginative. The characters don't look blocky and move smoothly while the attention to detail in the backgrounds is something to behold. The music captures the nostalgia, warmth, excitement and emotion of Christmas to perfection. 'Prep & Landing' has hilarious humour, touching and never mawkish sentiment and emotional moments and thrilling excitement. Not only are these individual elements carried over so brilliantly in the writing and the storytelling they are beautifully balanced also. The references are a sheer delight, adults are more likely to get them and be more familiar with them than younger viewers but the latter are very likely to want to know more about what is being referenced after watching.Having likeable characters that one cares and roots for is always a plus and, unless deliberately otherwise which is the case with a fair share of films and television shows, this is important. 'Prep & Landing' has likeable characters, while the spirit of Christmas is displayed with a lot of fun, heart and warmth without being over-sentimental or preachy. The voice acting is very good, Dave Foley being spot-on.Overall, a must watch. 10/10 Bethany Cox

"Prep & Landing" introduces us to Lanny and Wayne. They are part of an elite team of high-tech elves who make houses ready for Santa Claus to arrive. When things go horribly wrong, the hilarious duo must rise above their challenges in order to save Christmas.This mini-movie is hilarious and entertaining. People of all ages will find something redeeming in "Prep & Landing." The animation might be different than what we get with Pixar, but the spirit is there. That shouldn't come as a surprise since Pixar's John Lasseter is an executive producer of the film."Prep & Landing" is perfect for the whole family to enjoy as they come together to celebrate the holiday season.

I went into this thinking I would end up watching another boring animated Christmas special but I was surprised. I actually enjoyed it and while I can see why one reviewer thought it was militarized, it's still better than a lot of the animated specials I've seen in the past few years. Yes, we should leave the military out of it and stop prepping the kids for war! There were no angry wolves trying to eat the characters and the humour was not aimed at the adults as is so often the case in animated features these days. I guess having John Lasseter as executive producer helps. I grew up on Frosty, Rudolph, The Grinch and now that I think of it, they also had some darker elements to them but they are and continue to be classics. I don't know if this one will be a classic but the animation is top notch and kids are not fooled by cheap imitations these days.

It captured the essence of a great Christmas special without finding the pitfalls of so many other recent Christmas movies. It is contains a great deal of technological references with analogs of NASA and naval terminology and procedures, but it doesn't take the magic out of Santa. There is no attempt at explaining Santa's abilities with special engines or "Clausometers," it shows the realistic and humorous backline of Santa's huge operation. Like any great Christmas movie it has a perfectly Christmas-spirit ending that makes you feel more like a perfect you. Hilarious,touching, exciting, and it has a ton of historical, pop-cultural, and technological references. We are watching it a second time! We loved it!