The Little Drummer Boy is one of Rankin/Bass' best, and my contender for the most poignant of their specials. So this sequel had a lot to live up to, and while it is not as great it is still pretty good. Much better than Cricket on the Hearth(by far their worst) and The Leprechauns Christmas Gold. The high point is definitely the visuals, which not only look beautiful but are even more accomplished than the original's. The voice acting is also great, Paul Frees is missed but Greer Garson still brings sincerity and warmth to her narration part and Zero Mostel sounds as though he is having a ball as Brutus, who is even more of a villain than Ben. The characters are engaging, and the score is whimsical and fitting with the mood. The writing has heart while not feeling mawkish or over-simplistic. The message is a good one and is affecting. I wouldn't go as far to say actually that there is anything disastrously wrong apart from the pacing being a little on the slow side sometimes, but there were a couple of areas that gave me a mixed reception. A couple of the songs are memorable and well-meaning, but others especially Money, Money, Money don't really do all that much to move the story forward. The actual Little Drummer story is great, and the basics of the story here are fine. It's some of the subplots that don't always seem very focused or entirely related to one another. In conclusion, pretty good, lacking compared to The Little Drummer Boy but a long way from Rankin/Bass' worst. 7/10 Bethany Cox
