User reviews

Our family just finished watching this movie tonight. We wanted to spend the Thanksgiving weekend together and went to find an appropriate movie for all of us. Our first pick was "Christmas with the Kranks", but they were sold out at our local video store. I had never heard of "Blizzard" but the G rating as opposed to everything else available PG13, hooked me in. There are 4 children, ages 5-10 in our home and mom and dad make 6. I think it was a great film for the family and would recommend it to anyone wanting to get into the Christmas spirit. It was the kind of movie that made everyone "feel good" on the inside after watching it. I think all our kids thoroughly enjoyed it, and it wasn't beneath our 10yr old (daughter) who said "I'm glad you picked this movie mom." Great "family movie night" film! The importance of good quality films in the society we live in has been overlooked for too long and I am all for the reintroduction of character-building stories like what we saw tonight. The 2 story lines going on at the same time reminded me of "The Princess Bride", which is one of our family's favorites. I liked the fact that there was reality that even good wholesome characters make mistakes sometimes and that it is not the end of the world; there is forgiveness and second chances. It teaches our kids that we don't live in a perfect world and there are disappointments and we must learn to deal with them and grow from there. I'm glad the movie we wanted, wasn't available or we may never have seen this.

'Blizzard' from 2003, starring Christopher Plummer alongside Kevin Pollak & Brenda Blethyn, Directed by LeVar Burton. It's a Christmas movie, a bit of a children's film, that is written well around a good story.

Plummer plays Santa Claus. It's regarded as a fairly good film, and that's exactly what it is, not downright good, but it's not bad. Plummer is good in the film, Blethyn is good also, they deliver good performances. Pollak delivers his part competently in a part he plays a bit over the top without going completely in the clouds, and all and all, Pollak delivers the part well.

Burton usually directs shows, but he's directed 4 movies during his career and he does a good job. The film is from 2003, but Burton's Direction & grainy filming give it an early 1980s feel, and I mean that in a good way; it somehow brings it to a needed organic earthiness; the acting by the supporting cast, including the kiddos, is done well.

All and all, 5.5 stars of 10, a fairly good film. A movie that almost surely would have been bad without the good Directing of Burton and the good acting of Plummer and pretty much the entire cast.

Aunt Millie comforts her niece Jess by telling her the story of the reindeer Blizzard (Whoopi Goldberg) and a young girl named Katie. Katie is befriended by skating champ who teaches her to be a better skater. In the North Pole, Blizzard is born with all three magical reindeer gifts: flight, invisibility, and empathic navigation. She feels Katie's sadness and flies to her.

The good news is that this is a children's Christmas movie without any cynicism. The bad news is that some of it is awkward and weirdly creepy. First is the structure of a story within a story. The Blizzard story needs to be a surreal fairy tale like the Princess Bride. Instead, it's half there and the other half looks a little creepy. The creepy is the moving mouths on the reindeers. I don't like it. There are some stuff that drain away the magic. That's what I want! I want this to be magical or at least more magical. The weird CGI mouth is not magical. Whoopi Goldberg's voice is not magical or not magical for a magic reindeer. LeVar Burton is probably never going to be a great director.

This movie is a movie anyone would enjoy. If you have your 83 year old mother or father visiting you take them to see it. It is a reminder for anyone who has ever had a friend who has come and gone that they will always be with you in your heart.

If you enjoy watching a Miracle on 34th Street or A Christmas Carol, you will most definately enjoy this movie.

The acting is wonderful and it really captivates you. It will be a Christmas classic for years to come.

Whoopi Goldberg is the worst possible choice for a young reindeer! Ruins every scene she is in.

This is pretty high on the cheese-o-meter, even for those of us who love family films. Characters were fairly one-dimensional and it was never clear just why Blizzards' gifts were not celebrated since they were considered to be very special things for reindeer to have. I liked the skates being yellow, it was a nice detail.

Katies' brothers were little pills and I wish the parents would have taken a better hand in controlling them. It seemed that even before Katie moved she had no friends, and the current daughter (Jess?) was never really explored why she was so upset when Bobby moved. Did she have no other friends? Did they not have telephones? I disagree with another viewers comment about the pierced ears. Perhaps in Canada this occurs later but I assure the viewer that in the Pacific Northwest of the United States girls have their ears pierced anywhere from birth on up, even as early as my own at age 13 in 1971.

This is a movie that young children can enjoy as a Christmas tradition without anything objectionable for parents to be concerned about. All in all, a reasonable choice for families.

My family watched this last night during our Friday family film and pizza night. This is a really good, charming film! It's an engaging movie, with lots of positive lessons. It also tells a good Santa Claus tale that keeps the mystery of the North Pole intact for young viewers.

I'd put this in with the league of quality family films like "Because of Winn-Dixie." My kids are 3, 6, and 11 years old. We all loved it. It even made my 6 year-old a bit weepy (he said he had dust in his eyes ;) This will be a holiday staple in our house for years to come. If you have kids, go out and rent or buy this little gem from Canada. Levar Burton has made a sweet family film here; he certainly appears to have a sense for what family moviegoers want to see.

My family got this movie in a Christmas gift basket from my husband's employer. I looked at it and saw that it had a few actors I have heard of and I kind of put off watching it. Last night I noticed Levar Burton directed it and I changed my mind. I have enjoyed his work so much on Reading Rainbow and Star Trek TNG.

We sat down today to watch Blizzard and no one left until the show was over. We absolutely enjoyed this movie. My youngest is just 2 and she was enthralled with the character of Blizzard. Whoopi Goldberg did an excellent job of playing a young gifted reindeer. Kevin Pollock was so fun to watch. He was soooo bossy. The story brings a touch of magic to Christmas and I wished we had watched it last week before the holidays. It will be a movie we watch every year.

This movie touched me emotionally like so few do. The story line in itself was just very wonderful. There are few that can not relate to loosing a friend. I thought it was one of the best Christmas movies I have seen in a long time. It might not be enough for those who need fast action movies but for those that like a good story it is the best. I recommend it highly. It is a great family film; children and adults should love it. I felt it was as good as Miracle on 34th Street and It's a Wonderful Life. This will be a Christmas classic.

I caught the last half of this movie on TV a couple of years ago and loved what I saw so much I went out and bought it---it's now one of our favorite family Christmas movies! Apart from the really sweet story, I loved the 'nostalgia' and atmospheric aspects---the outdoor skating rink with people in vintage knitted Mary Maxim sweaters, the lovely little girl skaters, the 'small town' wintery feel---all things that brought back such memories growing up in Ontario in the 50's and 60's. British actress Brenda Blethyn did a great job as Aunt Millie, although it took me a couple of minutes to get used to her North American accent! Using Quebec for the North Pole was great and really makes me want to go for a visit. The only thing, and a relatively small one, that I noticed was it was clearly obvious the young girl skating was not Zoe Warner (Katie). Her face could be seen clearly several times---I wonder why more effort wasn't put in to disguising her a bit better. Other than that, the movie is a delight and I highly recommend it! Think I might just go and grab a coffee and watch it again!

I just found it to be a great Christmas movie, that you can enjoy with your loved ones. I especially liked it since it's about living your dreams, plus it has no "bad Santa" or weird robots trying to destroy Christmas. I don't think that that kind of movie is that appropriate or in the spirit of Christmas. I'm not saying that the subject of this movie is actually real, but it seems to be closer to ones heart and I think it brings a lot of joy. Blizzard is very funny, and the little girl ice-skating is just too cute! It's a story about a very special friendship that will leave behind a lot of wonderful memories. Plus, it's about ice-skating, which I love! Have a great time watching it!

Well it is almost Christmas 2011 and I just watched this film on cable. I enjoyed it immensely. What a sweet lovely family film! It has that delicious Christmas spirit that we sometime long for. It has that gentleness that one treasures in family style films. The film has a certain quality that is similar to THE PRINCESS BRIDE - the telling of a story.

The film is great for any family of any religious background. It is a story of passion of sport, passion for life, passion for friendship, the magic of giving and sharing and the Christmas spirit.

Enjoy the film! A delightful cast, wonderfully filmed, with a great script. It has all those elements we appreciate in a Christmas story, similar to IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.

Thank you for keeping this film alive on cable.

This film was the most entertaining movie I've seen in a long time....and my kids just loved it!! So will yours!! It has the most amazing visual effects, but more important, it has a phenomenal story with great heart. Everyone should see this picture....it is destined to be a classic!

This is a nice family Christmas movie with a crazy story, which could have been a story on its own, but it was primarily an amazing story told to cheer up a sad girl.

Zoe Andrews does a wonderful job not just as an actress but also as a skater. Of course, sometimes i couldn't see her face, and several atunt skaters were listed in the credits. At first I thought the same actress played both the girl hearing the story and the girl who was the subject of the story, but they just look alike. Jennifer Pisana is the sad girl and her role is brief but effective.

Brenda Blethyn is a good storyteller and quirky.

I am familiar with Kevin Pollak but had forgotten he was in the credits by the time I saw him. Every movie like this needs a nasty villain and he does just that. One thinks of Santa's workshop as a happy place but he has a Scrooge running things.

As for Santa himself, the great Christopher Plummer shows as much talent here as he ever has. This is a Shakespearean level Santa, and not one who looks like the expected image. Gray hair and a beard, not white, and his clothes are not red either, unless you can see red in the pattern of the clothes, which is a challenge.

The elves wear beautiful colorful costumes that show a fantasy place. And the buildings are magnificent.

As for Whoopi Goldberg, if I hadn't been told it was her, I wouldn't have known. She doesn't sound quite like herself, but she becomes Blizzard, a very determined reindeer who will break rules in order to help those who need it. The other reindeer are also appealing enough, mainly Donner Jr. (DJ).

Back in the "real world", Jan Triska starts our creepy and almost evil, but he turns Katie into a cahmpion-level skater and changes personality to ecome more appealing.

Brittany Bristow is your typical spoiled bad girl but I assure you she has another side. She can also skate pretty well but it appeated to me she fell just short of Katie's ability, which is important. Those are hard moves for a young girl, though.

Miracles happen, of course, along with a number of "only in the movies" situations. Rules must have consequences, but sometimes it's best to make it look like things could happen as long as the offenders show they have leanred a lesson.

Is this family friendly? Of course. I don't understand the TV-PG V-chip rating. A couple of scenes are a little scary but I don't think anything here would mean even young children shouldn't watch.

There is some diversity. One Black man, and possibly two, have lines. One trains Santa's reindeer. The other, who might be the same man, patrols the city at night and has some funny moments. One of the skating girls is Black but has no lines, and Katie appears to have an Asian friend who also has no lines.

I think it's a fine effort.

This is not another Christmas romance. It is a story about one of the hard things we must all face in life. A little girl is grieving over the loss of her closest friend. Her parents bring in her eccentric aunt to help cheer her up. The aunt tells her a story about another little girl and another time and what she learned about the changing face of friendship.

I wasn't in the mood for a Christmas movie but when I saw LeVar Burton's name in the credits, I decided to watch a bit of it. Once it began, I never considered changing the channel. While part of this movie is fantasy, the point rings very true and very real. Although there is magic involved, there is no magic healing solution for Jess's grief. She learns what we all must learn. There is a way to move on. The story is rich and rewarding and the costumes and scenery for the scenes from the past are particularly well done.

I saw it for the first time yesterday and will be recommending it to anyone wanting something to watch alone or with their family over Christmas. While a houseful of rowdy little boys may find it rather tame, their parents most likely will love it. It is perfect for families with little girls.

This is a wonderful film. It is both creative and heartfelt and truly well done. I loved the reindeer they were great. this film shows that there art still film makers out there who believe in mankind enough to create movies that show the better side of this world not the evil most film makers seem to harp on. We buy this film on DVD and it will become a Chritmas tradition. It would be refreshing to see more of this type of film with morals that show that there is still enough good people out there that take the time to make a difference by creating films of value and what life should be like.With all the nonsense that we face every day and the world we live in we need to see the better side of life.The only negative comment I have is the fact the little girl Kate has pierced ears and should not have. Kids back then did not do that until they were at least 16( Iknow it is just a little detail but I find those things take away from the film it is the little details that can make or brake a film.It is more pleasing to watch something that is well thought out including all details) On the whole my family and friends loved this film and hope there are more out there. Thanks

We used to watch and love Reading Rainbow. LeVar Burton does family shows very well! We loved Blizzard and it was so refreshing to see a movie that deserves to be called a family movie. We need more movies like this that allow children to enjoy and remain innocent at the same time.

I was waiting for something objectionable because there's usually something slipped in that's unnecessary and makes it a negative for children. Most 'childrens' movies are only appropriate for adults and this was a pleasant surprise.

This was a wonderful movie for the whole family!

LeVar Burton who directed this movie and Whoopi Goldberg (Oscar award winner) who voiced the primary character Blizzard both have connections to Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994) in which they were known as Lt. Geordi La Forge and Guinan. In addition, Christopher Plummer (another Oscar award winner) as Santa Claus and Kevin Pollak, a well-recognized actor in his own right as Archimedes round out a strong cast that offers up a true Holiday spirited fantasy story for young people. The movie revolves around a young girl whose best friend moves away and later her father suddenly experience his own difficulties making for a very sad girl who doesn't want to associate with anyone anymore. Then her aunt arrives and tells her about a story of another girl and how a very special reindeer from the North Pole discover each other. The storyline is entertaining with a depth involving loss and death, acceptance and sacrifice, courage and redemption. Well told, decently acted, Blizzard offers up an exemplary production that isn't trite nor overwhelmed by its powerful star power. The special effects blend easily into enhancing the movie. Surprisingly, well worth the time and experience for this small, little known movie.

This is one of my favorite Christmas movies. It displays all the qualities of the Christmas season; love, friendship, Magic, hope, belief, and joy. It's not too long or preachy. And the soundtrack of Mark McKenzie is utterly, utterly amazing! It's the music I could listen to all day. Watch it for the soundtrack alone if not the magic. And then go listen to the soundtrack again and again.

The best moments I think come from Blizzard and the magical setup of the North Pole. While the Santa Clause movie franchise does the North Pole best, I can't help but compare this version. Christopher Plummer makes an amazing Santa and the closeups of the reindeer are perfect. I have my differences with Whoopi Goldberg but she adds an extra spark to Blizzard.

This is a pleasing movie. Obviously you have to put some things aside in order to enjoy the fantasy of it. I wonder why Zoe Warner doesn't get more credit for the movie. She is the main actor in the movie after all.

Its a christmas movie for the whole family. It has santa claus, rendiers, beautiful gestures for christmas, a happy end and the christmas spirit.

This has been out since 2003 and I never saw it until last night. It is a good movie...one that will bring back memories to some and will make younger ones think and yet it has a good ending. Everyone should watch this at least once and maybe make it a Christmas classic with all the other Christmas movies. It will be a good movie for those who are young all the way to those who are elderly. To me this is a movie that you sit together as a family with a bowl of fresh popped popcorn and afterward ask your children what they thought and what their favorite part of the movie was. Then ask them what they think about friendship. The skating also in the movie was very good to watch. It is definitely a movie worth watching over and over.