TV Special Review: Dragons Holiday - Gift of the Night Fury

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Comedy and heart with enduring characters

Cons: I missed it the first time around

The Bottom Line:

Spreading holiday

Cheer via Vikings, dragons

Entertains for sure

Suddenly, a Dragonless Holiday Sounds Bad

Obviously, I’m not keeping up on my Christmas specials since I just learned of several Dreamworks has done based on their popular franchises.  Such is the case with Dragons Holiday: Gift of the Night Fury.  I’m glad I caught it since it was fun.

It’s the first winter holiday in the village of Berk since they made peace with the dragons, and everyone is looking forward to really celebrating.  Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel) is even working on a special gift for Toothless, the ability to fly on his own.

But then one day all the dragons just fly away.  Why?  Will they ever come back?  And will this ruin the holiday?

While a fantasy period setting, I’m not offended by the fact that this isn’t a Christmas special since the Vikings didn’t celebrate Christmas during that time period.  Oh, I know they could; after all, dragons never existed either.  Still, this is something worth noting only in passing.

Especially since all the hallmarks of a Christmas special are here.  You’ve got comedy.  You’ve got tender moments.  And you’ve got tons of heart.  What else do you truly need?

Truly, this is a very fun special.  The laughs are fairly constant, giving us plenty to enjoy.  I don’t want to give anything away because the surprises are half the fun, but trust me, there is fun to be had.

And if the ending doesn’t get you, something is wrong.  I saw it coming, but still it touched me.

The voice cast from the movie is back for this special, and they do a great job as always.  Likewise, the animation, while not quite up to movie standards, it still great and will impress you.

But don’t take my word for it.  Next time you get a chance to watch Dragons Holiday: Gift of the Night Fury, do your self a favor and watch.  It’s only half an hour, and you will enjoy it.

Note: I watched this as part of the Dreamworks Holiday Collection, which I was sent in exchange for my honest review.