Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey (1977)

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

This is one of my favorite Christmas television specials and it was made by the fairly famous Ranking and Bass almost 40 years ago. I am not religious at all, so the story is fine to me, but it does not leave a massive impact. The first reason why I love this so much is the main character. Nestor is really just as cute as it gets and I have always had a soft spot for donkeys. It's so much fun to watch this because he is in basically every single scene. And secondly, it's the music. Roger Miller adds a pretty unique touch with his singing here and it elevates the film a lot. I love his voice and it fits the tone of the film perfectly, be it the sad or the great moments. Shame on the other animals for bullying Nestor because of his rabbit ears. I felt they made him even much cuter than he already was. And there is some decent comedy in here as well, even if it's not immediately obvious. I found the scene hilarious at the end when Nestor uses his ears to ski down to the other animals. I saw this one here is actually a sequel to two Little Drummer Boy specials, but you don't need to watch them to enjoy this one here. In any case I enjoyed this animated Nestor movie a lot and highly recommend watching it.

Lovely, touching Christmas special from Rankin-Bass. It's a real tearjerker so be prepared! The story is about Nestor the donkey, who has abnormally long ears. Because of his freakish ears, he is disliked and shunned. He suffers tragedy and heartache. Eventually though, long story short, his ears prove to be a blessing. Great writing, characters, stop-motion animation, and songs. This is a beautiful story that has more heart than anything they put out today. Due to it being tied into the Nativity story, it's not likely to be shown on TV much these days. Seek it out if you can. It's a real treat. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Rankin Bass has become synonymous with holiday specials, nearly every one of them centering around the commercial aspects. (Santa, gifts, etc). And for the entertainment factor on that behalf, they do a good job. However, "Nestor the Long-eared Christmas Donkey" showcases the studio's abilities in creating a story that not only entertains, but also reminds people that there is more to Christmas than presents and toys, in addition to presenting a moral lesson.The story is a simple tale about a misfit donkey, unloved due to his large ears and untrained clumsiness, who after suffering a series of setbacks discovers that he is indeed important and of value after he successfully transports Mary and Joseph to the manger leading to the birth of Jesus. He accomplishes this through his own determination despite his past hardships. Some viewers may find the program's content hard to stomach in some parts...there is some minor bullying of Nestor by the other characters, and of course his mother dies after sheltering him from a blizzard. But at the conclusion, one will see that even the bullies discover how wrong they assuming that Nestor was useless simply because he was different from everybody else...they were humbled just knowing that none of them would have been able to pull off what the little donkey managed to do.The story is one of the few specials airing that focuses on the religious and true meaning of the holiday (at least for Christians). And while secular characters such as Rudolph and Santa are featured, their roles are only minor cameos..one such scene being the heartwarming finale showing all the familiar faces surrounding a nativity scene reflecting on what is truly the "reason for the season".

I'm a 30 year old single dude with a history of lot's of sin and fun. I came from the tough guy/ party crowd and bla, bla, bla. All that biznus aside: This is the best 22 minutes of purity and tender entertainment I have found. Everything is perfect in it's own imperfection. The songs are genius, and these guys should have made 50 more films, that's all. They get it. Religious or not - the emotional levels are brilliant. I drop a tear every time. Sure, I also saw it as a kid - and that means something - but stoned, drunk, sober - I get lost every time. THIS LIL' FILM ROCKS!!! Watch it. If you have kids... put down the hip hop album (to the trash) and stick this in the DVD player. Yes, the Jewish folk as well. He wants you to. ;)