Santa and the Three Bears (1970)

Wow! Such a good movie.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

For kids who have grown up with Christmas animations such as Jim Carry's Grinch and A Christmas Carol, this classic animation may not appeal to them. But for those of us who grew up watching this program as well as A Charlie Brown's Christmas and A Christmas Story, this will definitely have sentimental value. The ranger represents every parent who tries to explain Santa Claus to their children and the cubs represent every child who wants to learn about Santa. Of course the parents know that Santa doesn't exist and the kids want to believe in him so the parents (in this case, the Ranger) will pretend Santa is real so as not to disappoint their children (the cubs). Where I live, this delightful animation is not shown anymore. The last time it was featured was 2004, if I recall correctly. But if anyone has the chance to watch it, I recommend that they give it a chance. And for those of us "baby-boomers", it will be a chance to relive our own childhood and remember a time when public celebrations of Christmas were not politically incorrect and how excited we all were every year during Christmas. And how much we liked this film when we watched it as kids!

This was a great cartoon i watched as a kid. It remains my favorite Christmas cartoon. Better the Rudolph! Better than Grinch, too! Just total innocence in this one. There's two little bears that are told about Christmas by the park ranger, and then they want to celebrate Christmas, like humans do. They're excited. The only problem is that it's wintertime, and mama bear wants them to hibernate for the winter. Then, confronted by mama bear, Mr. Ranger tells her about the legend of Santa Claus, and agrees to help the little bears experience Christmas so that they will go to sleep. The ending of this little Christmas cartoon will tug at your heartstrings, as the joy of Christmas is experienced by the little family of bears. I converted the VHS tape copy i have to DVD, so it will always be preserved. I will watch this every Christmastime that i'm living.I find that there is only one problem with this movie. It's a line i just cannot agree with. Mama bear tells the cubs, "I'm afraid Christmas is just for humans, not bears." I believe that the animal world celebrates Christmas with all the joy, love and excitement that humans celebrate it with. Animals of all types know very well about Christmas. God created them, as well as humans. I am certain that the animals know about God's love for humanity, because God also loves his animals. God loves all his creation.

Sweet holiday story of cute bear cubs 'Nakomi' and 'Chinook' who learn about Christmas, Santa Claus, and yuletide decorations from a Yellowstone National Park forest ranger much to the consternation of their nice Mom who is trying to hibernate for a couple of months.Cozy production, rich in color, with wintry atmosphere, lots of snow, and fireside warmth. Originally released with an introduction by actor Hal Smith ('Otis' on The Andy Griffith Show) whom also provides the voice of the park ranger. Other voices include Jean Vander Pyl ('Wilma' on The Flintstones) and actress Joyce Taylor.A Modern Sound Pictures film.

An absolutely "fabulous" movie (my opinion and mine only). This movie always brings back some wonderful memories, and takes me back to my childhood. My nephew also loves this film and we have decided to make it a part of our "special" library. Although considered 'sappy' by some, there is an even deeper meaning to this film, and was wondering if anyone happened to catch on it what it was? Sorry that it is no longer being shown on television any more (regular or cable). Think the children of today, or at least some of them, would get a real kick out of it. My nephew is eleven years old and he watched the film every chance that he got, even when it wasn't Christmas. My original copy was destroyed by an old VCR, but now that I know it's available on DVD, will be purchasing it right away. A true "classic".