Short Film Review: A Christmas Caper

I agree with 2 things: This short film is not too funny .. and the timing is a bit off ... BUT the whole bitching about the religious background is even more off ... first of all, the whole thing is presented as the usual NY smorgasboard of holidays you run into during holiday season ... You also see hanukkah candles and the last xmas song gets a hebrew treatment ... That lady character .. who says she is jewish ? Nothing in her place indicates that .. having lived on the upper east side for years .. you still meet a lot of old people with german accents, who are not jewish ... she did not even say oy vay ...
Why is it so hard for some people to explain other people's religions ??? I wish i had been more exposed to that when I was younger ...

summary ... decent short, nice to see the penguins back, no conspiracy there

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I can't beleive you people didn't like the short!
I disagree on the max: wallace and grommet wasn't so funny, the penguin short was HILLARIOUS! I never saw Madagascar, but I loved the short.

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Have a "Merry Christmas" Jette,

Hope you get a life from Santa, because you need to get one quickly.

Penguins Rule.

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It never fails that any time this particular reviewer negatively criticizes a film or anything, I end up enjoying it. Perhaps the humor of the short escapes the critic. Perhaps the critic should not think about how he/she feels as a critic about the movie in particular but more how it will be received by the general public. Its called humor, check out Websters dictionary. What are the qualifications and how do you get a job as a critic anyway?

If we are going to be so sensitive about what we see when we go to the movie theaters and express our dislikes then lets express them concerning a matter that most everyone complains about at every theater movie I have seen: Television commercials at the beginning and those Fanta Girls. If not for those types of pre-movie things that fifteen to twenty minutes spent in the theater could be spent doing what we wanted to do to start with, watch a movie.

As for myself, I find no insult. What next, PETA sues for the mis-use of penguins, Jewish oragnizations sue for the little Jewish Lady, Christians sue because of the trivialization of the religious holiday....or heck, what about the egg nog company suing for the use of egg nog in a slamming scene. Either like it or don't. Make up your own mind. I believe if you go to a movie expecting to find insult....if you look close enough you will find an insult to someone in every one.

Lastly, why would any movie critic encourage the purchase of any merchandise unless that critic has a reason to. I believe that was an unprofessional statement and should be looked at by Madagascar/Penguin marketing.

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Yah and whoever wrote this review and was bitchin about Christmas somehow being "imposed" on the poor audience. Watch it again. When they are looking through the bonoculars, the camels are celebrating Hanukah. But you know what? I wasn't "offended" I hate the world we live in today were we are so sensative about these things, no one can have a good time. Does Christmas really offend you? I pity you if it does.

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Wow, what did you watch? I'm Jewish and I didn't see any kind of religous sterotypes. I say the crazy old lady architype, but I know too many of them. I'd say, take the corn cob out, have a deep breath, and chill.

The penguins were the best part of Madagascar, and this short was as funny as the entire movie it is spun off of. If anyone wants to object to the penguins military-inspired actions, again, chill. They were funny, and that is all there is to it. Sure, it is a little satirical, but no one with the sense of a wad of chewing gum will get themselves upset over this. It is mocking our entire mindset right now, as a nation.

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I didn't hate the short but it sure was a good reason for me to take Madagascar off of my rental queue. It seemed that the penguins used their Madagascar catch phrases just to use them, noticeable because they're said for no reason.

I'd also take Feathers McGraw anyday, as I would Wheezy of Toy Story 2, a character they distastefully mock (both because of Joe Ranft's death and because it's fart humor).

At least the short emphasized how amazing the Wallace and Gromit movie is.

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"A Christmas Caper" added more minutes of tedium to the befinning of the movie, what with the lackluster trailers and pre-show commercials. I must admit I'm already biased against the Dreamworks CG movies, and frankly the penguins were just not funny. I laughed once, I think, and it wasn't from the boss penguin cursing with "shittake mushroom" and the like. Is that really the best they can do for humor?

Wallace and Gromit, on the other hand, was hilarious and worth every minute.

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I completely agree with you Jette. I went to a 9:35 showing to avoid familys. After five previews (one per audience member) including Cheaper by the dozen 2 and Yours, Mine and Ours which looks like Cheaper by the dozen: Broken home edition I had to sit through that awful short. The previews are to be expected, but the jewish grandmother christmas and faux swearing really sucked. At least I knew W&G would not dissappoint and was able to grit my teeth till it started.

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The short was cute and enjoyable, the vast majority of the audience was certainly in the same boat judging by the laughter. I definitely feel that the short was of the same caliber as Wallace and Gromit. Perhaps some people just need to lighten up?

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anyone who was actually offended by this sucks. relax you stuck up prudes! the old lady was celebrating christmas... what is so jewish about that? makes no sense! and the old lady was in madagascar... its not like they designed her specifically for this short! so take a chill pill, relax, and enjoy the animation and stop over thinking things... i mean... my whole audience enjoyed it

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I'm a jew and I wasn't offended by the silly old lady caricature.

The short, as a whole, made me chuckle a few times. Mostly is was the whip-fast animation style and the way the penguins moved that I found humorous, cuz I'm right there with you on the script. Weak gags, period.

But it seems that someone at DreamWorks was smart enough to notice that those penguins (and the monkeys) were (far and away) the funniest thing about "Madagascar."

The W & G movie gets 4.5 stars. The penguins short gets ... 2.5.

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First, Christmas is no longer celebrated as a religious holiday by most people, but as a festive holiday of love. Dec. 25 was originally a pagan holiday and almost everything associated with Christmas comes from the pagan religious. Christians added the idea of it's being the birthday of Jesus, but you don't see much of that in Christmas celebrations anymore. And some Jewish people do buy Christmas presents even for your dog.

So you way over reacted to this. I guess you'll be picketing The Family Stone and Ice Harvest because they show the secular non-religious aspects of Christmas.

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Jette, what kind of a movie critic are you? to start you column by telling us how disgusted you were to hear the word Christmas, it seems that you just hated every thing about that short because of Christmas, you could or should I say you should have left the theater and spared us your hateful comments.
By the way I saw the short in a full theater in a very Jewish area of New York and everybody was laughing and enjoying

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It's politically correct sad little people like you that ruin society. This short was genuinely funny - when I saw this in the cinema, pretty much everybody was in stitches.

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I loved the short. If you had seen Madagascar and liked the movie, you'll have to agree that the penguins were great satires of the military.

I really enjoyed the take off on all the spy/war movies. The animation and jokes were cute and clever and while it was not of the style of Wallace and Grommit, it was a funny short feature.

9 stars

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Well, I went to see the penguins as much (if not more) than I did Wallace & Grommit, and wasn't disappointed. I did see 'Madagascar' and the penguins stole the movie, so I was thrilled to see a short (which was advertised plainly in the papers here). About a minute into 'A Christmas Caper' I was laughing so hard I was almost crying, and so was the rest of the audience. Maybe you just have to be a fan, but it was at least as funny as their scenes in the original movie. Probably more! And Rico is quickly becoming a stand-out even among the penguin commando corps...keep an eye on him in EVERY frame! I'd give it twelve stars if I could...

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How can you give such an amazing piece of animation such a terrible review?

I can't believe how funny the whole thing was! I, along with the people in the cinema found it absolutly brilliant! I laughed all the way through!!!!

I loved Madagascar so much, and then when I unexpectedly saw this before Wal. & Grom. I was just in shock!

The only problems:
-The Penguin movie wasn't long enough...
(They should have their own movie)
-Wallace and Gromit seemed not as funny by far after watching those daft penguins!
-I should have gone to the toilet before it came on!

Honestly, I really can't wait for Madagascar2 to come out in 2008... But this mini-movie of the penguins was just BRILLIANT!!!!

Remember people, the review above is one persons point of view, and they clearly found it offensive (With the whole "G" certificate!)

BRILLIANT!
Pete.

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I have to agree with Russel on this one. I mean, honestly, how could you possibly see that short and think "Wow that's ridiculously offensive", "How dare they show anything related to Christmas!" Do you get angry when you hear someone humming 'Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer'in public? I guess I just didn't realize that Christmas is destroying families everywhere. Maybe it's just me, but my entire theater was laughing harder during the short than a lot of Wallace and Grommitt (which was amazingly awesome too). I even had a friend remark that the short alone was worth the 10$ admission fee and everything else was just bonus. So I don't know how you could manage to hate that short, but personally, it was one of the best things I have ever seen.

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yes...i here agree with those who enjoyed the short.

i'm not sure what kind of a theater you were in, but i heard much laughter in the audience when i was enjoying the short. you cannot complain about the pretend-vulgar in this short when there were many pseudo-sexual-innuendos in Wallace and Grommit ("Victor is not so fond of my produce" *while conveniently stroking two melons placed near her bossom*? or "May Contain Nuts"?). you say that the type of comedy employed in the Penguins short is completely mismatched from that of the Wallace and Grommit movie, but i thought them to be quite the same. also, i didn't spot any type of "mean 'ol Jewish lady" stereotyping...and neither could any of my friends whom i asked after reading this review.

your little comment about a "Christmas short offending those of other religions" is completely rediculous and is the biggest tomfoolery i've ever seen anyone have the nerve to write in a review. please, let's leave that "separation of church and state" nonsense for politics, alright?

i think you're just being quite the tad mean-spirited, much like the old lady in this short. it looks like your romping on this short has made you a victim of its comedy...quite the ironic backfiring isn't it?

nevertheless, both the film and the short have had a "G" rating tagged onto them, so the "sensible" adults over at the MPAA deem that this kind of material is suitable for kids...tough luck kiddo. maybe next time Jette, maybe next time.

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