The Flight Before Christmas 2008

A reindeer boy named Niko dreams about flying like his father, whom he has never met. Despite constant mocking from others, he sneaks out of his home valley to take flying lessons from Julius, a flying squirrel.

User Reviews:

Niko is a brash young reindeer living somewhere in the Finnish highlands of Lapland, brought up by his single mother and a flying squirrel called Julius. Niko's real father is said to be a member of the famed fleet of flying reindeer in Santa's sleigh, thus infusing the young calf with a dream to sail through the skies. His attempts to run the wind end with calamity, as he leads a pack of wolves onto the trail of his herd, thus forcing them to evacuate their haven - a valley hidden between the mountains and trees. Hence fraught with self-resentment Niko decides to leave heading North to join his father as part of Santa's sleigh crew. Along the way he will learn the hard truths of life...

Thoroughly engaging, especially for my 5-year old, who was jumping in anticipation, joy and filtering through all the more tense moments, while at times incapable to hold back the emotions. In some ways a far cry from American fare, which shies away from more iffy subject matter (such as Nico's true father turning out to be a narcissistic, high-flying womaniser). Somehow American viewers tend to turn a blind eye at on-screen violence in children's movies, but a slight dosage of reality with blood-hungry wolves and the dissonance between truth and childhood imaginations, suddenly bring about a blow-back. "Niko" definitely treads on dangerous ground, making the movie not as family friendly as expected, given the Santa Claus plot line and the congestion of heavy concepts for youth, but all in all the mix was surprisingly workable with some very nice animation, superb character formation and a sweet tear-jerking resolve that will warm the coldest adult heart.

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Trailer: