Since there's no summary written here, I'll give you all a brief rundown of what this special's about. A turtle named Harold was unfortunate enough to be born without a shell. Because of this, despite having many talents because of his lack of one, every other turtle looks down upon him. As such, a vulture aptly named Monsieur Volture, helps Harold get over his depression by finding him a shell, ultimately giving him an army helmet from the dump. But while this does gain Harold respect (While going under the uninspired alias, 'Bob'), things take a surprising turn when he finds himself needing to sacrifice his new identity to save a life.
I have to admit, I came into this expecting this to be about as cheesy and schmaltzy as most of these made-for-TV specials usually were back then. It doesn't help that the art style looks really cheap. And yet the final result is not only a lot of fun, it's also surprisingly well-written. Yes, this special has intelligent writing and actual wit to it, such as a joke about Harold possibly being drunk, the fact that the special acknowledges how messed up wearing an army helmet is and how uninspired the names Bob and Volture are and my personal favourite, Harold singing about how he'll kill Volture if his promise to get him a shell ends up being empty. And ultimately, the overall message about staying true to yourself is conveyed very well. Also, for as cheap as the art looks, it seems like a lot of the budget went into the animations as the movements themselves are surprisingly fluid. The main character is also likable enough. You understand his plight and he never comes off as too whiny or insufferable. Also, there are a couple of songs written for the special and while the second one is kind of forgettable, 'Misfit Turtle' is pretty catchy.
On the whole, this is a surprisingly good Christmas special that I think kids and adults can enjoy equally. I'm not sure if there's really any way to see it without relying on the method I used (Which I won't mention for, um, reasons) but if you can find a way to watch this, do so. It might surprise you.
I have to admit, I came into this expecting this to be about as cheesy and schmaltzy as most of these made-for-TV specials usually were back then. It doesn't help that the art style looks really cheap. And yet the final result is not only a lot of fun, it's also surprisingly well-written. Yes, this special has intelligent writing and actual wit to it, such as a joke about Harold possibly being drunk, the fact that the special acknowledges how messed up wearing an army helmet is and how uninspired the names Bob and Volture are and my personal favourite, Harold singing about how he'll kill Volture if his promise to get him a shell ends up being empty. And ultimately, the overall message about staying true to yourself is conveyed very well. Also, for as cheap as the art looks, it seems like a lot of the budget went into the animations as the movements themselves are surprisingly fluid. The main character is also likable enough. You understand his plight and he never comes off as too whiny or insufferable. Also, there are a couple of songs written for the special and while the second one is kind of forgettable, 'Misfit Turtle' is pretty catchy.
On the whole, this is a surprisingly good Christmas special that I think kids and adults can enjoy equally. I'm not sure if there's really any way to see it without relying on the method I used (Which I won't mention for, um, reasons) but if you can find a way to watch this, do so. It might surprise you.
