Shortly after its release, I had to write a brief synopsis for 1985’s He-Man & She-Ra: A Christmas Special. Back then I snarkily described it as “the animated holiday classic that’s enchanted young and old for generations.” Well, here it is 40 years later, and darned if the Gen Xers who watched the program when they were kids aren’t now showing it to their own children. Just goes to show what four decades and America’s insatiable thirst for childhood nostalgia will do.
Produced by Filmation, the hour-long (with commercials) special was made to follow up the two-season run of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe while fitting in the middle of She-Ra: Princess of Power’s two-year tenure. It opens on the royal palace of Eternia. Everyone is decorating for a birthday celebration for super-powered siblings Prince Adam and Princess Adora, aka He-Man and She-Ra. The twins’ mother, Earth-born Queen Marlena, tells her husband how it’s Christmastime back home (So Adam and Adora are Capricorns. Who knew?).
Well, almost everyone is at the palace. Prince Adam and his pal Man-At-Arms are finishing work on the Sky Spy, a spaceship that will let them…well, spy on their nemesis Skeletor and his henchmen. What the duo doesn’t know is that the mischievous (some might say annoying) wizard Orko was spying on them. Of course, he manages to sneak into the craft and launch it. Trying a magic spell to land the ship winds up sending Orko to Earth. The diminutive mage befriends two children, Alisha and her brother Miguel, who were out looking for a Christmas tree for their family. The kids try to explain what Christmas is to Orko (“A long, long time ago…” Miguel says before the scene ends; no Linus quoting Luke 2 here), but he’s mainly interested in the presents.
Back on Eternia, She-Ra battles various monsters and obtains a rare crystal needed to power a transport beam to retrieve Orko and the Sky Spy. The beam works, but brings Alisha and Miguel along for the ride. The good guys make the kids feel at home while waiting for the crystal to recharge so they can return them to Earth. Meanwhile, the evil overlord Horde Prime summons Skeletor and She-Ra’s arch-foe, Hordak, and charges them with abducting the youngsters. It seems they’re spreading the “Christmas spirit” across Eternia, and all that goodwill threatens his plans.
Skeletor manages to snatch them from his rival, but when the trio is lost in the snow, the skull-faced villain begins showing unexpected sympathy for his hostages. No, his heart doesn’t grow three full sizes like some Yuletide cartoon baddies. He does, however, does conjure up warm jackets for them and save them from a snow beast. He even confronts Horde Prime to keep them safe. “I don’t know what’s coming over me,” Skeletor exclaims. “But whatever it is, I don’t like it!” He’s relieved when She-Ra informs him that Christmas comes but once a year.
Now, maybe I was snarky in my 1985 assessment, but one can objectively state that He-Man and She-Ra: A Christmas Special is not an “animated classic.” The Filmation studio was, after all, infamous for its ultra-limited animation and recycled shots. The action here, though, is on a par with the original ’80 shows, with fine voice work courtesy of Allen Oppenhemier, Melendy Britt, and the late John Erwin. The “Christmas is the season of love and joy” message comes on a bit heavy-handed. On the other hand, Skeletor’s almost-redemption arc is effectively and humorously depicted (kudos to Oppenheimer). Maybe it doesn’t reach the height of How the Grinch Stole Christmas or Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire. Even so, there are worse ’80s Yuletide cartoons to watch. Care Bears Nutcracker Suite or Christmas Comes to Pac-Land, anyone?