Don't listen to the negative reviews

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

I first heard of this Christmas special when one of my university classmates recommended it to me when she said the storyline of 'Olive, The Other Reindeer (also very good)' reminded her of the plot of this one due to Annabelle and Olive both wanting to become reindeer, although Annabelle's true wish was Billy being able to talk again. I watched the first half of this on YouTube in the run-up to last Christmas and I found it rather enjoyable. This morning when I decided to watch the whole thing from the beginning due to having forgotten where exactly I'd left off, I was more satisfied because I got more out of it than I had done previously.Although the character designs looked pretty generic, particularly the humans, I soon got used to them and although I initially thought Emily (also the name of the girl at uni who recommended this to me) was a boy, she was an endearing side-character and I found Annabelle absolutely adorable. When I first saw her, she reminded me of the ponies in the original 1980s 'My Little Pony' cartoon. Billy is a character who anyone watching this special would deeply sympathise with, his grandfather is supportive while Aunt Agnes is self-indulgent and the father of the boys who torment Billy and Emily is strict. The rest of the animal characters are more than worthy if Slim the pig is somewhat clichéd and stereotypical despite his name being the complete opposite of how he looks. The animation is fluid with rich shading and great uses of principles, most notably squash and stretch and follow-through and overlapping action. Both the background designs, especially those in the snowy exterior scenes and the springtime sequence, and music are beautiful. I particularly liked the songs accompanying Annabelle's dream of herself jumping in the sky like a reindeer and the springtime sequence. The story and the dialogue are both heartbreaking (Billy becoming mute when being traumatised by the barn fire) and heartwarming (Billy and Annabelle eventually getting their wishes) and I liked the ending of Billy and Emily as a married couple and Annabelle becoming a real reindeer. The voice acting has some great variety to it and Santa's voice here is more convincing and realistic than that in the mediocre 'The Christmas Tree, where it sounded creepy and robotic. There are more well-known voices in the cast of this special than first thought including Randy Travis, Cloris Leachman (Hydia in 'My Little Pony: The Movie'), Kath Soucie and Frank Welker.Despite its generic character designs and one clichéd, stereotypical character, 'Annabelle's Wish' is a charming, heartbreaking and heartwarming Christmas special that I would happily watch every festive season. 8/10.

DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED THE MOVIE! THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS ABOUT PLOT POINTS!A classic straight out of the middle of my childhood, Annabelle's Wish is a kid's Christmas film about a talking calf who wants to become one of Santa's reindeer, and a mute boy who struggles to live with his disability. When I was young, this was my favorite Christmas film, surprisingly blowing A Charlie Brown Christmas out of the water (I didn't understand much of the humor in the Peanuts cartoons, or the comics). The bond between Annabelle and Billy was my first taste of bittersweet endings (Although it was mostly sweet rather than bitter, otherwise it wouldn't be much of a kid's movie), and sort of set the standard for these sort of altruistic stories. I didn't understand much of the main conflict involving Aunt Agnes and how she was going to take Billy away, so unfortunately, that wasn't really a part I could get involved in. But the impact it left with the ending was something I was able to walk away with, permanently changing the way I thought about how unimportant my wants were compared to others' needs.A decade later, I stumbled upon the full movie on YouTube, so I thought I'd give it a look. Surprisingly, it hasn't changed much. The bit with Aunt Agnes was something I could understand (Custody of kids and whatnot), but it wasn't something I was particularly interested in. It was still the bond between Annabelle and Billy that I could stay involved in. Although many of the potentially real moments in the movie were made cliché and corny, I can understand, seeing that it was made mostly for kids. Overall, it's great for kids who are looking for something to do on Christmas, as well as give a lesson in selflessness. Helped steer me into thinking about putting myself in others' shoes, rather than always thinking for myself. Adults can watch too, if they're willing to bear the overused lines, as well as awkward kid gags that really aren't that funny. Not that I care. Still gonna be one of my favorite movies I've ever watched.

I've always adored Christmas movies, from It's a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street to Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and The Snowman. Annabelle's Wish is another one of my favourites. It looks beautiful, the character designs are skillfully drawn and the backgrounds are colourful and fluid. The score is wonderfully whimsical, and the songs are catchy, while the writing is amusing and sweet and the story of friendship(always has been a great value) gives you that warm and cosy feeling as a Christmas movie should do and is genuinely touching without being sentimental. The characters are really likable, especially Annabelle, who is just adorable and you identify with her immediately. Billy also is enough to warm the heart. The voice acting from the likes of Kath Soucie, Jerry Van Dyke, Clancy Brown, Randy Travis and Cloris Leachman is very good. Overall, a cute, touching animation that is perfect for the Christmas season or if you want something very relaxing to watch. 10/10 Bethany Cox

My mom bought this several years ago on VHS. I had never heard of it, but reluctantly watched it with her. Who knew a cartoon could be a tear- jerker? Now, several years later, I always ask if anyone has heard about it when people are talking about their favorite Christmas movies. I have never had someone say they have seen it! Netflix doesn't even carry it in their titles! If you can get your hands on a copy, watch it! It ranks right up there with 'It's a Wonderful Life', 'White Christmas', and 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' on my list! If you love animals it is a sure hit. Kids will love it, Parents will love it even more.I just don't understand why more people don't know about it!