Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons. Actually appreciate it even more through young adults eyes, due to having more knowledge of it, various animation styles, studios, directors and how it all works.'The Captain's Christmas' is not one of Friz Freleng's best cartoons by any stretch, in an uneven "still evolving" period of his long career, and he was yet to be in his full prime and not yet found his style properly. For a relatively early effort, 'The Captain's Christmas', one of a short-lived series of cartoons and easily the best of them, is well above average but not great or a Freleng classic. He would do much better later when there would be more freshness and wit, more laugh a minute material, an even livelier pace and more confidence.It is fairly predictable story-wise and the Captain could have had more to. do However, the titular character and especially John are fun characters and the chemistry between the characters elevates 'The Captain's Christmas'. John is in it more and he is more interesting and funnier.The cartoon is very amusing, actually hilarious in particularly the final carolling scene, and it goes at a lively and energetic pace. It is a Christmas cartoon but it never gets too sappy.. The dialogue is witty and clever.Animation is excellent, it's fluid in movement, crisp in shading and very meticulous in detail. It's also pretty witty. The music is lovely on the ears, lushly orchestrated, full of lively energy and characterful in rhythm, adding to the action and even enhancing. Voice acting from Mel Blanc and Billy Bletcher, Blanc especially with more to do, is terrific and full of character.Although, above average and hugely entertaining but nothing mind-blowing. 7/10 Bethany Cox

. . . the Axis Powers of World War Two as they misjudged America as nearly-rotten fruit ripe for the plucking. THE CAPTAIN'S CHR!STMAS uses the hackneyed MGM cartoon device of the main character ("Pegleg John Silver" here, NOT "The Captain," as the title would lead you to suspect!) falling asleep to have a wild dream mid-cartoon. (If these animated folks had had any brains, they'd dream about being employed at ANOTHER movie studio besides MGM!) Problem is, Pegleg John NEVER wakes from his nightmare about shooting up the kids' Christmas while dressed in a Santa Suit. (Yes, there WAS a live-action feature remake of this animated short last holiday season titled KRAMPUS.) More perversely, Pegleg John rides over all the Captain's kids' new toys on their newly assembled tricycle, breaking the whole lot of them--trike and all! Most disturbingly, John-as-a-Kid (with a miniature Pegleg and all!) shows up to persuade John to go to a nearby village totally populated by Santas to beg for replacement toys! John's pirate crew may or may not crash the Pearly Gates during this foray, but who really cares?

This is just about the only genuinely funny Captain and the Kids cartoon they made. A few were reasonably good, if not terribly memorable. But this one deserves to be seen and remembered. I suspect that the fact that, despite the title, The Captain makes but a cameo appearance has something to do with its success. The focus here is on the pirate John, a much more interesting character. John's attempts to make amends for his thoughtless actions are the bulk of the cartoon. The caroling scene is beautiful!!! Suffice it to say that I've never quite heard "Hang Up the Holly in the Window" in the same way before and it will always remind me of this cartoon whenever I hear it in the future! Painful, but effective! Well worth tracking down. Most recommended.

Long John Silver and his henchmen, the Herring Boys, dress up as St. Nick and ruin Christmas Eve for the Captain and the Kids. John feels an unusual sting of remorse and is briefly haunted by a vision of himself as a child. (He looks a lot like Buster Brown!!) Lively and amusing, even though the kids aren't allowed to be their traditionally diabolical selves. Silver's unorthodox method of fund-raising is a highlight. I'm not sure who to credit for this since Graham Webb's "Animated Film Encyclopedia" lists Milt Gross as the director, while other sources give the honors to Friz Freleng.