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The Little Drummer Boy

Play trailer Poster for The Little Drummer Boy 1968 30m Fantasy Animation Kids & Family Musical Play Trailer Watchlist
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75% Tomatometer 12 Reviews 74% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
An orphaned boy who hates humanity encounters the baby Jesus in Bethlehem. Music by the Vienna Boys Choir.
The Little Drummer Boy

What to Know

Critics Consensus

The Little Drummer Boy is a mature addition to the Rankin-Bass catalogue, with a powerful conclusion that compensates for the special's dour storytelling and unpolished animation.

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Critics Reviews

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AV Club Staff AV Club 12/06/2018
It's a lot like How The Grinch Stole Christmas, in other words, only with a Biblical foundation and not so much rhyming. The special is effective as all get-out, too. Go to Full Review
Michael Booth Denver Post 12/04/2018
I thought "Rudolph" was the worst animation I had seen, until seeing Drummer Boy again. Aaron the misanthropic drummer, formerly with Metallica, and his animal friends skitter across the Sinai like cockroaches on Red Bull. Go to Full Review
Andrew Ryan Globe and Mail 12/04/2018
A Christmas children's special that actually depicts events from the Bible? What a concept! Go to Full Review
Rachel Wagner rachelsreviews.net 04/18/2019
7/10
I think it was all handled beautifully. Go to Full Review
Ryan Voyles Paste Magazine 12/04/2018
Certainly lives up to its reputation as the bleakest of the Rankin/Bass collection. But the 20 minutes of wallowing in misery is worthwhile for the company's best finale ever. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Blake- N @PBSAniDom 2d The Little Drummer Boy (1968) is a solid Christmas special from Rankin/Bass that captures a simple but heartfelt holiday message. While it is not as flashy or widely known as some of their other classics, it still delivers a meaningful story with strong emotional themes of kindness, faith, and finding purpose. The stop-motion animation has that classic vintage charm that gives it a nostalgic feel, and the music helps set a warm Christmas atmosphere throughout the special. The story itself is straightforward, but it works well for its intended audience and holiday tone. Overall, it is a modest yet memorable Christmas special that holds up as a good entry in the Rankin/Bass collection. I would rate it an 8/10. See more Evan C @zestyitalian27 Dec 16 It's a really wholesome story that's cute and fun, but the animation is like really crunchy and the story is hard to follow but it's still good. See more Colton D. @Pizza149 Nov 24 The movie was surprisingly dark. I don’t know why they had to make a kids movie this dark but I actually loved it other than how dark it was. It was a pretty good movie actually, I love to see baby Jesus on the big screen See more Bryant C @RT95849258 12/07/2024 One of my favorite movies as a child, thank god for my mother's Christian ways lol See more Russell H @RT85733992 12/20/2023 I enjoy these old animated ones. I hadn't seen a lot of this one as a kid but worth a watch. See more Savannah W @RT05699518 07/01/2023 One Of Greatest Animated Christmas Movies I Had Ever Seen Growing Up And Still This Movie Does Not Disappoint The Songs Are Great And The Voice Acting Was Great This Is Just A Classic See more Read all reviews
The Little Drummer Boy

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Movie Info

Synopsis An orphaned boy who hates humanity encounters the baby Jesus in Bethlehem. Music by the Vienna Boys Choir.
Director
Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr.
Screenwriter
Romeo Muller
Genre
Fantasy, Animation, Kids & Family, Musical
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 19, 1968, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 30, 2013
Runtime
30m