HE-MAN/SHE-RA CHRISTMAS SPECIAL (1985)

PHENOMENALITY: *marvelous*
MYTHICITY: *poor*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *adventure*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTION: *sociological*

The HE-MAN/SHE-RA CHRISTMAS SPECIAL seems more He-Man centric by far. Both Adam and Adora are in Eternia, preparing to celebrate their mutual birthday. Adam's comical sidekick Orko takes a spaceship off on a trip and ends up broaching dimensional barriers. He ends up on Earth-- incidentally, the homeworld of the twins' mother-- where it happens to be the Christmas season. Two kids, Miguel and Alisha, come across the marooned Orko and make friends with him, in addition to telling him all about Christmas.

Seeking to rescue Orko, Adora becomes She-Ra, travels back to Etheria, looking for needed resources. After vanquishing a hostile monster she must contend with giant machines called "Monstroids," which are a little better designed than the average Filmation robot. She-Ra escapes and brings the item back to Eternia, making it possible to teleport Orko back to his homeworld-- but with the two kids along for the ride. While the kids await their return, they relate the customs of the Yuletide season to everyone there, who, being good guys, are immediately won over.

The master of Hordak's horde, Horde-Prime, nurtures some strange belief that the "Christmas spirit" can interfere with his conquest of Eternia, so he sets a bounty for the capture of the Earth-kids. Both Hordak and Skeletor compete for the reward. as do The Monstroids.

There are a lot of captures and escapes, all pretty dull. Skeletor eventually secures the kids, but because he's forced to protect them from cold and wild beasts, he begins to absorb some of the "Christmas spirit." Frankly, I like Hordak better and thought his temporary conversion would've been more dramatic. But as I said, He-Man's mythology gets the strongest emphasis here.

Though the "action" in a Filmation production is spotty at best, CHRISTMAS SPECIAL is much weaker in this department than SECRET OF THE SWORD. If you like treacle in your stocking, the Special has that in abundance, but not much else.