Snowman's New Year mission Puppies and snowmen often became New Year’s characters in Soviet cartoons of the 1950s, but “Snowman-Postman” is interesting because, most likely, it is a continuation of the cartoon “Arrow flies away into a fairy tale”. The fact is that there are wolves and owls that look exactly the same and they are even voiced by the same actors.
The plot of “Snowman-Postman” quickly became known throughout the USSR and partly in the post-Soviet space. Many people watched it as children, so some oddities are ignored, because they are used to being perceived as quite natural. Meanwhile, reviewing the cartoon as an adult, you are surprised at what the narrative starts from. 1955, and in Moscow there is no Christmas tree! And the guys ask Santa to bring them a tree, without any additional gifts. Really? In a city surrounded by mixed forests, do children lack just a Christmas tree? But what about tangerines or bananas, which in those days in the capital really lacked? Once surprised by this, you can no longer fully share the delight of the characters.
Another strange thing is the snowman himself, who, in the presence of the civilized world, keeps a grave silence, even if asked to convey congratulations. And for some reason, the snowman is mentally retarded. Always forgetting keywords. Surprisingly, the head does not forget, although it tends to fall off. The voice of the snowman, by the way, George Vitsin.
Atypical for a Soviet cartoon looks like a bear, which is depicted here with a very powerful muzzle. As you can guess, the bear here is a positive character, and the wolf, fox and owl are negative, and so much so that they do not cause a drop of sympathy. Perhaps the artists and screenwriters still went overboard, showing them as hopeless villains. And since the owl flew here from the already mentioned “Arrow”, then again there is a claim to his voice, which is too reminiscent of Disney’s Mickey Mouse.
But still "Snowman" is good. There is amazing music during the chase, and there are also funny moments associated with the fact that the snowman, defending a valuable message, someone stabs with a broom. A little ridiculous, this cartoon is saturated with the atmosphere of the Soviet New Year, which is forever gone. That’s interesting too, isn’t it?
8 out of 10