meisterburger23 Nestor the Long Eared Christmas Donkey is a sweet, yet sad Christmas Special.The story starts with our narrator Santa's donkey who explains his ancestor Nestor, Nestor was a donkey born with very long ears. The other animals on the farm where he lived were mean and made fun of him. Olaf the donkey owner was also cruel and called him insulting names. The only person who was kind to Nestor was his mother. One night Roman soldiers come to the farm and want some young donkeys. Olaf shows them all the young donkeys and they take them. they take Nestor but he puts up a struggle causing his long ears to be shown. The angry soldiers take the young donkeys for free and leave Olaf furious that he lost a sale. Olaf tosses Nestor out into a blizzard and his mother has enough and breaks out of her pen to rescue her son. Homeless and alone Nestor and his mother find a drift bank and his mother digs a hole so she can cover Nestor up with herself to keep him warm. Tragically Nestor's mother dies in the blizzard sacrificing her own self for her young son. Nestor wanders the world alone until he meets a cherub called Tilly who tells Nestor he must travel to Bethlehem.After a journey Tilly takes Nestor to a donkey dealer and Nestor spends the next months being ridiculed and abused by the other animals. One night Mary and Joesph arrive and want to purchase Nestor because they've fallen with his gentle eyes. The dealer gives Nestor for free. Mary Joseph and Nestor travel thru the desert and get caught in a sand storm, but Nestor uses his ears to hear the voices of angels and gets the two to Bethlehem where in a manger Jesus is born. Nestor returns to his farm where the animals and Olaf greet him with loving embrace.This special is sad because Nestor's mother obviously dies and also there is a little abuse among the animals but it is forgiven in the end. I recommend this special for kids and nostalgia adults. It also teaches how that you have a purpose and God created you for that special purpose

Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de) This is one of my favorite Christmas television specials and it was made by the fairly famous Ranking and Bass almost 40 years ago. I am not religious at all, so the story is fine to me, but it does not leave a massive impact. The first reason why I love this so much is the main character. Nestor is really just as cute as it gets and I have always had a soft spot for donkeys. It's so much fun to watch this because he is in basically every single scene. And secondly, it's the music. Roger Miller adds a pretty unique touch with his singing here and it elevates the film a lot. I love his voice and it fits the tone of the film perfectly, be it the sad or the great moments. Shame on the other animals for bullying Nestor because of his rabbit ears. I felt they made him even much cuter than he already was. And there is some decent comedy in here as well, even if it's not immediately obvious. I found the scene hilarious at the end when Nestor uses his ears to ski down to the other animals. I saw this one here is actually a sequel to two Little Drummer Boy specials, but you don't need to watch them to enjoy this one here. In any case I enjoyed this animated Nestor movie a lot and highly recommend watching it.

Lauren Esel Finally, a children's Christmas movie that has something for the adults, too. This darling movie has an awful plot and at first might seem dull, BUT the hidden sexual innuendos make the movie worth watching. For example, it is quoted that Nestor's *hmm hmm* was as sensitive as it was long. Nestor's *hmm hmm* are also described as always "dragging on the ground." C'mon. There's also a time when all the animals in the barn are sleeping, but "Nestor was too excited," and even though his mother tries to keep them down, Nestor's *hmm hmm* keep popping up. *raises eyebrows* You'll enjoy watching this with your children, and thinking of your own innuendos about Nestor's *hmm hmm*. P.S. completely unrelated to this review, but my favorite part in the movie is when the roman soldiers pay the farmer with real US nickels, which are huge in the animation.

justfun-1967 I have watched Nestor many times over the years. It is still one of my favorite Christmas movies of all time. As the story of the donkey who carried the pregnant Mary to Bethlehem, it has a strong religious theme. It ties in a wonderful message of acceptance and love as well. The animation is corny, and the US nickel doubling as a Roman coin is funny, but the meaning is worth the short time. Treat your kids to this story when they're young--get them hooked and keep showing it every year. Be prepared with tissues, though, if you're the soft-hearted kind. This one has me crying every year. There is nothing like a mother's love.