Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice is a computer-animated television special, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and directed by Kevin Deters and Stevie Wermers-Skelton. Originally aired on ABC on December 5, 2011, it is a sequel to the 2009 special Prep & Landing. It was then featured on ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas on December 21st of the same year and has aired there annually since.
Synopsis
As the special begins, we are introduced to the Coal Elf Brigade, a special unit of Christmas elves that is responsible for delivering lumps of coal to naughty children. However, in the middle of a mission by one group of these elves, they are ambushed, and in their escape, their Fruitcake Conduct Calculator is stolen by the child who lives in the house they were examining.
Wayne and Lanny with Wayne's brother Noel.
The following year, Wayne and Lanny are informed that they have to recover the lost Conduct Calculator, as it is now in the hands of a hacker identified only as "jinglesmell1337." Desperate to prevent Christmas from descending into chaos, Wayne seeks out (at the insistence of Magee) the foremost Naughty Kid expert to aid in the mission, a bombastic member of the Coal Elf Brigade who also happens to be his estranged younger brother, Noel. Reluctant to take the extroverted Noel along with him, Wayne relents, and Noel joins Wayne and Lanny on their mission. During the trip, Noel and Wayne reminisce about their childhood, when they worked together far better than they do now.
Grace interrogating a captive Lanny.
As the trio arrives at the hacker's house, Wayne sets off a trap, imperiling the entire team; Wayne takes a particular beating while Noel is able to defend himself. Lanny, however, is able to infiltrate the hacker's room, only to be taken captive. The hacker then reveals herself to be Grace Goodwin, whose sole mission is to get herself off the naughty list, believing that she had been set up by her toddler brother, Gabriel, who had destroyed her favorite toy and ruined her chances to ask Santa Claus for a new one by his crying. After a somewhat intoxicated Lanny suggests using the "magic words" to get the password for the device that will get her off the list, she does just that: using the word "please" as the password. At first, Grace appears successful in changing her status from naughty to nice, but the device malfunctions, threatening to place the entire planet on the naughty list unless she and the team can pull off a risky operation to fix the problem.
Noel hugging Wayne.
Meanwhile, Wayne is particularly bitter at being "shown up" by his younger brother, prompting a fight in the street in front of Grace's house in which Wayne wishes he never had a brother. Shocked at his statement, Noel (who always idolized Wayne growing up) asks Wayne to say he didn't mean it, then throws what he had intended to give Wayne as a Christmas present at him. The gift - a toy that Wayne had wanted as a boy but was never able to get - prompts Wayne to reconcile with Noel and carry out the mission. Grace, watching the whole argument as it unfolds, learns a powerful lesson and a newfound appreciation for her younger brother.
The next morning, the scene at the Goodwin house shows Gabriel giving Grace her new Christmas present - a replacement toy for the one he had destroyed a year prior.
Songs
- "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town"
- "I'm Gettin' Nuttin' for Christmas"
- "Naughty Naughty Children (Better Start Acting Nice)"
Trivia
- A school and report card in the story is based on writer/director Stevie Wermer-Skelton's elementary school, while the teacher is modeled on one of writer/director Kevin Deters' favorite teachers is depicted within that school.
- Behavioral data for Timmy Terwelp (from the first special) can be seen on one of the elves' computers.
- Grace meets the elves wearing a Disney Princess shirt.
- In a flashback scene, as Grace walks away from the store Santa, the next kids in line are Ralphie Parker and the kid with goggles from A Christmas Story.
- As Noel goes in for a closer look as what Grace is doing, he goes under a bed complete with stuffed toys, including one of Mickey Mouse.
Awards
The special won the 2011 Annie Awards for Best Character Animation in a TV Production, Best Character Design in a TV Production, Best Music in a TV Production, and Best Storyboarding in a Television Production, and was also nominated for Best Directing in a Television Production and Best General Audience Animated TV Production.
Availability
The special was made available, along with the original Prep & Landing special, on the Prep & Landing Totally Tinsel Collection DVD and Blu-ray, released on November 6, 2012.
November 6, 2012
November 6, 2012
Cast
| Voice actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Dave Foley | Wayne |
| Derek Richardson | Lanny |
| Sarah Chalke | Magee |
| Rob Riggle | Noel |
| Chris Parnell | Mr. Thistleton |
| Emily Alyn Lind | Grace Goodwin |
| W. Morgan Sheppard | The Big Guy (Santa Claus) |
| Hayes MacArthur | Thrasher |
| Phil LaMarr | Crumbles |
| Christopher Harrison | Gene the New Snowmobile Salesman |
| Grace Potter | Carol |
| Kevin Deters | Hop With Me Bunny |
| Stevie Wermers-Skelton Dorthy McKim |
Miscellaneous elves |
Note: Mrs. Claus and Miss Holly appear at the end, but do not have speaking parts.
External links
- Official website
- Prep & Landing Wiki: Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice
- Disney Wiki: Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice
- Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice at the Internet Movie Database
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