Film Name: 圣诞大赢家 / The Winner
This is a delightfully entertaining film. Setting aside the dry humor frequently delivered by the reindeer Xiao Tian Zhen, or the anime-specific slang peppering the dialogue, the mere inclusion of the “If You Are the One” dating show’s signature lamp-extinguishing segment into the plot speaks volumes about the screenwriter’s bold ambition for witty, irreverent storytelling.
Yet beneath this joy, I sense a faint ache. Both the laughter and the pain stem from the film’s intensely comic-like satire. Through the selection process, it mocks society’s aesthetic standards—a world saturated with superficial judgments, jealousy, and prejudice. By depicting a world where Chinese Christmas orders surge, it satirizes China’s descent into a vortex of consumerism. It mocks the absence of meaningful dreams through the characters’ trivial Christmas wishes; it even satirizes gender bias through names like “Liu Zhaodi” (a play on “Liu Zhaodi,” a character from classical Chinese literature who was born a woman but raised as a man).
Most crucially, the film satirizes society’s polarized class divide through the conflict between Shao Dangjia, a wealthy second-generation tycoon who commands the winds and rains, and Shao Baxing, a street sweeper. The film casts the rich heir as the antagonist, making him look utterly ridiculous, creating a stark contrast between his superficial glamour and moral ugliness. Especially when Shao Dangjia repeatedly sneers, “You common folk this and that,” it sounds jarringly harsh, yet it’s hard to deny that it reflects the mindset of a real segment of society.
While the film also tells a story of an ordinary person becoming a hero, it differs from American-style working-class hero narratives. The latter avoid deliberately contrasting heroes with non-working-class backgrounds, instead promoting the idealistic notion that anyone can become a hero. In this film, though the wealthy second-generation character Shao Dangjia loses, he never truly becomes common. The arrogance in his mind never achieves genuine repentance. In other words, while the film makes audiences despise the behavior of the wealthy elite, it ultimately fails to provide a definitive reason to reject them entirely.
Thus, this is not a film suitable for children but a genuine adult animation. While children may recognize Shao Dangjia’s villainy, they also witness his wealth and ostentatious displays of affluence, which could still spark envy.
The film offers no particularly clear justification for Shao Baxing becoming a hero. Is it because he’s simple-minded? Because he’s kind? Or because he possesses love? In the competition to become the head of Christmas Island’s Asian division, Shao Baxing’s reasons for emerging as the big winner—whether it’s his leadership skills or team spirit—are actually rather flimsy. His victory feels contrived, padded with comedic moments. What truly moving qualities does his win embody? What unique traits make him uniquely suited for this role? I kept hoping the film would deliver a weighty revelation to clarify this.
That said, the film did make me fall for the character of Naive the Reindeer. Initial trailers and stills made him seem a bit silly, but through the story’s development, that slight silliness blossomed into immense charm. It’s a shame the theater didn’t sell plush toys after the screening—many kids would have bought them.
As a review of this film, I recommend it to everyone. It’s an animated movie with real substance.
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