A Holiday Movie That Will Make You Laugh and Appreciate Beavers

Plot and Characters

In "Hundreds of Beavers", an applejack salesman named Jean Kayak sees his business destroyed by frisky beavers. Left half-frozen and starving in the snowy north, he becomes a 19th-century fur trapper. His goal is to win the heart of a local furrier and her stern merchant father by confronting the beavers that ruined his life. As the name suggests, he faces off against hundreds of beavers.

Don't worry too much about following the storyline as there are only a few lines of spoken dialogue. Nearly all the animals are portrayed by humans wearing adult-sized animal costumes, with the exception of the fish Jean catches using adorable puppets. When an animal meets its end, its eyeballs are replaced by two cartoon-style Xs.

Comedy and Visual Style

A lot of the comedy in "Hundreds of Beavers" is physical. There's no snappy patter or withering one-liners; just a guy trying (and usually failing in increasingly hapless ways) to capture beavers and other woodland creatures. It has a definite through line from the silent film comedies of Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd, with a lot of hard-won beaver pelts along the way.

The movie is also like a live-action cartoon. Swap out the actor playing Jean Kayak for Elmer Fudd, and it wouldn't miss a beat. With video game-inspired sound effects added, director Mike Cheslik has cleverly made a black-and-white silent movie accessible to modern audiences.

Holiday Appeal

While "Hundreds of Beavers" may not touch on the traditional holiday themes, it is still a perfect movie to watch during the holidays. It's lighthearted, funny, and appeals to a wide range of viewers. There's plenty of snowfall to make you feel warm and cozy while sipping cocoa, and you'll see a lot of wooly beards that rival Santas.

Currently, "Hundreds of Beavers" is streaming on Prime Video, Tubi, Pluto, and the Roku Channel - three of the best free streaming services. So, if your family gathering is in need of some good cheer, sit everyone down and enjoy this unique holiday movie.