Snowball Express (1972)

Review by All Movie Guide
For those who think that a workable high concept is "Dean Jones in the snow" -- and that apparently included the folks at Disney in the 1970s -- Snowball Express will be a sheer delight. Certainly, most kids will be entertained by this extremely innocuous and eager-to-please trifle, and tired adults who are looking for a seriously undemanding way to pass the time will also find themselves chuckling along with this agreeable if exceedingly lightweight film. The screenplay, of course, is by the numbers, as is the direction; but as formulaic as it all is, it's still a formula that actually works. The big finale goes on a bit too long, and the constant emphasis on physical comedy throughout becomes a bit distracting, but there are still enough payoffs to make it worthwhile. The all-semi-star cast helps to keep the film lively, with Dean Jones his usually goofy, endearing self, Harry Morgan appropriately crusty and odd, and Johnny Whitaker and Kathleen Cody cute. Snowball is not one of Disney's great films, but it's an amiable time filler. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide