by Jake Bourgeois, Contributing Writer
I’ve always had a soft spot for animation. More years than not, at least a couple of animated features find their way onto my top 10 list. So, I’m setting out to shine a light on some films that may have passed you by. The idea with Animation Celebration is to take a look at some underseen gems — so no Toy Story or Frozen here.
Let’s get started.
Let me start off this month with an admission: I’m ashamed of myself. I’m someone who’s raged against the earlier and earlier arrival of the Christmas season. Every year, I roll my eyes scrolling past Christmas music on my radio dial in early November, bemoaning early Christmas films already dropping on streaming services before the Thanksgiving turkey is even purchased, and screaming at my television as Christmas ads seemingly start earlier every year. Apparently, as Harvey Dent once said, “You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”
Each year, a new set of wannabe Christmas classics are released and almost none hit that mark, leaving them to be forgotten, thus making decent movies prime candidates to be overlooked. So, before everyone starts rewatching their annual holiday classics, I wanted to throw another option into the mix that you might have missed when it was released nearly a decade ago. I know I did. And it’s a shame, because Arthur Christmas is a delight.
The film follows our titular character, and Santa Claus’s son, as he sets out with his grandfather to give a misplaced present to a young girl before she wakes. This film has a stellar cast of U.K. talent lending their voices to bring it to life. There’s James McAvoy as Arthur, Jim Broadbent as Santa, Bill Nighy as Grandsanta, Imelda Staunton as Mrs. Santa, and Hugh Laurie as Steve, Santa’s other son in charge of the operation. Beyond that, Laura Linney, Eva Longoria, Michael Palin, Robbie Coltrane, Joan Cusack, and Andy Serkis are just some of the names that fill out the rest of the cast. The film was well-reviewed upon release, with a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a more than respectable 7.1 on IMDb. However, it only made just more than $46 million domestically and grossed a total of just $147 million on a $100 million budget, which is chump change for Christmas capers much worse than this one.
BThe film was brought to us by Sony Pictures Animation and Aardman Animations, the latter being the studio that is famous for the Wallace and Gromit films. As you’d expect from an Aardman film, there’s a dry wit that I really enjoyed, and most of the comedy lands pretty well. When it comes to the animation, there’s nothing overly creative here. There’s no claymation that Aardman is famous for, and it’s certainly not as creative as we’d see Sony get in later animated efforts. However, lack of originality doesn’t mean it’s not solid.
Likewise, our main character — the clumsy one who has to save the day — isn’t necessarily a groundbreaking protagonist, but McAvoy knows what he’s doing and the character still has plenty of charm. His drive about the magic of the holidays and his over-the-top energy may be grating at times to his family and the elves, but it’s hard not to find it endearing. Since Santa is just a title passed down in this version of lore, the Claus family members are all human with flaws. Each character in the Claus family is unique in their own way, if not perhaps slightly one-note. Broadbent’s Santa — at least, as we get to witness him — isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed by his 70th mission, but he’s earnest. Grandsanta is constantly bringing up how much better things were in the old days. Though, through his interactions with Arthur, we get to see under the tough exterior we’re presented in the opening. He also serves as our walking history book, and I personally enjoyed his anecdotes. Steve is cold tech and science over the magic of Christmas, making him a nice foil from our main character. In truth though, it may be Staunton’s Mrs. Santa that will steal the show, with her offhand comments and obviously being the brightest of the bunch.
I thoroughly enjoyed the film’s take on how a modern Christmas night operation might go down. From the film’s opening scene, with the on-screen location text straight out of contemporary spy films, the tone of how Christmas operates is set. The Mission: Impossible spy techniques of Christmas deliveries to open the film is a fun homage.
It might not rise to the level of a “Christmas classic,” but it’s hard not to be taken in by the magic of the film. In the end, it’d be hard not hit the end with a smile on your face. If you’re looking to change up your holiday viewing habits a bit, this endearing gem is more than capable of doing the trick.
I’m excited to continue to geek out on some great animated work you may not have had a chance to catch. Not sure what next month holds, but thanks for reading, and see you at next month’s celebration.
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