Hidden Gems - Arthur Christmas (2011)

I’ll admit that besides the first teaser, I wasn’t all interested in this film after seeing the trailers, but I wasn’t with The Lego Movie either. But shortly after its release in 2011, my mom and I decided to spend the afternoon at the movies and it was totally worth it. Just as The Lego Movie quickly became one of my favorite animated movies, Arthur Christmas has quickly risen to be one of my favorite Christmas movies of all time, yet it’s one that I still feel is very underrated, possibly the most underrated Christmas movie of all time. I hope that as time goes on, this film earns its place as a bonafide Christmas classic. The story is rather simple. After a seemingly successful Christmas trip, Santa’s youngest son, Arthur, discovers that a child has been missed and sets off to deliver the present with the help of his grandfather and a wrapping elf who takes her job way too seriously. What elevates the film, however, is the layers of humor and attention to detail placed in the film. Arthur Christmas is absolutely hilarious, with a lot of visual humor, especially in the production design. The script is also one of the sharpest ever for a Christmas film, with a lot of humorous, fast-paced dialogue. In some scenes, there’s so much going on that it requires multiple viewings to catch everything, plus possibly a screening with the subtitles (something I need to do one of these days). The main opening sequence is a prime example of the fast-paced animation the movie offers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLUmNV0tmMo). Besides the humor, one of the best things about this movie is how clever it is. In true Aardman fashion (this was a collaboration with them and Sony Animation), they take technology to an extreme, showing the most technologically advanced version of Santa’s operation in cinema, complete a spaceship-like sleigh and a mission control center. As a result, it takes old Santa tropes and adds an original spin to it. It feels very contemporary and yet is also very timeless. There’s a lot of heart in it as you care about the characters and understand their positions and goals. They act like any normal flawed family, but they just so happen to be part of the Santa dynasty. There is also a great message to the film that comments on the old versus new technology and accomplishes it in a way that doesn’t feel like it’s taking sides. There aren’t any real antagonists, which helps to carry the message, as well as make it feel more relatable. It also tackles the myth of Santa, portraying the man who currently holds the position as a normal, flawed man. The voice cast is absolutely perfect, including James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Jim Broadbent, Imelda Staunton, and Bill Nighy, the latter of whom gets almost all of the best lines of the film and absolutely nails them. The music by Harry Gregson Williams is also beautiful, coming close to rivaling The Polar Express for most beautiful Christmas movie score (my only complaint about the music would be is that the beautiful main theme isn’t used often enough in my opinion). The film was marketed as featuring Justin Bieber’s cover of “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town,” but the song is only heard very briefly in the beginning and then played in the middle of the end credits, so it should not be a detractor for any haters. The movie is not without flaws. There’s a lot of timeline issues that picky viewers might point out and there’s definitely some unsurvivable situations that are only possible in a cartoon. There is a relationship between two characters that parents may find borders the line of what’s appropriate for children, but other than that, it’s appropriate for all ages. Overall, I can’t recommend Arthur Christmas enough. It is possibly the Christmas movie that is the most aggressively recommended by all who see it, and I am no different. If you have not seen this film yet, then I suggest you add it to your holiday watchlist. You won’t be disappointed. Reference Videos (Shows Some Spoilers): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGmVXtJUQ3Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jfd6FNlwwhE