Arthur Christmas
Arthur Christmas

Finally a holiday movie we can treasure and watch over and over again. Arthur Christmas directed by Sarah Smith and Barry Cook is a 3D animation movie, brimming with optimism, crackling wit and festive humor.

Santa Claus and his elves Photo courtesy | awn.com
Santa Claus and his elves Photo courtesy | awn.com

What I love is that it questions the age old myth that Santa is just one person and almost makes you believe (sorry kids) that it is a title that is passed on from one generation to the next.

James McAvoy as Arthur Photo courtesy | teen.com
James McAvoy as Arthur (photo courtesy | teen.com)
Arthur Christmas Movie Poster Photo courtesy | showbiznest.com
Arthur Christmas movie poster (photo courtesy | showbiznest.com)

So here we have good ol’ Santa (voiced by Jim Broadbent) who’s getting too old and is all set to pick a successor.

Grand Santa's hilarious antics Photo courtesy | twitchfilm.com
Grand Santa’s hilarious antics (photo courtesy | twitchfilm.com)

He has two sons, Steve (voiced by Hugh Laurie) who commands over the S-1, a two-mile long spaceship (very vaguely sleigh-shaped) which a million elves use to deliver presents, and Arthur (James McAvoy), an adorable klutz who replies to all the Dear Santa mail and actually gets the spirit of Christmas.

Mrs.Claus
Mrs.Claus

The Santas make a picture-perfect family and it’s so cute watching Mrs. Claus worry about how many layers Arthur’s wearing when he sets out on his maiden present-delivery mission.

Steve Claus
Steve Claus

The movie tries to explain how Santa manages to deliver presents to billions of well-behaved kids across the globe. Santa and his team of elves use milk and cookies as biofuel to power a high-tech operation which is carried out with military precision, except for one little girl in Cornwall, who they somehow manage to miss out.

Bryony the elf
Ashley Jensen voices Bryony the elf

That is when Arthur steps in and takes off on the craziest ride in the outdated sleigh, to make sure this little girl has her pretty pink bike before she wakes up on Christmas morning.

Why I heart Arthur Christmas

Arhur Christmas
Arhur Christmas

James McAvoy is sooo sweet and lovable as Arthur. I love that he’s so human and scared of like a billion things and that he only gets really motivated when something worries him. So ‘Worry Me’ is his favorite way of pushing himself to do the right thing. Maybe we should give that a shot, eh?

Grand Santa
Grand Santa

Two things I loved about the movie were the 136 year Grand Santa (voiced by Bill Nighy) who’s super funny, and a cuddly little elf with an eyebrow piercing called Bryony (Ashley Jensen), who’s obsessed with wrapping presents and makes the most wonderful companion to Arthur. Oh and I absoultely adore the army of elves and their crazy antics at the North Pole, especially the one with the Indian accent who says ‘Daa-ta’ for Data.

Arhur and Bryony Photo courtesy | screened.com
Arhur and Bryony (photo courtesy | screened.com)
A little girl writes to Santa Photo courtesy | filmofilia.com
A little girl writes to Santa (photo courtesy | filmofilia.com)

Even though the 3D lacks an element of novelty, the refreshing and fairly inventive plot more than makes up for it. Watch it with your family for an evening of Christmas joy, fantasy, warmth and laughter.

Arthur with the elves at North Pole Photo courtesy | hollywoodreporter.com
Arthur with the elves at the North Pole (photo courtesy | hollywoodreporter.com)
Bryony, Arthur and Grand Santa Photo courtesy | screened.com
Bryony, Arthur and Grand Santa (photo courtesy | screened.com)
Arthur and Bryony Photo Courtesy | showbiznest.com
Arthur and Bryony (photo Courtesy | showbiznest.com)
Steve and Arthur Photo courtesy | twitchfilm.com
Steve and Arthur Photo courtesy | twitchfilm.com