Review of Arthur Christmas (2011) by Justin Z — 21 Aug 2012

I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by this film. Pay no attention to the trailer for this film, as it is completely misleading. It's exactly what we should expect from a good holiday film: funny, charming, touching and earnest!

Arthur Christmas follows Arthur, the youngest son in the Santa Claus family and second in line to inherit the role of Santa Claus from his aging father. This Christmas, however, something has gone wrong. His older brother's super efficient delivery system has overlooked a bicycle for a younger girl, but it is too late to deliver it before sunrise. Feeling obligated to do Christmas right, Arthur borrows the old sleigh with a helpful elf and his grandfather, the previous Santa, to deliver this last present.

It is a very simple but surprisingly touching story, made all the more so by a wonderful cast of characters. Arthur may be a bit too bumbling at times, but his genuine sincerity and empathy makes you overlook some of the weaker pratfalls early in the film. His family is of course dysfunctional, but in a more meaningful way. No one here is a sinister character, which is so refreshing because turning one of them into "the villain" would have felt so false. There is a sweet family dynamic that helps the characters overcome faults to find what makes each of them unique and likable not just to each other but to the audience. And the story actually does something Christmas films almost never do anymore: actually make you feel like Christmas is special and heartwarming! It's a refreshing change of pace for these types of films and something that I'd love to see more often.

The animation is great (really, do you expect any less from Aardman?). There's no claymation in sight, but the CG is carefully designed and expressive. Simple but detailed character work mixed with varied and colorful settings creates for impressive imagery. The music is well done, the sound is great and the editing moves at a comfortable pace.

The voice acting is stellar across the board. James McAvoy is entertainingly naive as Arthur, though his high pitch may grade on your ears at times. Hugh Laurie as the older brother is nicely downplayed, shown as a man with good intentions though maybe not the best execution. There's excellent supporting work from Jim Broadbent, Imelda Staunton, Ashley Jensen and a bevy of unrecognizable voice talent. The real standout is Bill Nighy as Grandsanta, who gives such an entertaining and lively performance that he steals almost every scene. A great ensemble overall.

If the movie suffers from anything, it's that some of the more broad gags don't work as well. For a film with great dialogue and character development like this, the slapstick feels more out of place than it should. The plot tends to play it safe at points too, which is not terrible but you wish there was something a bit more original at times.

All said and done, this is probably one of the best Christmas movies to come out in a long time. Kids and adults will find equal entertainment value here and it may actually put you in the Christmas spirit rather than make you a Scrooge!