Arthur Christmas, by Aardman Productions is a real anomaly, in that the trailer made it look terrible. It looked as if they took a lot of scenes which on their own looked mediocre at best and crammed them into a clip that seemed designed to deter viewers from handing over their money for a cinema ticket.

What a surprise - I would happily say this is one of the best Christmas films I’ve seen. I’m not a fan of Christmas films, as usually for obvious reasons they’re made for the kids, with nothing for the adults as they have to accompany the kids anyway - they won’t get into the cinema without them.

However, this film completely breaks that mould and answers in brilliantly imaginative detail exactly how Santa Claus (voiced by Jim Broadbent) manages to deliver all those presents in one night. It opens with a letter from a little girl, Gwen (voiced by Ramona Marquez) to Santa, asking all the glaring questions: how do you deal with exponential population growth, and how do you know if I’ll be at home or staying in my grandma’s house?

Also, how do you manage to travel at the speed required to get around the world in one night? Then shows Santa’s son Arthur (voiced by James McAvoy), who is employed in the mail room to answer letters and sign them with a glittery pen. He says she should continue to believe and gives the age old hackneyed answer of magic.

And magic, of course, can’t and shouldn’t be explained. The real answer, however, is gadgets. Lots and lots of them. Which we then see employed in the military operation with an army of elves dropped into houses from a space ship armed with all the GPS and communications devices that we know and love, plus much more.

The huge operation is managed in forensic detail by Santa’s other son, Steve (voiced by Hugh Laurie), who controls the operation to such an extent that he openly refers to Santa as a “figurehead”. He is fully expecting that this will be Santa’s final year heading out in the spaceship and that once this year’s operation concludes, he will be named as Santa’s successor.

However, as we all know technology is not fail-proof and when Gwen’s present is missed during the annual global delivery, it is up to Arthur and Grandsanta (voiced by Bill Nighy) to make sure her present get delivered.

What I particularly liked about this film (and what I think sets it apart from so many other Christmas films) is that it doesn’t lie to the viewer by showing them a fantasyland where families love sitting down around the table with each other, give each other presents with kisses and hugs and don’t bicker.

Instead it is brutally realistic in pitting Grandsanta against Santa, Steve against Grandsanta, and Santa and Steve over the dinner table, inevitably ending in hissy fits and walkouts, with Mrs. Santa (voiced by Imelda Staunton) and Arthur as referees.

This film is one to watch if you want a feel good movie that also makes you feel a bit better about your own family when they’re throwing the Brussels sprouts at each other on Christmas Day.


Christine Brookes