Arthur Christmas (2011)

User Review

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  TheMovieDiorama

  7 / 10

  Arthur Christmas had me ho-ho-howling with laughter. There I was expecting an uninspired Christmas animation from Sony and Aardman, and suddenly Christmas comes early with this nicely wrapped film that makes you joyous right from the start. Drink your glass of milk, devour that warm mince pie and enjoy the festivities that occasionally lacks the emotional warmth from the fireplace. Santa, Steve, Arthur and his crew of elves successfully deliver all of the presents, however they accidentally miss one child out to which Arthur journeys with Grandsanta to England to deliver it. Not Mexico! Arthur believes in the magic and spirit of Christmas, whereas Steve with his business-like mind utilises advanced technology to carry out the logistics of present delivery efficiently. As the story suggests, the imaginative innovation of delivering presents in a ridiculously quick time does not make for festive fun. Arthur and Grandsanta use the traditional sleigh and reindeer transport method, which clearly makes for some holiday hilarity. It's a sweet tale emphasising the global spirit of Christmas, and a surprisingly hilarious story too. Very witty, utterly British and no crude humour. Excellent. Nighy's Grandsanta ensued laughs with every line of dialogue, which will keep both younger and older audiences entertained. The voice acting in general was decent. McAvoy in the titular role exhumed innocence, Broadbent showcased tired wisdom through his voice and Laurie was efficient as ever. The animation was slightly inconsistent, but for the most part good. Some scenes had overextended delays between dialogue which made them slightly awkward to watch, and occasionally looked cumbersome during chaotic kerfuffles. Also, due to how sugary and sweet the story was, it lacked emotional development for its characters. There was rarely any turmoil, which would indicate that it's primarily aimed towards children. But don't be fooled, there's enough roast dinner for everyone. So take a bite, get comfy and watch a delightful animation that is sure to get you into the Christmas spirit.

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