User reviews

It's funny that some of the Oscar nominated movies were not as good as this. The animated movie section could have done with a movie like this. It has more than a little heart and it is a really good movie. I liked the 3-D too, but it's not really important. Because the movie works with it and without it.

When the movie started (I knew the general idea through the trailer), I did wonder how'd they make a feature length movie out of it. I wouldn't say I was afraid, they'd just fill the running time with smaller benign things, but I didn't really believe in it. I was so wrong. The movie always has something up its sleeve and it works perfectly. Great characters, great comedy and a heart that is so sweet it might be made out of sugar!

Arthur Christmas is one of those rare computer generated films which is lucky enough to have things in common with such greats as Toy Story and Shrek, i.e. it can be watched on many levels and therefore enjoyed by both adults and children.

It tells the (very British) story of Father Christmas' operation and how he, and his family, plus an army of highly-trained elves, delivers presents to all the boys and girls on one night. However, his family-run business hits a rocky patch when one little girl is accidentally missed out, threatening to ruin Father Christmas' good name in the process. Step up Arthur (youngest son of Father) Christmas, who with the help of an elf with an obsession of wrapping things in pretty paper and bows, plus his aging (and slightly senile) Grandfather (aka 'Grand Santa') set about making the one last drop on Christmas Eve in which to get the present to the girl before she wakes up and thinks Father Christmas has forgotten about her.

It's not a particularly complicated story and, on hearing about it, I first wondered how much mileage could be made out of it. The trailer looks impressive, but sometimes they squeeze all the best gags into the ninety second trailer and there's nothing left for the film itself. Luckily, this is not the case. The story is truly charming. It highlights the best of British (vocal) acting talent and weaves it into a heartfelt story about family at Christmas with jokes that will make children chuckle, while others will go straight over their heads for 'parents only' to enjoy.

I'm no fan of Christmas. I think it's over-hyped, expensive and too commercial. Many a Christmas ever I've locked out the three well-meaning ghosts, but Arthur Christmas even managed to make me feel almost festive - an emotion that Dudley Moore couldn't even manage in his Father Christmas movie. That's how good Arthur Christmas really is (unless I'm experiencing a mid life crisis a few years early).

I want to give this a 7, but its originality boosts it to an 8.

The story is predictable, but fun, but the tri-planar nature (Father-Father-Son) of the piece with off shoots of wife, mother, brother and friend, mean this is truly a film about a family Christmas.

Nothing unexpected happens, but I found myself laughing and egging Arthur on all the way! A film that succeeds in entertaining children and, in making the older viewers feel the onset of rosy and sometimes, emotional family nostalgia.

A more original plot may have blunted the message, but would also have engaged my brain.

Regardless, well done! A good Christmas film to add to the ranks.

This film should be a certain addition to any classic christmas film collection. As always, Ardman took their time on this animated picture and it cannot be faulted. The fantastic cast of experienced British actors really help make the comedy and light-heartedness of the film which is dotted with jokes to make adults laugh too. The story is very straightforward but the way it gets from start to end includes enough unexpecetd turns to keep a watcher engaded. Ends in a greatly happy note.

Okay for me, it was simple but perfection! Simple storyline, great animation, great characters! This movie is what Children Animation should be like! The movie was not bad and it also had a nice theme to it. The bad guys weren't to violent or vicious like other children animation. But if you think about it there were not really any bad guys at all. There were only a few violent moments (explosion of 'Eve') and I thought at one moment the older brother was going to do something bad but it kept to the innocence. Great movie for young kids and older viewers looking for a calm, fun night to enjoy! Great work to everyone who were involved.

"A lovely thing about Christmas is that it's compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together." Garrison Keillor

Where I live, too many Christmas Carol adaptations take the place of imaginative theater productions that could celebrate the holidays without the requisite Scrooge redemption. Arthur Christmas is a refreshing new take on the countless Santa stories, notwithstanding my favorite: Bad Santa, which satisfies my need for the new and irreverent.

Arthur (James McAvoy) is one of Santa's two sons, a bungler with a big heart. He takes it on his own to bring a present to the one girl in all the land whose present was not delivered. His technocrat brother, Steve (Hugh Laurie), has been responsible for the mis-delivery, although his array of laptops for elves and computerized delivery system is impressive. The head versus the heart forms the central conflict, providing laughs and groans but never in a mean way as in Bad Santa.

Aardman CG works its animation magic to create big-nosed, elongated-faced characters like GrandSanta (Bill Nighy), Santa (Jim Broadbent), and Mrs. Santa (Imelda Staunton), all of whom are fleshed out as loving characters with quirks just right for their roles.

In regard to developing character, Aardman goes nose to nose with Pixar. The use of 3-D is unobtrusive as it is in Martin Scorsese's Hugo with the process useful to give flights of the sleighs a grand feel, swooping in and out of perspective. Yet, in the end, regardless of the jazzy visuals, it's a lovely and exciting story for the holidays. As soon as the younger audience adjusts to the Brit accents, and that doesn't take long, they will enjoy the high spirits, good will, dry humor, and imagination they deserve and should expect from the masters of unique animation.

It's wonderful filmmaking that touches the heart with affectionate Brit humor.

Took this one in at the 2nd run theatre this afternoon with my 5 year old son and 3 year old daughter.

I think that for the most part, they enjoyed it though I think the humour and writing may have actually fit for a bit older crowd.

To be honest my wife and i were both surprised how entertaining WE found the film. The prattling one-liners from Grandsanta were hilarious!

And the whole high-tech concept applied to Santa does probably the best job yet at coming across with a conceivable plan for how Santa pulls it all off in one night.

I think in a couple of years my kids may appreciate it even more, as they get old enough to understand some of the more sophisticated humour.

At any rate, a surprisingly cute Christmas flick.

It's a surprisingly fun, beautiful and cheerful Christmas movie. It has a very unique take on Santa that increases the Christmas spirit. Santa and Ninja Elves was not something I was expecting, but it was actually really cool. I was also surprised at how well a lot of the shots are angled, it really adds to the character of the film, being its own unique aspect.

Arthur Christmas is a great animated film, definitely in my top 10 Christmas films.

Arthur Claus (James McAvoy) is the bumbling son of the reigning Santa, Malcolm Claus (Jim Broadbent). Arthur is relegated to the Letter Department where he can presumably do no damage. Arthur's brother Steve (Hugh Laurie) is the heir apparent to the title of Santa. Steve is handsome, confident, and in charge of the North Pole command center that monitors Santa's gift-giving flight around the world. The film opens with a bravura set piece showing how Santa is able to stop in millions of homes in one night. Hint: he has the help of thousands of elves.

When Arthur discovers that one gift was accidentally undelivered, he becomes determined to get it to the unfortunate girl before Christmas sunrise. Even with the help of his retired grandsanta (Bill Nighy) and a perky elf (Ashley Jensen) from the Wrapping Department, can Arthur travel around the world in time?

There have been many movies over the years where Christmas must be saved from disaster, but Arthur Christmas has a very creative take on it. From the opening scene where it's established that Santa is really a dynasty through the centuries, a title handed down from father to son, to the paramilitary operation to get millions of presents delivered in one night, to the misadventures of Arthur and his grandsanta as they try to make sure one little girl is not disappointed, Arthur Christmas is fun, creative, and original. Produced by Aardman Animations in association with Sony Pictures Animation, this CGI animated film delivers Aardman's distinct brand of quirky humor and style.

The art direction maintains the slightly skewed look of an Aardman claymation film. The character designs are asymmetric and the surface textures are realistic yet bold. The North Pole command center and Santa's high-tech sleigh are clean and modern.

Sometimes celebrity voice talent backfires, but here it works beautifully, the English accents lending a sense of gravity that heightens the silliness. Bill Nighy is particularly good, conveying wisdom that is tinged with resentment of the modern gift-delivery methods his son and grandson use.

Arthur Christmas is a funny, heartwarming, and poignant look at the Santa Claus mythos, adding a family dynamic that will resonate with children and adults. I expect Arthur Christmas will become a joyful holiday favorite for years to come.

The festive season kicks off with a bang thanks to Aardman Studios' (famous for Wallace and Gromit) second noteworthy foray into computer animation (the ho-hum Flushed Away being their debut). Only the most stone-hearted Grinch won't be moved by Arthur's jolly ol' premise that not even one child should go without experiencing the joys of Santa Claus visiting on Christmas night. The moral message may be gooier than the centre of a toasted marshmallow, but the gag rate is high, the animation is perfect and the voice cast of James McAvoy, Jim Broadbent, Bill Nighy, Hugh Laurie and Imelda Staunton are splendid. Mix in a plethora of hidden jokes for the adults and you couldn't ask for a nicer movie to get the whole family into the Christmas spirit.

As a fan of Aardman ever since Wallace and Gromit, I was interested from the get go into seeing Arthur Christmas. Apart from it dragging slightly in the middle, Arthur Christmas was a wonderful film. The animation is absolutely breathtaking, it is all very colourful and beautifully modelled, and the soundtrack is so rousing it makes you want to get out your favourite Christmas Carols/Songs CD and sing along afterwards. The script is mostly witty, if more amusing than laugh-out-loud funny, and the story has a lot of charm and heart to it. The three best assets were the terrific characters, Arthur in particular, makes such a big impression with his likability and his wonderful jumper and I hope to see more of him in the future, the voice cast with a spirited James McAvoy, a jovial Jim Broadbent and a truly inspired Bill Nighy and the real sense of occasion, watching this movie you actually feel that it's Christmas. All in all, colourful and entertaining, I thoroughly enjoyed it. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Really great graphics and general idea of story line is fine. Just too much random silliness along the way.... but that may be appreciated by young children. Would have enjoyed more if it were a one hour TV Christmas special : P

Pros: 1. The animation is brilliant for the most part, particularly the vivid facial expressions of the human characters. 2. James McAvoy (Arthur), Hugh Laurie (Steve), Bill Nighy (Grandsanta), and Jim Broadbent (Santa) give fantastic voice-acting performances. 3. The costume and set design is great, especially the costumes that personify the characters, and the set design of the Eve and Christmas spaceship. 4. The score is never overbearing and helps to solidify the intended downcast and magical moments. 5. The film delivers an original take on the mythos of Santa Claus by treating it as a family business that runs, and has set objectives, like any other business. 6. The comedy never misses a beat as well as adding to the feel-good Christmas feel.

Cons: 1. The animated lions look outright awful and are therefore too distracting. 2. For some strange reason, the elves are multi-racial, even though the myth of Santa Claus and his elves belongs to European folklore. 3. There are occasions in the movie where Arthur, Grandsanta, and Bryony (Ashley Jensen) fall from miraculous heights, and yet somehow walk away unscathed.

Arthur Christmas is delightful, cute and charming along with a solid comedy.

Christmas is a great time of the year. The whole family comes together, children are excited, and joy fills the air. What better way to spend the festive season than seeing a family Christmas movie with your loved ones? Now, Aardman Animations has given us a very joyous movie that should be a Christmas classic for years to come.

Over the years, because of the world's expanding population, Santa Claus' Christmas Night deliveries has become a high-tech military operation, involving thousands of elves and a giant aircraft. Santa Claus' son, Steve (Hugh Laurie), runs logistics and intelligence in the North Pole and is set to become the next Santa Claus. His younger brother, Arthur (James McAvoy), is a very passionate young man who loves the spirit of Christmas, but is a bit of a klutz. Arthur is kept in the mail room to handle all of Santa's letters.

The Christmas delivery seems to be a big success, so much so that Santa Claus (Jim Broadbent) postpones his retirement, much to Steve's annoyance. But the worst thing imaginable has happened, a child has been missed. Steve refuses to delivers one bike because the margin of error was too small, so Arthur and his grandfather (Bill Nighy), who wants to show the old techniques still work, and the dedicated elf Bryony (Ashley Jensen) set out to ensure that one little girl is not the child Santa forgot. But their ambitions result in an adventure around the world as this band of misfits save Christmas for one child.

Like Pixar, Aardman believes that story and character have to come first and they make movies for children and adults alike. The movie is funny throughout, with plenty of the verbal jokes that children and adults will enjoy as well as some really well done physical humour and some slapstick. But this is a movie that understands children and what they want. The premise is simple, but the writing is strong and clever throughout the whole film and there are little touches that give Arthur Christmas that Aardman feel, from the pictures of the previous Santas to Steve's Christmas Tree goatee. Christmas is an exciting time for children and Arthur Christmas is just such a good-natured, fun movie that delivers on that spirit.

Some elements of Arthur Christmas are similar to Elf, mainly that Arthur is a big kid like Buddy who believes in the magic of Christmas. He is also a guy who does not quite fit in the North Pole and given a job that keeps him out of trouble. The score by Harry Gregson-Williams is very much like the score in Elf, particularly the choir, which sounds identical.

This is a cliché, but Arthur Christmas follows the old Hollywood maxim of "you make them laugh, you make them cry." It was filled with colourful, likable characters throughout that you will end up caring for despite their faults and expertly played by a top notch voice cast. I left the cinema with a massive smile on my face.

Arthur Christmas captures the positivity of Christmas in this happy little story. Quite unique at the same time and brings Christmas to life. It doesn't go overboard with the childish themes and manages to cater to most audiences. A nice film overall.

Old Santa (Jim Broadbent) with his sons, Arthur (James McAvoy) and Steve (Hugh Laurie), silently witness the magic of Christmas morning, as their animated faces fill with wonder in "Arthur Christmas". My eyes welled, as Director and Writer Sarah Smith touchingly and whimsically reminds us that the world works when no one is left out, and they know this. Sony Animation's "Arthur Christmas" is visually amazing. I did not see it in 3D, and I thought it was great. It is the heartwarming and hysterical screenplay by Smith and Peter Baynham that lives and breathes in "Arthur Christmas".

So how does Santa Claus deliver all those presents on Christmas Eve, so every child in the world can open their gifts Christmas morning? This generation of Santa is advanced technology and complex mission operations leveraging GPS and NORAD databases. No kidding. Santa commands the helm of S1, a Star Trek Enterprise-like ship that also cloaks as the Christmas night sky. The Elves go all Tom Cruise- Mission Impossible executing Special Forces synchronization delivering the presents in the designated drop zones. Smith directs the animated chaos with excitement and precision. Leading the Mission Operation from Mission Control North Pole—amazing ice citadel of Elves and flat screens, is older brother Steve, (Hugh Laurie, brilliantly confident on the verge of pompous). Old-school and misunderstood nerd younger brother Arthur (gentle and passionate James McAvoy), intervenes the operation with handwritten letters to Santa, "I just want everything to be perfect!" All heart Arthur personally writes back all of the 2 billion children, who write letters to Santa. To his soul, Arthur believes that Santa is the greatest man in the world.

After celebrating this Santa's 70th mission, gift wrapping Elf Master Bryony (great and spirited Ashley Jensen) discovers an undelivered gift—a child was missed! This is the pink bicycle sweet little Gwen requested from Santa. Arthur had assured Gwen (precious Ramona Marquez) that Santa exists and gave his word that she will be remembered on Christmas. From Steve's perspective that is a 10 sigma error, within the parameters of mission success. Steve brazenly believes he is heir apparent to Dad. Santa (Broadbent) over the years, is the jovial old man reduced to figure head, also perhaps lapsing into Alzheimer's. He is content to spend quality time with Mrs. Santa (sensible Imelda Staunton) following the mission.

Arthur enrolls the help of Grandsanta (crotchety Bill Nighy), because Gwen must wake up Christmas morning with her bike. Be careful what you wish for. Grandsanta goes really Old School, dusting off the Sleigh and the reindeer. And Arthur is reluctantly along for the ride with stowaway Bryony. Every gift must be wrapped. Obviously, all does not proceed as planned particularly without GPS navigation. The animated flight and visuals are seamless and fun. However, Grandsanta's action is all about making others wrong. Arthur's spirit is tested, but for him it is always about bringing joy to a little girl on Christmas morning. He is the selfless noble soul, who gets that it doesn't matter who delivers the gift. It's about love. "Arthur Christmas" is touching, funny, and gets it right.

Movies about Santa Claus tend to be rather... traditional. What I mean, they usually keep with the old and tried values. Lots of woodworking, hand-crafting, old methods, putting your back into it. Thus, it is very nice and different to see a film where Santa uses extremely modern methods to achieve his goals. The sleigh has been replaced with an ultra high-tech spaceship, the elves work more like highly-trained special ops units, everything is run with the precision of a military operation and the children are merely a statistic to be achieved.

And yet, in the end, not really. That's the first five minutes, the starting point, but the film still holds with the spirit of the old. It simply takes into account the fact that Santa probably would keep up with the achievements of technology, while also exploring the downsides of this. Okay, what's the story? Arthur Christmas, the eponymous main character, is the younger son of Santa, who in turn is the scion of a long life of Santas. And now, during his 70th Christmas Eve, he's all set to turn the reins over to Steve, Arthur's older brother, but it just so happens that they miss a child. And through various reasons it's up to Arthur to save the Christmas of this one lone child, really an insignificant error in an otherwise flawless performance.

Pretty basic Christmas story, but it's the premise and the characters that make it worth watching. The animation is very high-quality, the character designs look very nice, the soundtrack works and all in all it looks suitably Christmasy. And the characters are great. From bumbling and senile Grandsanta to the current Santa, who's far past his prime, to Steve, who's ultra-efficient, but self-admittedly not that good with kids, to Arthur himself, who lacks self-confidence and precision, but is pretty much the only one with his heart still in the right place.

It's a fun film, and definitely a future Christmas classic. It will dazzle you with its vision and characters, while still delivering the same good old Christmas message that we all expect from our Yuletide films.

Arthur Christmas is a lovely family fun film that delivers that feel good factor together with good humor. It has that balance between kid movie and adult friendly atmosphere too. The premise of the movie is how Christmas has changed over the years but after all those changes some of the values of Christmas have been forgotten. Arthur(James Mcavoy)is a goofy but altogether lovable character, Bill Nighy as grandsanta delivers punchlines and old school views which lighten the movie greatly. Hugh Laurie is also brilliant as Steve. the cast was great and the story heartwarming. i would definitely recommend this movie for anyone with a sense of humor, it'll surely be a hit with the kids,both small and large.