The Cinematic Katzenjammer

"On Christmas night at the North Pole, Santa's youngest son looks to use his father's high-tech operation for an urgent mission."

Directed by: Sarah Smith & Barry Cook, Rated: PG, 97 minutes

Aardman Animations Studio has been rather hit and miss for me lately, with Pirates! Band of Misfits being one of the year's more disappointing movies, in my opinion. Luckily, their animated flick of last year (that's JUST hitting DVD), Arthur Christmas, restores my faith in the House of Gromit and gave me a new Christmas movie I may watch every year (you've got company The Muppet Christmas Carol!). Arthur Christmas is a terrific holiday film and the perfect jump-start to my scrooge reluctance for another Christmas. It's a unique movie that does a lot of new things with Santa, a character seemingly raped to death with ideas and adaptations, and creates a film that's not only hilarious, but has plenty of heart and a good message.

Space Santa!

In the world of Arthur Christmas, Santa Claus is not the same man every year, but a descendant in a long-line of Santas. The current St. Nick (Jim Broadbent) is getting far too old to continue his jolly "reign" and soon has plans to give over the title to his son, Steve (Hugh Laurie), a hard-working, organized, almost-militant man who leads the elves and the top-notch technology that helps Santa deliver gifts to all of the kids of the world. Arthur (James McAvoy) is Santa's youngest son, and the most genuinely excited about the holiday every year. As opposed to Steve, he looks forward to bringing joy to the children of the world, instead of simply just doing a job that needs to get done. After a gift that was promised to a little girl goes undelivered, Arthur, along with Grandsanta (Bill Nighy), Byrony the elf (Ashley Jensen), a raggedy old reindeer, and an obsolete sled, make it their mission to deliver the bike before sunrise, refusing to let even one child go a Christmas without a gift from Santa.

One little bike could ruin Christmas. I hope it's a Schwinn.

Arthur Christmas takes the Santa character and lore to new heights. In a day and age like today, you'd assume that Santa would have to adapt with newer and better technologies, and the film shows this in glorious fashion. It's incredibly clever in the present delivery techniques and turns Santa into a toy distributing enterprise. In contrast, the film also screams out for a return to the classic and traditional, and in a sense, reminds us that there's much more to Christmas than fancy gadgets and Apple products. Arthur Christmas is also genuinely funny, and the overly-British, simple humor that Aardman Animations has become known for is definitely present. It never crosses into the territory of crazy innuendo but succeeds solely on clever humor and smart dialogue. The movie feels genuine in every sense of the word and is a pleasant surprise.

Post-House, Hugh Laurie continues to deliver.

With a terrific voice cast and a refreshing take on a too-familiar story. While it is far from perfect, it's an exceptional addition to the ever-growing encyclopedia of Christmas films and proves that there's still great stories to be told about Santa Claus. It's funny, it's animated beautifully, and it actually keeps you interested and is not some kid's fluffy film you just tolerate in the background. I would highly recommend checking Arthur Christmas out and if you had not been in the Christmas spirit like me, it's sure to inspire some sort of yule-tide affection hiding inside.

The Good:

terrific visuals that continues to show the talent at Aardman Animations

The Better:

great humor with tons of heart

The Best:

a new spin on the Santa Claus story that doesn't feel forced or unncessary

Overall: 8.2/10

Discussion Question: What's your favorite modern Christmas movie?

Trailer:

Labels: 2012, A, aardman animation studios, arthur christmas, ashley jensen, bill nighy, james mcavoy, jim broadbent, Reviews

This week, we put a handful of films on trial. As The Jury, we recommend what should happen to a particular DVD released today. Voting Burn It, Skip It, Rent It, or Buy It, we come together to deliver a verdict and hope to help you decide what to watch or avoid. We've also now added our Court of Appeals, where we allow a mention of another particular release that we find worth "saving" (aka buying). We also still have two spots open. To apply, email me here presenting your case.

The Jury:
Nick of The Cinematic Katzenjammer
Ries of The Cinematic Katzenjammer
Joe of Two Dude Review
Vern of The Vern's Videovangaurd
Andrew and Sarah of Two Tickets For...
Dave of Dave Examines Movies
Andy of Andy Watches Movies
Sati of Cinematic Corner
Daniel of Daniel's Film Reviews
Mavi of FilmScope

Arthur Christmas

"On Christmas night at the North Pole, Santa's youngest son looks to use his father's high-tech operation for an urgent mission."

Directed by: Sarah Smith & Barry Cook, Rated: PG, 97 minutes

Nick: Rent It
Ries: Skip It
Joe: Rent It
Vern: Rent It
Andrew and Sarah: Skip It
Dave: Rent It
Andy: Skip It
Sati: Skip It
Daniel: Rent It
Mavi: Buy It

Verdict: Rent It

Your Sister's Sister

"Iris invites her friend Jack to stay at her family's island getaway after the death of his brother. At their remote cabin, Jack's drunken encounter with Hannah, Iris' sister, kicks off a revealing stretch of days."

Directed by: Lynn Shelton, Rated: R, 90 minutes

Nick: Rent It
Ries: Skip It
Joe: Rent It
Vern: Rent It
Andrew and Sarah: RentIt
Dave: Rent It
Andy: Rent It
Sati: Rent It
Daniel: Rent It
Mavi: Rent It

Verdict: Rent It

[REC] 3: Genesis

"A couple's wedding day turns into a horrific events as some of the guests start showing signs of a strange illness."

Directed by: Paco Plaza, Rated: R, 80 minutes

Nick: Buy It
Ries: Burn It
Joe: Burn It
Vern: Skip It
Andrew and Sarah: Skip It
Dave: Burn It
Andy: Skip It
Sati: Burn It
Daniel: Skip It
Mavi: Buy It

Verdict: Burn It

The Amazing Spider-Man (Nov. 9)

"Peter Parker finds a clue that might help him understand why his parents disappeared when he was young. His path puts him on a collision course with Dr. Curt Connors, his father's former partner."

Directed by: Marc Webb, Rated: PG-13, 136 minutes

Nick: Buy It
Ries: Skip It
Joe: Buy It
Vern: Rent It
Andrew and Sarah: Rent It
Dave: Buy It
Andy: Rent It
Sati: Skip It
Daniel: Buy It
Mavi: Rent It

Verdict: Hung Jury
Overruled: Buy It

The Court of Appeals