Arthur Christmas | Review
James McAvoy (‘X-Men: First Class‘) returns to the voice-acting gig after having done ‘Gnomeo and Juliet’ earlier this year. With ‘Arthur Christmas’, McAvoy is Arthur, one of Santa’s two sons. In this refreshing take on the Santa Claus lore, the role of Santa is one that is passed down generation after generation in one specific family. The most important aspect of this take on Santa Claus is the fact that the position is more like a title than an actual symbol of the Christmas season.
Arthur’s family consists of his elderly father (voiced by Jim Broadbent, Prof. Slughorn from the ‘Harry Potter’ series), who is the current Santa; his loving mother (voiced by Imelda Staunton, Prof. Umbridge from the ‘Harry Potter’ series); his older brother, Steve (voiced by Hugh Laurie from ‘House’); and his grandfather (voiced by Bill Nighy, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ & ‘Harry Potter’), who was Santa before passing the position onto Arthur’s father.
‘Arthur Christmas” unique take on Santa’s gift delivery system is very eye-catching and exciting to experience. The gigantic Santa ship and millions of ninja-like elves are a grand sight. And it’s interesting seeing Steve control the entire operation from a North Pole base full of computers and monitors. The film’s beautiful animation and colorful palette definitely help with the film’s appeal.
A problem arises when Arthur discovers that a girl in England had been accidentally missed. Steve doesn’t believe this mistake is important because his delivery system has resulted in the most efficient Christmas in the history of the Santa business, and it’s just one child compared to billions of others who did get their gifts. After Santa does nothing to correct the error, Arthur finds it his responsibility to deliver the little girl her gift.
The entire film could have been shortened to just 30 minutes, literally. With a plot as easy as delivering a single gift to a girl in England, ‘Arthur Christmas’ adds enough misadventures to the mix to warrant a 90-minute feature film. The entire middle section of the film is really just two or three events in which Arthur and his grandfather get lost while in search of England. This can get really tedious and redundant at times, but the film has enough fun and clever jokes to be enjoyable for the older crowds, while being innocent and cartoony enough for the younger children to enjoy.
The more interesting part of ‘Arthur Christmas’ is its theme of old traditions versus modern progress. Arthur’s grandfather is constantly bickering with Steve about the Santa operation, and in the end we see the significance of both sides. The most important theme in the film is the depiction of Santa as either a figure head or a symbol of Christmas. Steve and his father treat the role of Santa as nothing but a position – a position that does nothing but make kids happy and garner praise. Arthur knows that Santa Claus is not just a title, but a symbol for children everywhere about the meaning of Christmas. Arthur shows that Santa is important to all children, and that Santa should not make one child more or less important than any other.
Many of the most successful animated films are ones that can thoroughly entertain audiences of all ages. ‘Arthur Christmas’ is not this type of animated film. This is a film aimed almost directly towards children, while not being a dumb animated film that will throw parents off, and the film’s special message about Santa is more mature than expected. Though ‘Arthur Christmas’ is fun and innocent enough to be enjoyable, with some re-writing of its script and the inclusion of a more interesting and less tedious second act, this film would be a winner.