Arthur Christmas (2011)

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!

Fmovies: 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.

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.

Arthur Christmas fmovies. This was the best kind of family movie -- fast-paced, lots of fun, entertaining for elementary age, middle schoolers, and parents, and with NO bad words or sexual innuendo.

We loved Arthur, Bryony, and Grandsanta especially, as they were the most developed and important characters, and as a mom I appreciated the morals of this story -- every single person matters, never give up, and sometimes old-school is better. Plus, technology is still good and yes, customer service and people skills do matter!

I loved it, my husband loved it and our 8 and 11 year olds loved it. We saw it in 3D that mostly felt 2D, so the 3D in this one didn't pop for us (like it did in Puss in Boots) but maybe it was just nicely subtle -- sometimes the attempt to make things come of the screen is over the top. But I don't remember ANYTHING coming at us this time, so this is probably just as good in 2D.

Bottom line: very enjoyable, good messages, lots of twists and fun humor ... Definitely worth seeing and owning!

Bringing an unconventional twist to the 2011 holiday season is Aardman's 'Arthur Christmas', re-imagining Santa's Christmas operation as a high-tech mission, his wife and two sons employed in delivering the festive season successfully. While his eldest, Steve, handles the reigns in the North Pole headquarters, young Arthur is left responding to the many letters received from children around the world; that is, until a present is mistakenly undelivered.

'Arthur Christmas' has visual, slapstick, adult humour - you name it, they've got it - from start to finish, relentless throughout save for moments of dialogue which Aardman were wise to have cherished (as opposed to a shoehorned joke in their place). The visuals may not be a technical marvel, but the images they depict are; the opening sequence alone manages to evoke the classic 'twist on a world' that is a staple of the standard Pixar feature.

The emotion is pitch-perfect, a subplot detailing the family rivalries that threaten to draw attention away from their annual responsibilities. The film itself is never distressing or upsetting; the character conflicts and their resolution are purely organic, resulting in story progression that truly does feel like the natural course for these characters to take.

Arthur Christmas is more than just pedestrian Christmas fare; it will, in future, become a wonderful companion to classics such as 'Muppets Christmas Carol'.

9/10

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).