Arthur Christmas (2011)

[RealityChuck]

For my money, the best Christmas movie since A Christmas Story.

Great story, with plenty of humor and some real heart. Nice voice cast, too: Hugh Laurie, Jim Broadbent, Bill Nighy (who seems to appear in every film made in the UK these days -- and has yet to make a bad one), Imelda Staunton and Ramona Marquez (shown below).

This was another hit for Aardman Animation, whose track record is at least as good as Pixar's as far as quality is concerned. Better because they never did anything as mediocre as Cars.

52RPLfJFFP8

[Edgy MD]

There isn't a worried little aardvark?

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

Edgy MD wrote: There isn't a worried little aardvark?

Or Dudley Moore?

[Edgy MD]

I'm getting that "Arthur Christmas" is a weak pun on "Father Christmas" --- Santa Claus's more popular British title. Tell me please that the film has a higher standard for jocularity than is indicated by this title.

[seawolf17]

We just saw this recently too; I really enjoyed it.

[RealityChuck]

Edgy MD wrote: I'm getting that "Arthur Christmas" is a weak pun on "Father Christmas" --- Santa Claus's more popular British title. Tell me please that the film has a higher standard for jocularity than is indicated by this title.

Definitely a very funny film. I had to pay close attention to avoid missing the jokes. And like most Aardman films*, the humor comes from the characterization, not from any single line.

Here's the trailer:
7tk-WZSqIGQ


*Chicken Run
Wallace and Gromit and the Curse of the Were-Rabbit (and the Wallace and Gromit short subjects)
Flushed Away
Pirates! Band of Misfits!

[Edgy MD]

Saw it. Had its moments, but not for me. Maybe a big screen would've done more for it.

Covers a lot of the same material as Elf, I think, in that the main character is a misfit not because he doesn't drink the eggnog, but because he drinks it so thoroughly and enthusiastically.

[RealityChuck]

Same ground, perhaps, but they did it well, and all Christmas movies cover the same ground, don't they?

Elf started out excellently, but the second he left the North Pole, it turned to utter mediocre crap.

[Edgy MD]

Yeah, just noting that. Not really demeriting them for it.

[metsmarathon]

i love elf

[seawolf17]

RealityChuck wrote: Elf started out excellently, but the second he left the North Pole, it turned to utter mediocre crap.

But ZOOEY.

[RealityChuck]

Blonde Zooey. What was the point of that?

At least they let her sing. But I wish the film had followed up on the cleverness of the North Pole scenes instead of going for the obvious.