Arthur Christmas – review
Arthur Christmas: a joyful, festive movie
The latest gem to come out of the much-loved Aardman stable is the fun-filled festive gift of Arthur Christmas 3D. Aardman Animations’ reputation precedes itself and has done ever since the endearing Wallace and Gromit saga began.
Apart from the ridiculously cute model characters, Wallace and Gromit’s appeal had a lot to do with the gadgets and inventions, created by the film’s protagonist, and Arthur Christmas is no different – except it cranks up the gadgetry a few notches.
The premise of Arthur Christmas is simple. Basically, the viewer gets to see into the world of the Claus family in their time to shine: Christmas Eve night. On their most important day of the year, we witness how Father Christmas performs the miracle that leaves every child in wonderment and we get the answer to the billion-dollar question of how Santa can deliver presents to households across the earth in just a sleigh pulled by reindeers and in just one night. The answer is with a LOT of help!
Modern-day present delivery from the Claus HQ involves a great number of well-trained backroom elf staff, battalions of S.W.A.T. style elves, hi-tech GPS devices and the whole operation is managed in a NASA-type mission centre. This hub is headed up by Santa’s right-hand man – his Bluetooth-wearing son Steve (Hugh Laurie) – who is the Santa-in-waiting and ready to fill the boots of the old man.
The North Pole HQ – the current residence of three generations of the Claus family tree – has seen many great men wear the famous red-and-white suit, but the current incarnation, (Jim Broadbent), is a bit of an old duffer and a mere “figurehead” for the Christmas miracle, while the hard graft is done by the elves and masterminded by the military precise Steve, who is also the captain of the new-wave sleigh, which is a colossus of a vehicle that resembles the Enterprise from Star Trek.
At the beginning of the film the amazing operation is in full flow, with the field agent elves showing off their spectacularly mobile and efficient delivery skills, using Mission Impossible-inspired wire-drop techniques and unloading their stocking-filler gift guns. Back at HQ the progress is monitored and it is soon announced that the night’s work has been a success. However, for all the seemingly full-proof efficiency, we then find out that something has slipped through the net and a present was missed –meaning that one child will wake up to nothing under the Christmas tree.
This disaster is played down by Steve, who uses data to argue that in the grand scheme of things, night’s work has been a near-flawless operation. Meanwhile, Santa and Mrs. Claus (Imelda Staunton) have retired to bed, without a worry. Sadly, somewhere along the line, with all the gizmo-driven science involved in the responsibility of continuing Saint Nicholas’ legacy, the spirit of Christmas has been suppressed. Enter our hero – and source of the film’s title – Arthur Christmas (James McAvoy).
Brother to the Santa-to-be Steve, Arthur is clearly seen as the inferior member of the Claus family, as he’s a little bit dozy, a bit of a clutz and his polite and child-like demeanour has earned him just a role in the Letters department; effectively an administrative position that keeps him out of harm’s way.
What it does gives him is the honour of reading the Christmas lists so eagerly penned to Santa by the kids across the world. He knows what Christmas means to these kids and is not prepared to let this one child (or tiny fraction) be left out. Cue a race against time to deliver a little girl’s bike halfway across the globe without the help of him brother and his many minions – or spacecraft!
This epic, but calamity-strewn journey echoes the likes of Paul, Due Date and the Pixar hit Up, as an unlikely bunch consisting of disgruntled Grandsanta [Bill Nighy], a wrapping-happy elf called Bryony (Ashley Jensen), and a knackered old sleigh and reindeers that had long since been retired.
There are plenty of laughs to be had – thanks to the great wit of cult comedy writer Peter Baynam driving the script – as the competiveness within the Claus family reaches breaking point, as well as the many barmy predicaments that Arthur and his curious gang get themselves into – especially one scene where they find themselves marooned in the desert with some hungry-looking lions!
Arthur Christmas 3D is a festive feel-good film that is impossible not to love, as one-lad’s intrinsic goodness battles against the technological age’s statistical disenchantment, which threaten to ruin Christmas. Ironically, the flaws in majority of the Claus family’s moral make-up and their self-centred nature make them distinctly unlikeable enough to almost derail the film, but loveable Arthur sweeps you up with his enthusiasm to save Christmas and his determination to do what is right.
Arthur Christmas 3D (U)
Directed by Sarah Smith
Starring: James McAvoy, Hugh Lawrie, Jim Broadbent, Ashley Jensen, Imelda Staunton
Running time: 97 minutes
Arthur Christmas 3D is showing at the Rio Cinema until Monday 2 January 2012 (daytime screenings).