A collaboration between Aardman Animations and Sony Pictures Animation, “Arthur Christmas” promised to be a family picture of a different sort: a combination of quirky British humor (Aardman created “Wallace & Gromit”) and slick American production (Sony produced the recent film “The Smurfs”). It doesn’t quite deliver on that promise — but it’s an above-average, fun family feature nonetheless. With the voice talents of some of the best of Britain, though, “Arthur Christmas” could have been really special. James McAvoy is the title character, the younger son of Santa (Jim Broadbent) — and so destined never to become Santa himself. His older brother, Steve (Hugh Laurie), is heir. While waiting for the old man to retire, Steve’s streamlined the operation, retiring the old-fashioned sleigh of his Grandsanta (Bill Nighy) in favor of a technologically advanced spaceship controlled by an army of elves.
But even children know technology isn’t foolproof. And so one Christmas, Steve’s setup misses a child — a bike destined for a girl in Cornwall remains at the North Pole. Steve hasn’t much of a heart, so he doesn’t much care. But Arthur does. He lives for Christmas, spending the rest of the year answering children’s letters and preparing for the actual event — when the clumsy boy isn’t getting in the way.
| On screen |
| ‘Arthur Christmas’ |
| 3 out of 4 stars |
| Stars: James McAvoy, Bill Nighy, Jim Broadbent |
| Director: Sarah Smith |
| Rated: PG for some mild rude humor |
| Running time: 97 minutes |
Arthur can’t believe his father and older brother think delivering that last present before the sun comes up is impossible. Eccentric old Grandsanta has been looking for an excuse to ride that sleigh again. (“I did the whole thing with six reindeer and a drunken elf,” he proudly says of one war-era Christmas.) So the pair run off on their own to ensure that Christmas is Christmas for every single child on the globe.
“Arthur Christmas” isn’t going to end up a Christmas classic, one of the handful of films and specials repeated on television each and every year. But it’s worth seeing this year. It has old-fashioned values with a modern mind-set. “How come I can’t see your house when I look on Google Earth?” one child queries Santa in a letter. “Is it true children aren’t real, they’re just antimatter?” asks an inquisitive elf after Arthur and Grandsanta’s adventure sets off an out-of-control chain reaction at mission control.
Arthur himself isn’t much of a character — though it’s hard not to love the underdog just the same. Nighy’s Grandsanta is a real delight, though, just the sort of crazy Englishman we’d expect Aardman — and the underused Nighy — to bring to life. Ashley Jensen is also a highlight as Bryony, an elf whose wrapping skills are not to be underestimated.
Children not yet as cynical as their parents about how underwhelming 3-D has turned out to be will enjoy the snow flying into their faces as the space-sleigh sets off. Both groups, though, should enjoy the lesson that Christmas belongs to everyone — especially those who believe in its magic.
