I am a great fan of "Aardman" and especially of their stop-motion animations ("Chicken Run " is one of my favorite films), but I quite successfully overlooked their other project "Arthur Christmas"- I did not even play a trailer - first because it was computer animation and secondly, because his ads looked terrible. As a matter of fact, I did not intend to watch it in the cinema, but in a nutshell I found myself in the screening for journalists and decided to try. After all, it would not be the first blunt movie I'll watch. But to my enormous surprise and joy, "Arthur Christmas" turned out to be a truly original and extremely entertaining Christmas tale with the so special spirit that so many films are trying to recreate, but they are a bit unsuccessful.
I will not go into the details of the story, I will only say that it includes the apathetic and tired of everything but refusing to retire Santa Claus, the eldest son (responsible for the incredibly complex logistics around the gift distribution) his father (the old Christmas, eternally opposed to the lost "old" spirit of Christmas and mocking of the complex situation within the family) wanting another last chance to get involved in the game, his youngest and most awkward son Arthur (working in the backs Department of Sorting Letters), who it only wants all children in the world to be satisfied, and last, but not least, a bothered-packed elf. And what blows the already frozen situation between them and threatens to destroy the "Christmas idea" turns out to be a single forgotten gift.
One of my greatest problems with the movie - before I watched it - was the whole point with the elf's "army" or, in other words, the secret services of the title. The whole idea just did not seem to be enough original. In the movie, however, this subject is only affected at first, with a wink at the genre, presented with a wonderful sense of humor. Besides, all this ... mechanization or militarization is a necessary counterpoint to everything that will follow. And if you've seen at least one Christmas movie, then you know what it is like. This was also part of my worries. Fortunately, all the "Christmas Spirit" and "Every Child Is Important" annoyance and "Every person has their place in the family and the big picture" is presented in an interesting, fun and exciting way allowing the characters - which remain slightly underdeveloped - to be wholehearted, engaging and plausible.
When I think about it, the only negative thing I can say about "Arthur Christmas" is the title and not because it's not made like people, but because we do not have the opportunity to hear in the original the voices of James McAvoy, Hugh Lori. Let me say that the likelihood of the world having a real Santa is bigger than having a dubbing to fit these voices. Well, yes, I thought of another minus, but it's not related to the movie itself. In its beginning, viewers will have the "happiness" to see Justin Bieber's latest three-dimensional clip. This mixes the genres of Christmas animation and horror! For the final, I want to hurtle once more that "Arthur Christmas" is a fresh and fun animated film that will appeal to both small and large. I courageously recommend it.
