Film File - Arthur Christmas
by John Daly Updated: Wednesday, 16th November, 2011 4:57pm
Santa (voiced by Jim Broadbent) in the animated 'Arthur Christmas'.
Okay, so it's still only November, but it's never too soon to start the Christmas movie season. In fairness, given that this one is from Aardman Animation Studios - the folk who bring us regular helpings of 'Wallace & Gromit' - this is worthy of a lot more than just a second glance.
Being the quirky heads that they are at Aardvaark, this is no Disney-fied Christmas fare but something a whole lot more left field than that. Set on Christmas Eve, the story explores the answer to every child's question: 'So how does Santa deliver all those presents in one night?'
The answer, like everything else in this modern world, is that Santa has gone high-tech with a vengeance, operating from a state-of-the-art facility at the North Pole. Of course, even the most efficient system throws up its glitches - and this is where 'Arthur Christmas' comes in: what happens when one little girl's present gets lost in delivery and who're you gonna call to make 25th December as happy as it must be?
Things are very different at the North Pole these days. For starters, the current Santa (Jim Broadbent) is little more than a figurehead fronting the operation. The real guiding force is Steve (Hugh Laurie), Santa's eldest son, who is ruthlessly efficient and determined to maintain Christmas Inc as the company's most profitable season.
Amongst Steve's innovations are a hi-tech, automated facility manned by a million jump-suited elves, presents transported on Christmas Eve by a mile-wide super-sleigh complete with a stealth cloaking device, and a global time clock where little helpers have only 18.14 seconds to enter, deliver and exit each house on the planet.
The snafu in the snow occurs when a child in a village in Cornwall is missed out on during this global, one-night delivery system. Enter Arthur (James McAvoy), Steve's accident-prone younger brother, who resolves to put things right.
Accompanied by his crusty, cranky Grandsanta (Bill Nighy) and a feisty elf in the Giftwrap Battalion called Bryony (Ashley Jensen), the trio set off in an ancient sleigh to get the overlooked gift to its rightful place under the Cornish kid's tree on time.
In their usual fashion, Aardman Studios have again managed to make a film with enough appeal for both adults and children. Directed by Sarah Smith and written by Peter Baynham, the story is well-presented with enough cultural references to keep mum and dad as engaged as the little ones.
Broadbent, McEvoy and Jensen are well-cast in their respective roles, but all are completely eclipsed by the ever-excellent Nighy as the cranky voice of Christmasses of long ago.
At 136-years of age, he remembers with affection the days of chimneys and reindeer and is entitled to a little old codger discontent at so-called modern efficiency - most of which he directs at the workaholic Steve, whom he describes as "a postman with a spaceship".
Imelda Staunton rounds out the lead roles as Mrs Santa, a good-natured font of sense who only wants a peaceful and happy family.
'Arthur Christmas' is packed with the usual English eccentricity that is the hallmark of Aardman Animations - clever plot tentacles, sharp contemporary references and the warm glow of a good family film that's not too syrupy. As a taster for the upcoming Season of Goodwill, you could do a lot worse than this for getting in the mood.
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