10 Underrated Animated Movies That Deserve A Second Chance
5. Arthur Christmas
Another movie from Aardman Animations, Arthur Christmas is a modern Santa Claus tale, but one that captures the heart of the season like few others.
Earlier we discussed The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists and mentioned that it could be Aardman's best movie. The hesitation with bestowing that title is because of Arthur Christmas. The fall 2011 movie focuses on the entire Claus family; three generations, from the old Santa Claus, to the current and his two sons.
The current Santa uses a massive spaceship to deliver all of the presents, although he himself only delivers one gift a year, while the hilariously Scottish elves do all the hard work. The movie paints the picture that Santa is a lazy oaf, whose oldest son is the brains behind the slick operation. Both of whom have lost the spirit of Christmas, something the youngest son, Arthur, has in abundance.
The film sees Arthur, an elf, and grandpa Claus go on a cross-world adventure to make sure one little girl isn't left out on Christmas morning. Arthur Christmas wholly embodies the spirit and meaning of Christmas in ways few others movies do. It's a wonderful movie that should become a Christmas tradition.