Arthur Christmas (2011)

Bringing an unconventional twist to the 2011 holiday season is Aardman's 'Arthur Christmas', re-imagining Santa's Christmas operation as a high-tech mission, his wife and two sons employed in delivering the festive season successfully. While his eldest, Steve, handles the reigns in the North Pole headquarters, young Arthur is left responding to the many letters received from children around the world; that is, until a present is mistakenly undelivered.

'Arthur Christmas' has visual, slapstick, adult humour - you name it, they've got it - from start to finish, relentless throughout save for moments of dialogue which Aardman were wise to have cherished (as opposed to a shoehorned joke in their place). The visuals may not be a technical marvel, but the images they depict are; the opening sequence alone manages to evoke the classic 'twist on a world' that is a staple of the standard Pixar feature.

The emotion is pitch-perfect, a subplot detailing the family rivalries that threaten to draw attention away from their annual responsibilities. The film itself is never distressing or upsetting; the character conflicts and their resolution are purely organic, resulting in story progression that truly does feel like the natural course for these characters to take.

Arthur Christmas is more than just pedestrian Christmas fare; it will, in future, become a wonderful companion to classics such as 'Muppets Christmas Carol'.

9/10