Yay, Christmas in June! Maybe you could use a little joy and goodwill right now to balance out the horrors of 2020. I know I could.Arthur (James McAvoy) is quite happy being in the mail room at the North Pole instead of delivering presents like his dad, Santa (Jim Broadbent), and older brother, Steve (Hugh Laurie), but when a present is left undelivered to a little girl, Arthur realizes that despite their hereditary occupation, neither Claus actually cares enough to go back and deliver it. Santa is happy just being a beloved figurehead and Steve is seething over his long-overdue promotion. It's up to Arthur, his forcibly retired grandpa (Bill Nighy), and a wrapping paper-obsessed elf (Ashley Jensen) to get the present to the intended recipient before sunrise.
This was made by Aardman Studios, the company responsible for Wallace and Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, and Chicken Run. The animation is lush and gorgeously colorful, the humor is brisk and a little dark, and the emotional beats are cleanly paced. It's not blazing any Christmas trails but I do think it's one of the only Christmas movies I've ever seen where every Santa is a selfish dick.
It's currently streaming on Netflix.
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