Anthomation Assesses The Top 5 Holiday Feature Length Animated Films

Howdy guys, Anthomaton here. Today I shall review the top 5 animated full length movies that can get you in the holiday mood.

As Andy Williams put it so beautifully, this is the most wonderful time of the year! Christmas trees, gifts, being around family, celebrating the birth of Christ, this time brings out the best in all of us. And don’t forget all of the holiday classics that families everywhere have grown to love. Well, let’s look at the 5 animated films that can give people that holiday cheer.

5. A Christmas Carol (2009)

I think we’re all familiar with the story of Scrooge, but for those who are not here’s a summary. Though London awaits the joyful arrival of Christmas, miserly Ebenezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey) thinks it’s all humbug, berating his faithful clerk and cheerful nephew for their view. Later, Scrooge encounters the ghost of his late business partner, who warns that three spirits will visit him this night. The ghosts take Scrooge on a journey through his past, present and future in the hope of transforming his bitterness. This film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, and it was his fourth mo-cap film to come from the Imagemovers studio. There are some fine performances from Jim Carrey and Gary Oldman and the motion capture at times looks spectacular, the elements don’t always mesh very well with the message getting a little overlooked by the hit or miss effects.

Score:

6/10

4. Arthur Christmas (2011)

Everyone knows that, each Christmas, Santa Claus delivers presents to every last child on Earth. What everyone doesn’t know is that Santa accomplishes the feat with a very high-tech operation beneath the North Pole. But when the unthinkable happens, and Santa misses one child out of hundreds of millions, someone has to save the day. It’s up to Arthur (James McAvoy), Santa’s youngest son, to deliver a present to the forgotten tyke before Christmas morning dawns. This came from Aardman Studios, the company behind stop motion gems like Chicken Run (2000), one of my all time favorite films. This movie has a surprisingly deep message and characters that are very likable, but Aardman’s brief transition into CGI can look a bit wonky and the pacing is high-speed 24-7, meaning the audience cannot look away or else they might miss what just happened.

Score:

6.5/10

3. The Polar Express (2004)

Tom Hanks and director Robert Zemeckis reunite for Polar Express, an inspiring adventure based on the beloved children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg. When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe. This is the first mo-cap film to come from Imagemovers. It’s my personal favorite to watch over the holiday season, but I realize that this film is not perfect. The animation is great, but there are a couple of scenes that will make you scratch your head as to how they made the final cut. Also, Tom Hanks voices every character in this film.

Score:

6.5/10

2.The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

I know this movie was in the Halloween top 5 list, but this film fits well in both holidays. Jack Skellington, the pumpkin king of Halloween Town, is bored with doing the same thing every year for Halloween. One day he stumbles into Christmas Town, and is so taken with the idea of Christmas that he tries to get the resident bats, ghouls, and goblins of Halloween Town to help him put on Christmas instead of Halloween — but alas, they can’t get it quite right. The pumpkin king of them all does not disappoint in the least. It doesn’t matter if it is a Halloween movie, Christmas movie, or both, the movie is on the list and that’s the end of it. From the animation, to story, to characters, to songs, everything about this movie is delightful and as memorable as holiday movies get.

Score:

8.5/10

1.Happy Feet (2006)

Yes, this is technically not a Christmas movie, but it’s on AMC’s December Holiday lineup so it counts. Son of Memphis and Norma, little sweet penguin Mumble has a big problem: he can’t sing a single note. In a world where everyone needs a heart song to attract a soul mate, Mumble feels he doesn’t belong there. Our hero Mumble is the worst singer in the world, but he can tap dance brilliantly. This film absolutely rules! With animation that is spectacular and superb musical numbers, it can get people off of their sofas and start dancing along with it. If I did have one nitpick, it would be that the environmental message can feel a bit forced. Don’t worry, it does not take away from the rest of the great moments the movie has to offer.

Score:

8.5/10