Santa Claus (Jim Broadbent) is busier than ever and times have changed, gone are the days when a trusty sleigh and reindeer did the job. Santa’s operation is manned (or elfed if you prefer) by several thousand loyal elves lead by his eldest son, and next in line Steve (played by Hugh Laurie). The Claus household consists of Arthur, his brother Steve (who is next to assume the mantle of Santa as his dad nears retirement) Santa himself, Mrs Claus (voiced by Imelda Staunton) and of course Grand Santa. Using the very latest in technology Santa always completes the job on time and never misses out a child, or does he? Sarah Smith Directs this animated children’s comedy from the people at Aardman Animations who brought us such hits as “Chicken Run” and more recently “Flushed Away”.
The film opens with Arthur (played by James McAvoy) in the lead role, reading one of a long pile of letters to the great man himself. The letter is by a little girl named Gwen (here voiced by Ramona Marquez from T.V’s ”Outnumbered”) asking if Santa will leave a pink bicycle under her tree this year. Arthur is delighted by the letter and writes back to reassure her that Santa will deliver. In the midst of the grand operation to deliver the vast numbers of presents to the world’s children Santa encounters a child who is awake just as he’s delivering a gift. Fortunately he and the elves manage to escape unnoticed as spotting Santa is a big no-no. In the panic back at headquarters, Gwen’s perfectly wrapped present gets lost in the confusion and is not found until much later on when the man in the red suit is about to take a well earned nap after his night’s work. This is where the real adventure begins, as Steve lays down the law and tells Arthur that Gwen will have to go without this year as it’s not possible to deliver the present before she wakes up in the morning. Laurie here provides a slightly cold figure throughout the movie as his character strives for excellence and has ambitions of becoming the new Santa.
Arthur is not happy that a child will wake up on Christmas morning without a present from Santa and pleads with Steve to do something to make things right before it’s too late. To Arthur, Christmas is the greatest time of year and he idolises his dad, Santa. Arthur’s grandfather also known as Grand Santa (voiced by the excellent Bill Nighy) contrives a plan to deliver the present with the help of Arthur. The youngest of the Claus’ is desperate for Gwen to get her present but the trouble is he’s no Santa.
I don’t want to reveal anymore here but suffice to say, the plot takes many twists and turns for our unlikely heroes and provides plenty of excitement. This is an enjoyable movie for adults and children alike, which will get you in the festive mood, the characters are quirky and the excellent cast provide plenty of humour and visual gags. There is a warm chemistry between McAvoy and Nighy’s characters. Perhaps the star turn in this adventure is Bryony the elf voiced by Ashley Jensen. Her funny quips and her cute Scottish accent hits the right note and suits the well meaning and entertaining elf. Visually it delivers in spades, the characters are well drawn and the action scenes are plentiful with vibrant colours and settings as our heroes venture from one place to the next. There is enough here to keep the little ones quiet and a few jokes for the adults too. The version I saw was in 2D but there is a 3D version which will prove popular. At 97 minutes it is just right and it is an enjoyable experience and definitely worth a look, the kids will love it.
