Arthur Christmas (2011)
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When a high-tech gift delivery system fails, a clumsy elf and a traditionalist grandfather must embark on a perilous journey to deliver a single bicycle.
The story
In a world where Santa Claus is a hereditary title, the traditional sleigh has been replaced by the S-1, a high-tech vessel operated with military precision. Malcolm, the twentieth Santa, is preparing for retirement while his son Steve manages the automated gift-giving process. However, when a wrapped bicycle for a girl in England falls off the conveyor belt, Arthur, Malcolm's clumsy younger son, seeks to rectify the mistake. Despite Steve's insistence that one gift is insignificant, Arthur finds an unlikely ally in Grandsanta, who still believes in the old ways of Christmas.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Santa Claus is a hereditary title, and Malcolm, the twentieth Santa, is nearing retirement. His son Steve has modernized gift-giving using the high-tech S-1 vessel, while his brother Arthur works in the mailroom. When a bicycle for Gwen Hines falls off the S-1, Arthur teams up with Grandsanta—who hides the original sleigh, Eve—and an elf named Bryony to deliver it. Their journey takes them through Mexico and Cuba, where they face military incidents and lose their reindeer. After Arthur realizes Gwen will believe in Santa regardless of who delivers the gift, Malcolm and Margaret join the rescue mission in the S-1. After a series of mishaps, including a predator jet attack, the Clauses arrive at Gwen's house. Malcolm lets Arthur deliver the gift, and Steve acknowledges Arthur as the true worthy Santa, forfeiting his birthright. One year later, Arthur becomes the new Santa, refitting the S-1 to be pulled by five thousand reindeer.
- Original title
- Operation Rudolph
- First release year
- 2011
- Runtime (minutes)
- 97
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Sarah Smith
- Writers
- Peter Baynham · writer; Sarah Smith · writer
- Cast and characters
- James McAvoy · Arthur Claus; Hugh Laurie · Steven "Steve" Claus; Bill Nighy · Grandsanta; Jim Broadbent · Malcolm Claus / Santa Claus; Imelda Staunton · Margaret Claus / Mrs. Claus; Ashley Jensen · Bryony Shelfley
- Genres
- animated; comedy
- Themes
- tradition vs. modernization; family dynamics; selflessness
- Tone and mood
- earnest; humorous; emotional
- Setting
- The North Pole and various international locations (England, Mexico, Cuba) during the Christmas season.
- Premise and plot tags
- Christmas; family; adventure; fantasy
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics, though it underperformed at the box-office, grossing $147 million against a $100 million budget.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 93% · review count: 168
- Production trivia
- The film was originally titled Operation Rudolph.; Aardman spent 18 months on pre-production in the UK before relocating to Culver City, California.; The music was originally set to be scored by Michael Giacchino and Adam Cohen before being replaced by Harry Gregson-Williams.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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