Ten Most Anticipated Movies of 2015: C.C.C. Issue #36

Top Ten Most Anticipated Movies of 2015

2015 is on the horizon, and there are some huge movies due for release in the New Year. Exciting remakes, intriguing originals, but most exciting of all, are some of the sequels. Will they deliver? Will they disappoint? Only time will tell.

10. The Jungle Book

First off is another one of Disney’s live-action remakes. This year we got Maleficent, and next year we’ll be getting Pan and Cinderella as well. There are a few reasons I’m most excited about this film, mainly because the original animated Jungle Book is one of my favourite Disney films ever, and it’s been long enough since its release that I don’t mind seeing a new spin on Rudyard Kipling’s source novel. It’s from director Jon Favreau, who brought us Iron Man and set the tone for the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe with that first film. Clearly he has a good handle on visual effects and action, and with the advances in motion capture technology, I can’t wait to see characters like Baloo the Bear, Shere Khan the Tiger, and King Louie the Orangutan come to life. And what a cast to bring these characters to life! Christopher Walken, Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Ben Kingsley, and many more are set to star. I haven’t seen any trailers or heard anything more than the cast list, but knowing the source material and who is involved is enough to make me seriously intrigued. The Jungle Book is set to be released October 9^th.

9. Terminator Genisys

This movie should be way closer to the top of my list, but there are two reasons it’s not. 1: 2015 is filled with THAT many big movies. Terminator, though one of my all-time favourite film franchises, is just not as important as some others this year. 2: history repeats itself. What I mean by that is, I haven’t seen a truly good Terminator film since T2: Judgement Day. Terminator 3 was terrible, despite what some people say, and Terminator Salvation, though an improvement in some ways, was even worse in others. It’s obvious the studio doesn’t know what to do with Terminator anymore, because (judging from the trailer) this new movie is trying to be a sort-of-reboot/remake by going back to events from previous films, while also showing us things we never saw before that still happened, like the future war, time travel, etc. and also changing the timeline and altering events. Regardless of how this new film turns out, I’m going to be in that theater seat opening night, because it’s still Terminator, and Arnold Schwarzenegger is back, and I just hope it turns out to be at least a fun time. Terminator Genisys comes out July 1^st.

8. In the Heart of the Sea

Chris Hemsworth takes a break from defending Asgard as Thor to pick up a harpoon and hunt down a giant white whale in Ron Howard’s latest film epic, based on a story that inspired Moby Dick, not the actual novel Moby Dick. This film is an adaptation of the novel of the same name that details the sinking of the whaling ship Essex when it was attacked by a giant sperm whale. It’s cool that instead of doing just a remake/retelling of Moby Dick, the filmmakers are actually telling an original true story, that is still essentially the same sort of movie. I’ve seen many film adaptations of Moby Dick—some better than others—but none have managed to capture the sheer adventure and drama of the novel, and I have a feeling this film might be able to do it in a way we’ve never seen before. The first trailer showed off some impressive visual effects, and the poster is what first grabbed my attention. Acting alongside Chris Hemsworth is Cillian Murphy, who is reliably excellent as well. It sounds like this could shape up to be one of the most epic sea-faring films in quite some time. In the Heart of the Sea comes out March 15^th.

7. Ant-Man

Marvel proved to everyone in 2014 that tertiary superheroes can still pull off their own films without the help of other big name heroes or connections to other films. Guardians of the Galaxy seemed like a big risk when it was first announced, but after seeing how successful it was, Ant-Man seems like less of a gamble and more of a sure thing. It was disappointing to hear Edgar Wright, who worked on the script and was attached to direct, left the project, but then they got another director, the lesser known Peyton Reid, to take over, and the reason Wright left was because Marvel wanted the film to have stronger ties to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is what fans (including me) want to see anyway. Ant-Man has been described as a heist film, and that has me very intrigued. Captain America: The Winter Solider was a spy thriller, Guardians of the Galaxy was a space adventure, and now Ant-Man is going to be something completely different once again. Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas, both newcomers to superhero films, will both be playing Ant-Man, and I can’t wait to see them interact. Coming off the heels of another huge Marvel film (which I will discuss soon) and finishing off Phase Two, there’s a lot of anticipation that I hope Ant-Man can live up to. Ant-Man comes out July 17^th.

6. Crimson Peak

This one I know pretty much nothing about. Here’s what I do know. It’s from Director/co-writer Guillermo Del Toro, visionary director who brought us Pan’s Labyrinth, both Hellboy films, Pacific Rim, and co-created the FX series The Strain. This latest project of his is a horror film, set in a creepy mansion. Del Toro has proven again and again that he knows how to do horror, so it’s exciting to see him return to a genre he has such a passion for. The cast includes Tom Hiddleston, famous for playing Loki in Thor and The Avengers, and I’m excited to see him do something different from Loki, because even though he is great in that role, I think he’s really talented and has a lot more to offer. I can’t wait to see a poster, a trailer, or any promotional material, but most of all, I can’t wait to see a horror movie in October that I’m actually excited about. Crimson Peak is due to be released October 16^th.  

5. The Hateful Eight

Here’s yet another one I know almost nothing about. The important thing to know is this is Quentin Tarantino’s next film. Do I even need to say more? Okay I’ll say a bit more. It’s another western, just like Tarantino’s last film, Django Unchained, which is one of my favourite films he has done. The cast was excellent, especially Leonardo Dicaprio as an evil plantation owner and Christoph Waltz as Django’s teacher. The cast for The Hateful Eight is insane. Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Bruce Dern, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tim Roth, Channing Tatum, and many more. There was something about a script being leaked online and changes being made to the script and a possibility of it being pushed to a later release date, but I haven’t looked into any of that crap. All I care about it that this movie get released in 2015 so I can see it and enjoy the hell out of it. The Hateful Eight is slated to be released November 13^th. 

4. Chappie

Director Neil Blomkamp grabbed everyone’s attention with 2009’s box office and critical hit, District 9. Hailed as one of the best sci-fi films in many years, Blomkamp was put on the map, but his follow up, last year’s Elysium, didn’t impress everyone quite the same way. I for one really enjoyed both Elysium and District 9, and I can’t wait to see what he has in store with Chappie. The story is about a robot, played by Sharlto Copley who was in both of Blomkamp’s previous films, which is gifted with human-like intelligence, but gets captured by gang members. I don’t know much more than that about the plot. The trailer has a mix of humour and seriousness, which I hope plays out in the film, because I loved the dark humour in District 9, and I thought it was lacking a little in Elysium. The visual effects look every bit as great as I expected them to look, and the similarities in design between Chappie himself and the robots from Elysium make me wonder if the two films might be connected in some way. Elysium was set in 2154, and Chappie is set closer to the present. There’s been nothing to confirm this, it’s just me speculating. We will see how it all plays out when Chappie hits theaters on March 6^th.

3. Jurassic World

I wrote a huge prediction article on this film back in November, so check that out for more of my thoughts on Jurassic World. This is not a remake or reboot of the Jurassic Park franchise as many have suspected. This takes place after the first Jurassic Park films, but this time around the park succeeds and people love it. Until they get tired of it. So the scientists start splicing dino DNA to make new nightmarish creatures, and then things go bad. I’m not sure how this story will play out, I’m not sure if the cgi will look better in the final movie than it did in the first trailer, I’m not sure if Chris Pratt is going to be as awesome in the lead role as he was in Guardians of the Galaxy, I’m not sure if director Colin Trevorrow can manage the reboot-ish film to one of the biggest movie franchises ever. I’m not sure about a lot of things regarding this film, but what I am sure about, is I want to see people running away from dinosaurs that are trying to eat them and dinosaurs that are new and scary and captivating and trying to kill each other and running through a park that actually has lots of potential victims in it. Of all the movies coming out in 2015, this is the one I want to like the most, but it’s also the one I’m most worried about and most skeptical of. Jurassic World hits theaters June 12^th.

2. Avengers: Age of Ultron

Just like last year, both of Marvel Studios’ releases are on my most anticipated list. Phase One ended on a foundation shattering high note with The Avengers back in 2012, bringing together the biggest superhero team ever in one movie and becoming the third highest grossing film of all time. The expectations for the second Avengers team up, as well as the second to last Phase Two film, are insanely high. Everyone is back—Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Nick Fury, Black Widow, Hawkeye—as well as newcomers Quicksilver, Scarlett Witch, and the Vision, but the one everyone is anticipating the most is the titular villain, played by James Spader. Ultron has the potential to be the best Marvel villain since Loki, and from what we saw and heard in the first teaser trailer, it’s looking like a very real possibility. In fact, that first teaser trailer is one of the best trailers for any film I’ve ever seen (I’ve probably watched it over 20 times) and it only made the anticipation even greater. There is so much that is set to happen—from following up the solo films of Phase Two (Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier) to introducing Ultron and the other never before seen characters, to setting up future Marvel films like Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther, and Thor: Ragnarok, and delivering a good helping of action, drama, and (hopefully) some comedy like the first Avengers had—only writer/director Joss Whedon could pull it off, and it looks like he will once again. Avengers: Age of Ultron opens May 1^st.

1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

What did you think would be my number one, Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2? The only movie that I’m anticipating more than a new Jurassic Park film, a new Terminator film, and a new Avengers film, is a sequel to what could be the most universally loved trilogy of all-time. Star Wars is back! Forget the misfires that were the George Lucas prequels. This is the beginning of a new saga, following Episode VI: Return of the Jedi! This is the first Star Wars film made by a filmmaker who isn’t George Lucas in over thirty years! It’s being co-written by Lawrence Kasdan, who wrote The Empire Strikes Back, one of the greatest sequels ever made and my personal favourite Star Wars film of all! It’s being co-written and directed by J.J. Abrams, who rebooted Star Trek with the most Star Wars-like Star Trek film ever! It’s being made with lots of practical effects like the original films were, and not with a whole ton of bad/obvious cgi! The cast is filled with legendary actors as well as up and coming stars, including John Boyega, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Max von Sydow, Andy Serkis, AND, original Star Wars actors/characters Harrison Ford as Han Solo, Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia, and Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker! John Williams is back to conduct the score!  The first teaser trailer was phenomenal! I know nothing about the plot and don’t want to until I see it in the theater on opening night with a full crowd of fans young and old in 3D in IMAX! There is surely no other movie more people want to see in 2015 than the newest Star Wars adventure, and I am definitely one of them. Star Wars: The Force Awakens comes out December 18^th.

Top Eleven Films of 2014: C.C.C. Issue #35

Top Eleven Movies of 2014

2014 has come to a close, and what a year it has been for films. All across the board, critics and audiences alike responded to the plethora of quality productions, including remakes and sequels that surpassed expectations and original films that came out of nowhere to be the best of the year. I saw so many good movies this year, that I had to turn my top ten list into a top eleven.

Disclaimer: there were many highly acclaimed films that I have not been able to see yet from 2014, and chances are good that they would have been in my top ten/eleven had I seen them (this is for the hardcore cinema goers who will freak out when they see I don’t have a certain few films among my top ranking for the year.)

-Boyhood

-Whiplash

-Nightcrawler

-The Imitation Game

-The Theory of Everything

-Life Itself

-The Babadook

And many more.

11. Edge of Tomorrow (A.K.A. Live, Die, Repeat)

Coming in at eleven is what I originally expected to be just another Tom Cruise sci-fi action money grab, but what turned out to be an exceptional sci-fi action adventure that wasn’t just another Tom Cruise money grab (it actually did poorly at the box office this summer, which is unfortunate). Edge of Tomorrow, sort of re-titled Live Die Repeat, is about aliens that have invaded earth, and the ongoing war to stop them. Tom Cruise’s character gets drafted into the army and strapped into an exo-suit to fight the aliens, but when he kills one and gets killed himself during a beach front ambush, he gains the power to go back in time one day with all of his memories intact, but only when he gets killed. He uses his newfound power alongside a war veteran played by Emily Blunt to figure out a way to defeat the alien leader and save humanity. This is probably Tom Cruise’s best sci-fi film since Minority Report, and in my opinion, his best overall film in quite some time. What really impressed me was the way the filmmakers took a story that essentially sounds like Groundhog Day with aliens and made it consistently entertaining, despite retreading a lot of the same ground over and over with the repetition of time. The action was swift and extremely impressive, Cruise and Blunt were excellent in their roles (it was especially great to see Blunt play such a strong female character), and it was surprisingly funny at times. Everything down to the little details, including the design and behaviour of the aliens and the weaponry worked, and I highly recommend you check this one out if you haven’t seen it yet.

10. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

This second solo Captain America film was on my list of top ten most anticipated films of the year, and it didn’t fail to deliver. Fans got what was promised to them, a superhero action adventure rolled up into an espionage thriller, and it thrilled indeed. Chris Evans was great as always as Cap, and seeing him try to reintegrate himself into society after having been asleep for decades frozen in ice and saving New York from an alien invasion was every bit as interesting as all the action going on. The introduction of Falcon, played by Anthony Mackie, was a nice addition to the story, and having Cap go up against The Winter Soldier raised the stakes enough that this standalone Marvel film far surpassed the previous Phase Two entries (Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World). The acting talent was exceptional, the visual effects were great, but what really blew me away was the way they were able to ground it in reality, despite having some outlandish ideas. Multiple helicarriers flying around and firing weapons and crashing sounds kind of preposterous in what really is essentially a political spy thriller, but it worked (and was an appropriate step up from what we saw in The Avengers as well). Captain America: The Winter Soldier managed to exceed my expectations and boost not only my interest in what I think of as a lesser Marvel hero, but everyone’s interest in the Captain America standalone films, and make the upcoming Captain America: Civil War one of the most anticipated superhero movies to come in the near future.

9. The Lego Movie

When I heard they were making a movie based on Lego, I thought it was a dumb idea. When I saw the trailer, it only reaffirmed my scepticism, as I thought it looked terrible. Yet I continued to hear stellar things about. After much delay, I finally watched it to see what all the fuss was about. Let me go on record as saying I love to be proven wrong, especially proven vastly wrong. As soon as I saw The Lego Movie, I completely forgot why I ever thought this movie was a bad idea. What could have went so bad turned out to be a fantastic family film, rendered in stunning animation that mimics stop motion so well it genuinely looked like it was stop motion at times. The voice cast was excellent, including the rising star Chris Pratt as Emmet, an average Lego figure who becomes the key to saving Lego Land, along with many other unusual and hilarious characters. The main concern I had with The Lego Movie from the start was, how could you make a cohesive movie about something that is designed to promote creativity and originality to a degree that the possibilities are endless? Well, writer/director duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller embraced the creativity of Lego and spun a story that takes some unexpected turns, generates many laughs, and offers family friendly fare that is hard not to enjoy. For me, this was definitely the most surprising film of 2014.

8. The Grand Budapest Hotel

Wes Anderson makes excellent films, and he has a very specific style of filmmaking that cannot be mistaken as the work of any other filmmaker. His latest production may be his greatest work yet. The Grand Budapest Hotel is a peculiar and fascinating story about a girl reading a book about a man telling a story about a man named Zero telling him a story about how he came to own the old and rundown Grand Budapest Hotel and why he won’t close it down. Got it? Good. The Grand Budapest Hotel has what is debatably the most outstanding cast of the year, even though many of the big names in it (including Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, and many more) only have small roles or cameos. The acting is fantastic across the board, and I especially enjoyed seeing Willem Dafoe as a vampire-like villain and Jeff Goldblum in his best role in far too long.  The story is a bit darker than other Wes Anderson films, and it’s more mature compared to other excellent works of his such as Fantastic Mr. Fox. It’s also hilarious in a clever and unconventional way, as has become expected of Anderson’s films. If you’re familiar with the distinct stylized filmmaking at work here, it may not feel as original and groundbreaking to some, because it’s essentially Wes Anderson doing a typical Wes Anderson film, but what I appreciate so much is it’s the best typical Wes Anderson I’ve seen since Fantastic Mr. Fox (I wasn’t a big fan of Moonrise Kingdom) and he took some chances with the story, characters, and dialogue to give it a bit of a different feel, and it paid off. The Grand Budapest Hotel is complicated without being overly complicated, quick paced without being too fast, and stylish without being style over substance. All in all, it’s a great film.

7. X-Men: Days of Future Past

2011’s X-Men: First Class was a return to form for the X-Men franchise. By casting new young actors in the roles we came to know and love in the original X-Men trilogy and giving Wolverine a break from being at the center of things, my interest in the X-Men films was reinvigorated. This year’s latest installment took what I loved about the first two X-Men films, what I loved about First Class, mixed it with some time travel and Sentinel robots, and became my second favourite X-Men film so far. It somehow managed to balance a huge number of mutant characters without ever losing focus—giving us enough time with past favourites like elder Magneto and Professor X, as well as the younger versions from First Class, and with Wolverine in the middle of them. But by far the most memorable character, who was a part of one of the most memorable scenes of the entire year, was Quicksilver. This mutant came out of nowhere and was funny, clever, and completely overpowered. However, his ability to move at super speeds was by far the greatest addition to this complex superhero film, which righted the wrongs of previous installments while also paving the way for successful sequels to come. It had a great story, great acting, great special effects, and was all around satisfying.    

6. Gone Girl

David Fincher is one of the greatest directors working today, so it wasn’t a big surprise that his latest film made it into my best of the year. It’s been far too long since I’ve seen a genuinely thrilling thriller that had me on the edge of my seat multiple times throughout, and Gone Girl had me riveted for the entire two and a half hour running time. Ben Affleck was excellent as the distraught husband whose wife has mysteriously gone missing, but it was Rosamund Pike as his wife who gave the standout performance and completely owned her character. The less you know about the plot going into this movie the better, so I’m not going to say too much more on this one. It has many twists and turns, the bulk of which I never saw coming, and the direction by David Fincher is flawless. It might not be quite as cohesive or visceral as some of Fincher’s other films, but it is definitely well crafted, extremely suspenseful, and even darkly funny, making it one of the must-see films of 2014.

5. Snowpiercer

I wasn’t sure I would like Snowpiercer when I first sat down to watch it. It’s from Korean director Bong Joon Ho, who directed the monster movie The Host, which I was not a fan of. It was quickly apparent my concerns were folly. Snowpiercer stars Chris Evans (among a cast full of talent) as a man living among the lower class on Snowpiercer, a train powered by a perpetual motion engine that goes around the planet and has what little is left of humanity living in it. Outside the train is a post-apocalyptic ice age that has killed all life, and is uninhabitable (or is it?) Chris Evans leads a revolt against the upper class living in the front of the train, and they fight their way to the front one car at a time to try and overthrow them. Not only is Snowpiercer well directed, well acted, and well structured, it’s highly original and unlike any American-produced sci-fi film I’ve ever seen, despite having a mostly American cast. It has plenty of action, all very well done, but even in the quieter scenes, it’s thrilling, sometimes even more so than the action scenes. Chris Evans brings an incredible intensity to his role, and the plot has a forward momentum (not unlike the train itself) that keeps the story moving forward, and it’s not until the third act that you realize there’s more going on than what it seems like at first. For those who want some original, clever, and potent sci-fi action, Snowpiercer delivers.   

4. Godzilla

Gareth Edwards’ American Godzilla reboot topped my most anticipated movies list last year, and while I can’t say it was precisely what I was hoping for, it came pretty damn close, erased the bad memories of the 1998 film, and satisfied the fanboy within me. A lot of fans and casual viewers were left dismayed that Godzilla himself often took a backseat to the human characters and even the villainous MUTO monsters, but I didn’t have a problem with this. In fact, I applaud Gareth Edwards for making his risky decision. Godzilla only appears on screen for about as long as the shark does in Jaws, as long as the dinosaurs do in Jurassic Park, and as long as the original Godzilla did in the 1954 film (which this one pays plenty of homage to). Is it fair to compare this film to those films? Maybe not, but it’s definitely comparable to the original Godzilla, as well as the many sequels and remakes from which it takes inspiration. Godzilla’s presence is felt throughout the whole film, the human characters weren’t terribly annoying (Bryan Cranston was fantastic, but that’s no big surprise), the visual effects were exceptional, the action was great, and the list of positives goes on. It wasn’t without some draw backs, but I was just so overjoyed to see a new Godzilla film (in a theater, which was a first for me), and one that didn’t suck, that the positives overshadow the flaws, and it left me eagerly awaiting the sequel. Which I will have to wait another four years to see...

3. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Rise of the Planet of the Apes was an unexpectedly awesome reboot to the Planet of the Apes franchise. It introduced Andy Serkis as Caesar, the leader of an ape revolution, and made talking apes cooler than ever. Going into Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, I had pretty high expectations, but I never expected it to be the best sequel not just of this year, but of many years. With the obligatory character intros and world building out of the way, Dawn was able to dig deeper and flesh out the apes even more than before. Practically all of the choices made with this sequel were good. Apes on horses with machine guns? Check. Even better visual effects and motion capture than before? Somehow, yes, it’s even more of an improvement from what already seemed flawless. Stronger human characters? Yep, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Kirk Acevedo, and many others were great in their roles. Mainly what I enjoyed the most was the story. Even though the visual effects were astounding and the acting was of a very high caliber, the story didn’t take a generic, easy, bland direction. In fact, it turned out quite differently than what the trailers seemed to be advertising. I won’t spoil it, but the actions of the apes, and the roles they played in the overall plot, were unexpected, bold, and at times shocking. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was hugely entertaining, a step up from its predecessor, and left me hungry for more.

2. Guardians of the Galaxy

If you had told me my second favourite movie of the year was going to a Star Wars-esque space opera featuring a Han Solo-like leading man, a green-skinned alien assassin, a grey and red skinned alien that doesn’t understand metaphors, a wise-cracking, gun toting Racoon, and a talking tree that only says, “I am Groot!”, I would have told you to get your brain checked. As I said before, I love being proven wrong. Director/co-writer James Gunn managed to bring all of these crazy characters together in a film that is as much a superhero movie as it is a straight up comedy, and make it one of the most wildly entertaining things Marvel has ever done. It’s crazy to think before Guardians of the Galaxy came out, people were concerned it might be Marvel’s first real misfire and it was going to suck. The only aspect of this movie I didn’t like was the villain, and Mr. Gunn himself admitted the villain plot had to be a bit edited down and wasn’t as good as it could have been. Marvel knew exactly what they were doing, and I feel bad ever doubting them. Guardians is my favourite Phase Two Marvel film so far. I actually liked it better than 2012’s The Avengers. Every character was great, the dialogue was full of wit, I laughed many times, the visual effects were top notch, the action was well done, the 3D was the best of the year, the soundtrack was best I’ve heard in I can’t remember how long, but most of all, it was great to see a Marvel superhero film that didn’t rely on previously established characters and ties to other films to succeed, and it was fun. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind dark and gritty superhero films, but it was just so nice to see something on the lighter side. Guardians of the Galaxy was the most fun I had at the movies this year.

1. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

There was a lot of positive buzz surrounding Birdman. Normally I would skip a movie like this at the theater and maybe check it out on blu ray or rent it. I thank the numerous critics who implored me to go see Birdman. This is without a doubt the best movie I saw in 2014. What I liked about Guardians of the Galaxy better than Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is that Dawn was a sequel, whereas Guardians was an original film. However, no movie on this list was more original than Birdman. I can honestly say I have never, ever, seen anything like Birdman before. It’s more like watching a play, or real life, than a movie. The story follows Michael Keaton’s character, who (in the movie) is a formerly famous actor known for portraying the superhero Birdman, but now he wants to do a production of a play on Broadway and star in it. Along the way he encounters a lot of issues—the press, difficult actors, and more. But mainly, he has issues with himself. Throughout the movie, you will ask yourself, is he crazy, or does he actually have super powers? The film is done to look like one continuous long take, the soundtrack is almost entirely drums, and it’s one of the most brilliant things I’ve ever seen. The acting is out of control—Keaton especially, but everyone else in the cast is just as great, especially Emma Stone as his daughter and Edward Norton as an insane actor—and the film as a whole is flawless. Birdman is the only movie I saw this year that gets an unquestionable 10/10. There’s nothing else I can say except you have to see this movie, more so than any other on this list.

Well, there it is folks. I recommend you check out all of these movies if you haven’t yet, and thanks for reading CCC all year long. I will hopefully be back in 2015 for more lists, movie predictions, reviews, and more!  

Arthur Christmas (2011) Review

CLAYTON'S CHRISTMAS CINEMA!

Arthur Christmas (2011) Review

So far this season, I’ve reviewed a number of Christmas films that deal with somewhat more mature content, whether it’s slasher level violence like in Jack Frost or vulgar humour in Harold & Kumar. But today’s review is for a decidedly lighter and more family friendly animated film, Arthur Christmas. And no, this has nothing to do with the Aardvark.

In the North Pole lives the Santa family, consisting of Grandpa Santa, who has retired and gone a bit senile in his old age, the current Santa, who refuses to retire even though he himself is getting too old to do the job, his technologically savvy son Steve who is next in line to take up the role as Santa, and his other younger son Arthur, who is passionate about Christmas and all the children who look forward to their gifts from Santa each year, and he takes care of replying to all the children’s letters. On one fateful Christmas Eve, the grandeur mission to get toys to all the good little girls and boys has a slight error. One child doesn’t get a gift placed under her tree, but Santa shrugs it off as no big deal. Arthur, on the other hand, makes it his mission to get the gift to her before sunup. Together with a fastidious elf, his grandfather, and his pet Reindeer, they gear up the outdated sled that runs on magic and go on an epic journey across the world to get to England and deliver the child’s present.

Arthur Christmas is a very exciting, fun, and well crafted film that the whole family can enjoy. While it does have aspects that adults will appreciate more than children, this is definitely targeted directly at younger viewers. The animation is great, and I really appreciate some of the detail they worked in, such as Steve’s beard being trimmed in the shape of a Christmas tree. There were some aspects to the animation I didn’t care for, however. Everyone’s noses looked bulbous and odd (not too surprising considering it’s an animated feature for kids), and the elves were kind of creepy and annoying. In fact, the elves were my least favourite part of the film. Luckily, they play a secondary role to the Santa’s, which were all great characters in their own ways. The voice cast is full of talent, including James McAvoy (X-Men First Class), Hugh Laurie (House M.D.) and Bill Nighy (Pirates of the Caribbean). Undoubtedly the best part of Arthur Christmas is the original plot, loaded with creative concepts, most of which I’ve never seen in any other Christmas film. My favourite was the Enterprise-like ship used to deliver gifts, with features such as aerial camouflage and hyper drive engines.

All in all, Arthur Christmas definitely captures the magic of the holidays with its heartfelt story and surprisingly complete character development. It tends to be too frantic at times, which will surely work for young children, but older viewers may benefit from watching it in segments.