Arthur Christmas Review

Ok, let's admit it (once again) - West indeed knows much more than just a thing or two when it comes to their animated tales. Leave aside the fact that the animation is consistently superior, what really work time and again are the story ideas which are fresh, innovative and more and often than not the kind that one can relate to. No wonder, these are the tales which keep children in mind and 'Arthur Christmas' is no different.

'Does Santa Claus exist or not? And even if he does, how is it actually possible that just one man can actually go on to deliver millions of gifts across the globe on Christmas?' - Now there would be rarely any families out there in the globe who wouldn't have faced these questions from the young ones. Adults may try to sound as convincing as possible while trying to answer them but given the fact that today's generation of kids is far more tech savvy and can't really be convinced with a mere fairy tale that 'tries' to sound like a fact but hardly comes anywhere close, it is 'Arthur Christmas' that comes for the rescue.

This means that what one gets to see is sheer marvel of integrated brilliant concept, some exceptional animation and an engaging story telling which has in it to satisfy quite a few doubts out there. As it is told, there is Santa out there with his entire family and a huge army out there which is making sure that all presents are delivered with clockwork precision. Well, literally!

Oh yes, just like every family head, even Santa has to face some challenges. Who does what, where and with what kind of resources being made available are some of the minor battles that Santa has to fight out and though the ultimate mission is to make sure that kids all over the world wake up with a smile, there are some in-house nitty-gritty that need to be challenged as well.

In the middle of this all there is a shock in store for Santa's management once it is reported that one child out there in the entire world may well wake up without a gift on it's side. The chosen one happens to be Arthur, Santa's son, who now has a job in hand to make sure that this error is rectified.

A premise like this is pretty much interesting enough to make one look forward to what do the makers have to offer in the 90 minutes to follow. Well, thankfully the basic story is fleshed out well to bring together a series of sequences that not just aid in the story telling but also keep you thoroughly engaged.

This means that whether it is the usage of technology (which has it's followers as well as detractors), family affairs surrounding Santa Claus himself, succession issues or the predicament of the boy who is just not prepared for his job, all of it is told interestingly enough that makes those 90s minutes fly by in a jiffy.

Of course visuals are what bind this tale and it is apparent once again that reinvention is the name of the game in 'Arthur Christmas' as well. Vibrant, colourful and believable, these are the kind of visuals which aid in enriching the winter season. Well, Christmas may have just gone by but it won't be a bad idea to catch Arthur's escapades. After all, it is much better than merely going through the motions with the likes of 'Alvin and the Chipmunks' who have ceased to be funny anymore.

Rating: ***