Planning a family movie night and hoping to appeal to a wide range of ages? We’ve compiled a list of the best titles to please even the pickiest movie critics in the audience! Round up the families and gather around to enjoy these festive December popular titles.
#1 Klaus (2019)
Credit: Rotten Tomatoes
Everything you need to know about it!
It’s a fresh story we haven’t heard before! Most audiences will not have seen it already. Klaus is an animated comedy about Santa’s origin. The movie is set in the island village of Smeerensburg, where spoiled young Jesper (voiced by Jason Schwartzman) strikes up an unlikely friendship with a local carpenter/toymaker named Klaus (J.K. Simmons). The whole town is involved in a generations-old feud between two families that has the town separated. Expect lots of sight gags, plenty of physical comedy, and some peril, as well as some mob scenes of village folk armed and ready to fight. There's some romance (flirting, kissing, and marriage); language includes mild insults like "loser," "brat," and "idiot," as well as "what the ... ?" A few characters speak in the Sámi language -- their lines are subtitled. The story promotes moving past old grudges and celebrates forgiveness. Themes include generosity, compassion, and teamwork in the movie.
#2. Arthur Christmas (2011)
Credit: Rotten Tomatoes
Everything you need to know about it!
A heartwarming animated holiday adventure that's a good choice for the entire family! *One brief scene of a group of startled wild animals and another of an angry homeowner wielding a gun may frighten very young kids, and there are a few jokes targeting parents -- like when Grandsanta explains that "in the old days," he once gave a double whiskey to an elf. But otherwise this movie from the British animators behind Chicken Run and Wallace & Gromit is an excellent reminder of the holiday spirit, family unity, and being generous. Families that don't celebrate Christmas should know that the story doesn't have any religious overtones; the emphasis remains on Santa and his family.
#3 How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
Credit: Rotten Tomatoes
Everything you need to know about it!
Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas is an animated version of the classic children's tale -- read line-by-line by Boris Karloff -- with moments of extremely mild peril. *The Grinch's dog is treated poorly -- slammed into snow drifts and run over by the sleigh. And very young or sensitive children may become a little upset at the Grinch stealing all the Whos' Christmas presents. The classic version! Due to its run time of 26 minutes, we recommend starting off with another animated short before this to extend the fun!
Paula Presswood is a former teacher turned entrepreneur. She can mostly be found blogging, doing yoga, drinking tea, chasing around after her three teenagers and sampling delicious appetizers with her crazy magician husband. She is Co-founder of Presswood Entertainment and The Thoughtfull Board. Follow Paula on instagram