Top 10 Animated Christmas Films
The title is pretty self explanatory of what I’m listing here. So let’s do it!
Arthur Christmas- My all-time favorite Christmas movie is this 2011 animated comedy that follows the titular Arthur (James McAvoy) who is the younger son of Santa Claus (Jim Broadbent). He ends up on a wild quest to deliver a present and we also meet a whole family of Clauses including Arthur’s brother, Steve (Hugh Laurie), Santa’s dad, Grandsanta (Bill Nighy), & Mrs. Claus herself (Imelda Staunton). I find this film extremely heartwarming & it has the rewatchability that a Christmas film needs.
A Christmas Carol- The story that has been retold several times, this 2009 take on Charles Dickens’s classic story comes from Robert Zemeckis & Disney and uses the motion capture animation the director loved to use in the 2000s. The film features Jim Carrey as Scrooge, as well as voicing all three Christmas spirits. The film also features Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Bob Hoskins, Robin Wright, & Cary Elwes.
Eight Crazy Nights- Well, I’m lying. This list is 9 Christmas movies & 1 Hanukkah movie. An adult animated musical comedy drama & was written by, produced by, & stars Adam Sandler as a handful of different characters. The film doesn’t have great reviews from critics, but may be worth watching if you want to explore a film of a different holiday.
The Grinch- The 3rd screen adaptation of Dr. Seuss’s Christmas story, the first was an animated TV special & the second was the live action version starring Jim Carrey. This animated version comes from Illumination and stars Benedict Cumberbatch in the titular role. Also featuring the voices of Rashida Jones, Kenan Thompson, Angela Lansbury, & Pharrell Williams, this is my personal favorite adaptation of the Grinch story.
Klaus- The most recent addition to the list, 2019’s ‘Klaus’ tells a more gounded story of Santa, as a toymaker named Klaus (J.K. Simmons). The films lead is a postman (Jason Schwartzman) who pushes both he & Klaus out of their comfort zones by delivering gifts to the small town of Smeerensburg.
Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas- A direct-to-video anthology film, the film depicts three separate stories that follow Donald Duck & family, Goofy & Max, and Mickey & Minnie. I have the first entry here, but I’m actually partial to the sequel, ‘Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas’ because we had it on DVD growing up.
Nightmare Before Christmas- Is this a Christmas movie or Halloween movie? I typically lean Halloween just because there are an abundance of Christmas, but if you choose to watch it during Christmas I can’t fault you for that. The film follows Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King as he tries to bring some Christmas cheer to Halloweentown.
The Polar Express- The most famous animated Christmas film, this one also comes from Robert Zemeckis and uses his motion capture CGI animation style. The movie is definitely a little creepy (as is the previously mentioned ‘A Christmas Carol’) mostly in part to the animation style, but it really does tell a great story about losing the child-like wonder of Christmas. Also, Josh Groban’s ‘Believe’ is an all-time Christmas banger.
Rise of the Guardians- A movie that is extremely nostalgic for me, this film follows Jack Frost (Chris Pine) as he reluctantly joins up with the Guardians who include Santa (Alec Baldwin), the Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman), the Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher), and the mute Sandman as they take on the Boogeyman (Jude Law). The film is based on a book series and to me the concept is incredibly original.
The Star- This 2017 comedy follows the Biblical Christmas story with a cast of talking animals who try to follow the star & discover what it means. The film features Steven Yeun, Keegan-Michael Key, Aidy Bryant, Ving Rhames, Gabriel Iglesias, Tyler Perry, Tracy Morgan, Oprah Winfrey, Patricia Heaton, Kelly Clarkson, Anthony Anderson, Kristin Chenoweth, Mariah Carey, & Kris Kristofferson as animals with Gina Rodriguez, Zachary Levi, & Christopher Plummer voicing Mary, Joseph, & Herod, respectively.
