Arthur Christmas, an Aardman Production

Wiz DOES NOT RECOMMEND Arthur Christmas

I understand to a certain extent that critics overrate movies for kids to a certain extent.

The reason why is simple: how are they going to review something meant for kids through a kids perspective? They can't. For the most part, it feels like they review those movies based on how painful it will be for the adult watching it with them.

But honestly, it feels like there is another type of movie that gets overrated even more: Christmas movies.

And with that comes one of Aardman's non-claymation animated feature Arthur Christmas.

Featuring none of the wit, charm and humor of the Wallace and Gromit, Shaun the Sheep or Chicken Run movies, this film seems to want to coast on it's creative concept of "Santa with high tech gadgetry".

The problem is that the ingenuity of it is shallow at best. Secret agent elves? Didn't The Santa Clause do that? North Pole as an operation akin to The Pentagon? Yeah, cool...but is that it?

Pare that with a bunch of characters that range from boring to annoying and you have a film that can be strain to sit through.

What's most unfortunate is the most annoying of the characters is the main one: the title character Arthur voiced by James McAvoy. The film tries to play his goofy and clumsy nature as endearing, but he honestly comes off as groan inducing and annoying.

But what is possibly the most disappointing aspect of the film is the animation.

Now, the film doesn't look bad, necessarily. But it lacks the charm and distinctive flavor that Aardman Productions seem to have.

Gone are the witty, charming and expressive eyes and large mouths only to be replaced by plastic looking facial expressions and standard looking animation from CGI films from the 2000s.

It's not necessarily "bad", but it's profoundly average and lacks the detail and care that some of Aardman's films have.

Hell, it lacks some of the expressiveness, color and memorable animation from something like the original Shrek or FInding Nemo.

Arthur Christmas is a cracking disappointment, doubly so since it's considered one of the best modern Christmas movies.

Bland characters and a lack of distinctive flair make this a film that maybe kids will like, but I have a hard time seeing why parents and adults will enjoy this...other than it's a Christmas movie and it's that time of the season.