Arthur Christmas

A closer look at the story

How does Santa deliver all those presents in a single night? The answer lies in a gigantic, state-of-the-art operations centre hidden beneath the North Pole. For centuries the Claus family has handed down the title of "Santa" from a retiring member to another chosen one. Each year at Christmas, Santa and an enormous force of expertly trained elves deliver gifts all around the world in a flawless overnight operation. One year, however, a single child out of hundreds of millions is missed. For most of the family, it is an acceptable little slip; but not for one person: Arthur, Santa's clumsy but kind-hearted son, who is not considered fit for the title. Without anyone's permission, Arthur launches a first-ever mission of his own to carry the final present halfway across the globe before dawn breaks on Christmas morning. Directed by Sarah Smith, this 97-minute 2011 animation features the voices of James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Bill Nighy and Jim Broadbent.