Animated films to watch with the family this Christmas season
The Christmas season is the best time to gather with the family and loved ones for some quality time and movie-watching at home.
It's always the last few hours just before Christmas that feel the longest and most dragging, especially for children who just can't wait to get their restless hands on their presents and rip open the gift wrap.
To make sure that your impatience is kept at bay, the best solution is to turn on the TV and enjoy a good old-fashioned movie night.
But if you're not sure what to add to your watchlist, here are some animated Christmas flicks that are sure to keep you and your family entertained right until the clock strikes twelve:
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Kicking off this list is this rather uncoventional Christmas movie that incorporates the power of stop-motion animation and fun musical numbers. The Nightmare Before Christmas tells the story of Jack Skellington, a skeleton who is known as the "Pumpkin King" of a monster-filled place called Halloween Town.
After accidentally stumbling into another holiday-themed world called Christmas Town, Jack is awed by the traditions and practices of the unfamiliar holiday and hatches a plan to kidnap Santa Claus and take over the jolly season with their own spooky customs.
However, the ghoulish leader soon learns why mixing Halloween and Christmas can be a recipe for disaster.
Arthur Christmas
It's no secret that Santa Claus has got his hands full when Christmas finally arrives, but how exactly can he deliver billions of presents to the whole world in just one night?
This 2011 gem puts a spin on the traditional depiction of Santa Claus by incorporating modern elements. Instead of a single individual, Santa Claus is a hereditary title that has been carried on for many generations, and rather than sleigh-pulling reindeers, the presents are delivered through high-tech vessels operated by hundreds of elves.
But even with all these equipment, they failed to prevent the unthinkable: they missed one child of her present. It's now up to Santa’s young son, Arthur, to fix the crucial mistake and save the magic of Christmas.
Klaus
Exuding a highly unique and distinguished animation style, Klaus explores the story of how the legendary Christmas icon Santa Claus came to be, but with a twist.
The plot revolves around Jesper Johansen, the spoiled son of a wealthy postmaster general who becomes an unwilling postman in a northern island town.
Threatened with being cut off from the family's fortune unless he can post six-thousand letters within a year, Jesper desperately tries to persuade the townsfolk to write letters. However, the residents of Smeesenburg would rather spend their time hating each other than writing letters.
He finds a silver lining when he meets an isolated toymaker who may be the key to ending the town's longstanding feud.
The Star
While Santa Claus is indeed an honored figure on Christmas, let's not forget what we're truly celebrating during this festive time of the year: the birth of Jesus Christ.
While we all know how the story goes, this 2017 animated film takes the beloved tale to a more heartwarming level with its unexpected protagonists.
Rather than Mary or Joseph, The Star has a small but brave donkey named Bo as its hero. After spending years wishing for a life beyond his daily grind at a village mill, he gets his chance to do something more when he gathers the courage to follow the Star of Bethlehem, and becomes the unsung hero of the birth of Christ.
The Grinch
Based on the novel by beloved children's author and cartoonist Dr. Seuss, The Grinch puts its audiences in the shoes of its titular character, a grumpy, cave-dwelling, green-furred creature who loathes Christmas with every fiber of his being.
It doesn't help that he lives near the town of Whoville, where human-like people called Whos are filled with excitement about celebrating the merry season. His hatred finally gets the better of him when the town's whimsical residents decide to make their Christmas celebration bigger and brighter than ever before.
With help from his loyal dog Max, the Grinch devises a dastardly plan to disguise himself as Santa Claus, steal Christmas, and silence the Whos' holiday cheer once and for all.