8 Animated Christmas Movies That Capture the Holidayâs Spirit Perfectly

Christmas is here! Watching a good holiday movie with a cup of hot chocolate, surrounded by your loved ones is inarguably one of the best ways to celebrate. If you’re over the tropey rom-coms, here are some great animated Christmas movies to watch.

Dr Seuss’s How The Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)

Dr Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966) is an animated holiday classic directed by Chuck Jones. It revolves around the iconic Grinch, a grumpy, green creature who dislikes Christmas and all the holiday cheer in Whoville. Bent on ruining their holiday, he disguises himself as Santa Claus and steals all the Christmas presents, decorations, and food. When the citizens of the town still celebrate Christmas despite their losses, the Grinch realises that Christmas goes beyond materialistic things like gifts and is actually about love and togetherness. He eventually embraces the spirit of the holidays.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Produced by Tim Burton, The Nightmare Before Christmas is a stop-motion animated musical. The film has a separate fan base of viewers who enjoy Halloween just as much as Christmas. It follows Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town who stumbles upon Christmas Town. Soon he’s fascinated by the holiday and decides to take over Christmas. He does this by kidnapping Santa Claus. Of course, chaos ensues as his plan quickly falls apart. From the art to the hilarious storyline, there’s a lot to enjoy in this holiday classic.

Tokyo Godfathers (2003)

This animated film by Satoshi Kon is an underrated gem. Set during the holiday season, the plot follows three homeless people living in Tokyo – Gin, a middle-aged man, Hana, a former drag queen, and Miyuki, a teenager who ran away from home. When the trio discovers an abandoned baby girl in the trash on Christmas Eve, they embark on a challenging journey to find the baby’s parents. As they face their own troubles and tumultuous pasts, they form an unexpected familial bond with each other. The heartwarming film is about love and the beauty of human connection. It’s funny, emotional enough to be a tear-jerker and captures the holiday spirit perfectly.

The Polar Express (2004)

The Polar Express is inarguably one of the best animated Christmas movies. The film is based on the children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg that follows a young boy who boards a mysterious train called the Polar Express bound for the North Pole on Chirstmas eve. During his journey, he meets other children and goes on a magical adventure. He goes on to learn valuable lessons about belief, hope, and the magic of Christmas. The film remains a holiday classic.

A Christmas Carol (2009)

We all love a good story about a cynic turning into a believer with the sheer power of the holiday spirit. A Christmas Carol gives us just that. The motion-capture animated film based on Charles Dickens’s classic novella of the same name follows Ebenezer Scrooge (voiced by a perfectly cast Jim Carrey) cold-hearted businessman who hates Christmas. On Christmas Eve, he is visited by the ghost of his former business partner and three spirits: the Ghosts of Christmas’ Past, Present, and Future. The spirits show Scrooge the consequences of his actions. Through the ghostly experiences, he learns the importance of generosity, compassion and most importantly, the meaning of Christmas.

Arthur Christmas (2011)

Another film that gets the brief of inventive storytelling is Arthur Christmas. The animated holiday film revolves around Arthur, Santa Claus’ clumsy yet good-hearted son. When he discovers that one child’s gift has been missed during Christmas Eve deliveries, he embarks on an adventure to deliver the gift using his grandfather’s old sleigh. However, he is not alone. With some help from his brother Steve and a loyal elf, he’s ready for his mission. The film has a sweet message about how special every child is.z

Klaus (2019)

In a genre filled with predictable storytelling and re-hashing of Santa Claus’ story, Sergio Pablos’ Klaus is an inventive take on the myth of Santa. The story follows Jesper, a spoiled postman who is assigned to a remote, cold town, called Smeerensburg in the North Pole to set up a postal service. Here, he meets Klaus, a mysterious toymaker who isn’t much of a talker. The two form an unlikely bond and together, they take up the mantle of delivering toys to the town’s kids during the holidays. The film slowly unfolds the legend of Santa Claus and the result is a story about kindness and the power of giving. Watch this if you’re over the cookie-cutter Christmas movies.

LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special (2020)

This one’s for the sci-fi lovers out there. LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special is an animated film set after the events of The Rise of Skywalker. In it, Rey, Finn, and the gang celebrate Life Day, the Wookiee holiday, on Chewbacca’s home planet which is the equivalent of Christmas. When Rey gets a crystal that allows her to travel through time and space, she gets embroiled in hilarious encounters with key characters from across the Star Wars universe. By the end of the film, Rey and her friends, learn more about the Force and the meaning of found family.Here are some animated Christmas movies to watch today. Continue reading …Read More