The festive season is upon us once again and what would the holidays be if they weren’t jam-packed with feel good movies? So, to get you and your family feeling the warm Christmassy vibe that comes with binge eating mince pies for days on end, join Janet Leigh as she shares her list of must-watch animated films.
Toy Story
One sure fire way to kick off hours of holiday movie bliss is Toy Story. It’s one of those rare family films you can be certain that everyone will love. The only quarrel comes from deciding on which installment of the trilogy to watch. While both sequels are undoubtedly entertaining, with a whole host of additional characters to spice things up, it was the original film that nestled its way into viewers’ hearts. Toy Story is the movie equivalent of a delicious roasted turkey, perfectly stuffed to the brim with all of the right ingredients: action, heightened emotions, something worth fighting for and a feel-good ending.
The Iron Giant
There is something special about The Iron Giant. The bond between the tin-man and the young boy, Hogarth, is reminiscent of that between the alien and Elliott in Spielberg’s classic, ET. The touching story – starring Eli Marienthal, Jennifer Aniston and Vin Diesel – is so well told that the audience can’t help but be captivated by Hogarth’s discovery of the metal ‘creature’ and his determination to keep it and their friendship alive.
Arthur Christmas
A relatively new film when compared to the others, but definitely an excellent movie to get your family in the holiday mood. Plunge into adventure on Grand-Santa’s retro sleigh as Arthur, Santa’s lame duck son, sets off on a journey to deliver a gift to a forgotten child. The film is adorable and heart-warming with Arthur at the helm of self-discovery as he even learns that there may be more to him than he’s ever been given credit for. It also doesn’t hurt that Grand-Santa is hilarious.
A Christmas Carol
Nothing quite spells Christmas like Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and who better to deliver it 3D animation style than Disney? Jim Carrey’s rendition of the dastardly Ebenezer Scrooge is spot on. Throw in the spectacular Gary Oldman and Colin Firth and it’s instant magic.
Rise Of The Guardians (Main Picture)
Rise Of The Guardians makes a slightly underrated but wonderful addition to the DVD pile this Christmas. A mission seen from the eyes of the loveable rogue Jack Frost, enlisted as the unwilling guardian to protect children’s hopes and dreams from the Boogeyman. Sounds just like a tale you’d read at bedtime except with Chris Pine, Hugh Jackman and Alec Baldwin reading out the parts – so to speak. Simply magical – with bursts of hilarity sprinkled evenly about.
Shrek 2
Christmas Day wouldn’t be Christmas Day if Shrek weren’t there to disgrace our screens with foul and smelly ogre antics: And what better than the second installment of the franchise? It’s packed full of deception and murder plots, as Prince Charming and Shrek battle it out for Princess Fiona’s affection. Jennifer Saunders delivers an excellent performance as the Fairy Godmother gone bad while Antonio Banderas makes his spectacular Puss in Boots debut. His transition from assassin to Shrek’s alley brings about much amusement, as does his becoming the thorn in the ass (Donkey’s, if you didn’t catch that Christmas-cracker worthy joke). All in all – the perfect way to round up the festive season.
