Twelve Films At Christmas - 4

This is the best of the lot thus far. Aardman Animations are responsible for Arthur Christmas and it is driven by a nice line in irony. It seems to have been an international success but it nicely betrays its British roots. The voice talents are mostly British - Bill Nighy on particularly good form with the caustic cynicism of Grandpa Christmas, Hugh Laurie excellent as Steve Christmas the modernising heir apparent to the Santa empire. Steve gets his comeuppance at the end (of course he does) but he handles this with a new-found humility that fits with the seasonal cheer. An upper echelon Christmas offering. 71/100.