That Christmas Movie Review: A Heartfelt but Flawed Animated Holiday Tale
Key Takeaways
- Richard Curtis returns with another Christmas-themed story, “That Christmas,” which follows the interconnected lives of small-town residents. While it echoes the charm of Love Actually, it struggles with predictability and uneven execution.
- The animation is visually mixed, offering stunning backdrops but unsettling character designs that clash with the film’s overall aesthetic.
- Despite a talented voice cast, the film’s lack of humour, emotional depth, and originality keeps it from becoming a holiday classic.
A Richard Curtis Holiday Formula That Feels Familiar
When it comes to Christmas movies, Richard Curtis’s name is synonymous with heartfelt narratives and quirky humour. He’s given us unforgettable classics like Love Actually and Four Weddings and a Funeral. But Curtis’s latest animated feature, That Christmas, veers into overly familiar territory, delivering a predictable and somewhat deflated tale that feels more like an overly sweetened holiday treat than a satisfying feast.
Set in the cozy fictional town of Wellington-on-Sea on England’s Suffolk coast, the film follows three overlapping stories leading up to Christmas. Each storyline dives into themes of family, forgiveness, and holiday magic, but the execution is uneven, often aiming too low for younger audiences while leaving little for adults to enjoy. Let’s dig deeper into why That Christmas doesn’t quite capture the magic of Curtis’s earlier works.
A Snapshot of That Christmas: What’s the Story About?
The movie kicks off with a whimsical yet eyebrow-raising sequence: Santa Claus (voiced by the legendary Brian Cox) is flying over the English coast, propelled by a single reindeer, Dasher, when a slapstick moment complete with a rooftop collision sets the tone for the film’s humour. Santa narrates the events of an unforgettable Christmas, one that brought unexpected joy to the residents of Wellington-on-Sea.
The three storylines center on:
- Danny, a lonely boy whose overworked NHS nurse mother is often absent, and whose father is entirely out of the picture. Danny ends up spending time with his stern headteacher, Ms. Trapper, after a snowstorm strands him at school.
- Sam and Charlie, a pair of mischievous twin sisters. Sam constantly worries about keeping Charlie’s antics in check, fearing that Santa will land her sister on the naughty list.
- A group of kids who are left in the care of teenager Bernie while their parents attend a party. When a blizzard traps the adults elsewhere, the kids must band together to celebrate Christmas on their own.
Through the chaos, the film highlights classic holiday lessons: appreciating family, finding forgiveness, and the joy of coming together as a community. But the narratives unfold in a predictable manner, offering little emotional payoff or surprises along the way.
Animation: A Mixed Bag of Charm and Uncanny Visuals
One of the most polarizing aspects of That Christmas is its animation. Locksmith Animation, a relatively young studio, delivers an effort that is visually inconsistent. On the positive side, the film’s backgrounds are beautifully crafted. The snow-covered streets, miniature seaside homes, and frosty textures of Wellington-on-Sea are so detailed that they evoke the charm of handcrafted dioramas.
However, the character designs are jarring. The figures are awkwardly cartoony, with bulbous noses and flat facial features that feel out of place in the highly detailed environments. In certain shots, the characters’ hands are rendered with eerie realism, creating an uncanny valley effect that distracts from the story. Their movements, too, lack weight and fluidity, leaving scenes feeling disconnected and stiff.
While the whimsical tone might appeal to young children, the visuals lack the polish and cohesiveness of top-tier animated films like Frozen or The Mitchells vs. The Machines.
Richard Curtis’s Signature Writing: Love It or Hate It
Curtis’s writing style is unmistakable: bumbling characters, awkward conversations, and light-hearted humour. That Christmas leans heavily into this formula but doesn’t quite stick the landing.
For instance, Danny’s interactions with Ms. Trapper are riddled with painfully awkward dialogues that feel forced rather than endearing. The comedic beats, such as Santa’s clumsy antics and Dasher’s modern slang, often aim for cheap laughs instead of clever humour. While Curtis’s hallmark awkwardness worked in films like Notting Hill, here it feels repetitive and uninspired.
Worse, the characters are painted with such broad strokes that they come off as one-dimensional. The “cute toddler” trope is overplayed, the “cynical mom” has little depth, and the “uptight headteacher” trope is predictable to the point of being tiresome. These caricatures might entertain younger audiences, but adults will likely find them unmemorable.
Aiming Too Low: A Movie for Young Kids
Christmas movies typically aim to bring families together, creating stories that appeal to all ages. Classics like Home Alone or Elf strike a balance, offering humour and emotional resonance for both kids and adults. Unfortunately, That Christmas skews too heavily toward a young audience.
While there’s no harm in crafting a kid-friendly narrative, the humour and storylines in That Christmas are so basic that even older children may find them dull. Moments like Santa joking about “snowballs” miss the mark entirely, feeling more like desperate attempts at humour than genuinely funny writing.
Adults looking for the emotional depth and wit of Curtis’s earlier films won’t find much to latch onto here. The resolution of each storyline is hastily wrapped up, leaving little room for meaningful character development.
Bright Spots: Voice Performances and the Occasional Heartfelt Moment
Despite its flaws, That Christmas boasts a talented voice cast that does its best to elevate the material. Brian Cox brings warmth and gravitas to Santa Claus, while Fiona Shaw shines as the strict but secretly soft-hearted Ms. Trapper. Sindhu Vee’s dry humour as Mrs. Mulji adds a touch of charm, and the interactions between Danny and his mother (voiced by Jodie Whittaker) occasionally hit the emotional beats the script is aiming for.
Additionally, the film’s central message about the importance of family and community feels genuine, even if it’s delivered in a heavy-handed way. The inclusion of Ed Sheeran’s song, Under the Tree, adds a touch of holiday magic that will tug at the heartstrings.
Final Verdict
That Christmas is a harmless holiday flick that offers light-hearted fun for young children but fails to deliver the timeless appeal of Curtis’s previous works. Its uneven animation, lacklustre humour, and clichéd characters keep it from becoming a modern Christmas classic. While it has its moments of charm, this is the kind of movie you’d watch once and quickly forget, perhaps catching it in the background on Boxing Day TV.
For families with very young children, That Christmas might serve as a passable addition to the holiday season. But for everyone else, it’s unlikely to join the ranks of beloved holiday films.
FAQs
1. Is That Christmas worth watching?
If you’re a fan of Richard Curtis or looking for a simple holiday movie to entertain young kids, That Christmas might be worth a single viewing. However, it lacks the depth and humor of Curtis’s earlier classics like Love Actually.
2. What age group is That Christmas best suited for?
The movie primarily targets younger audiences, particularly kids under 10. The humor and storylines are simplistic, making it less engaging for older children or adults.
3. How does the animation in That Christmas compare to other holiday films?
While the backgrounds and textures are beautifully rendered, the character designs and movements feel awkward and disjointed. It doesn’t match the quality of animated holiday films from studios like Pixar or Disney.
4. Does That Christmas have a memorable soundtrack?
The film features a new song by Ed Sheeran, Under the Tree, which is one of its highlights. The rest of the soundtrack is pleasant but not particularly memorable.
5. Is this movie connected to Love Actually?
No, That Christmas is a standalone story. However, it borrows the interconnected storyline format that Curtis popularized in Love Actually.