Are you looking for the best animated Christmas movies? I know that you want your family to be happy with your choice. You must watch these top 10 best animated Christmas movies and make sure that your kids won’t be bored at this special moment.
Animated films are a great way to get into the holiday spirit. They’re great for the whole family, and they often feature stories that emphasize the true spirit of Christmas. Here are ten of the best animated Christmas movies of all time.
Each year the list of Christmas movies gets longer, but only a few movies make the top 10 cut. With many more becoming popular, this list will be updated every year. Here are the top 10 best animated Christmas movies you should watch during this time of the year.
As Christmas is approaching, many people start thinking about their holiday plans and parties. Having a party at home with your friends and loved ones is a fun way to celebrate the holidays, but you will need some entertainment.
If you are into animated movies, there are many great movies that we could watch during Christmas time. The quality of these movies varies, but all of them have one thing in common – they bring magic and joy for not only children, but also adults.
These top 10 animated Christmas movies all have some educational value and show how love can spread to everyone even if they are different. Some of them are funny while others contain more serious subject matter.
1. The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Nightmare Before Christmas is an American stop-motion musical fantasy film directed by Henry Selick and produced/co-written by Tim Burton. It is based on Burton’s story, “The Nightmare Before Christmas”. The film tells the story of Jack Skellington, a being from “Halloween Town” who opens a portal to “Christmas Town” and decides to celebrate Christmas instead, but accidentally brings Santa Claus back to life.
“The Nightmare Before Christmas” is the most beloved Halloween/Christmas movie of all time. It’s a stop-motion animated musical film made by Tim Burton and was released back in 1993. It’s a Halloween town that is set up like a Christmas town, giving some very unique ideas for Christmas decorating. The whole movie has a very macabre feel to it, with the skeletal trees and all of the death-like imagery.
2. Frozen
Frozen is the highest-grossing animated film of all time, and it’s easy to see why. This is a beautiful, funny and very touching story that the whole family can enjoy together. The songs are great, and the animation is stunning. It’s been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film at the 87th Academy Awards, and it’s one of those rare movies that both adults and children will love.
This is a dramatic story about Elsa, a princess with magical powers that somehow ends up freezing everything she touches. She flees the kingdom when she accidentally hurts her sister Anna, so now Anna must go find Elsa and help her return home. The two sisters are voiced by Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel respectively, and they are joined by Jonathan Groff as Kristoff, Josh Gad as Olaf the snowman and Santino Fontana as Hans.
3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
The Grinch is a 2000 American Christmas comedy film based on the 1957 Dr. Seuss book How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss. It features Jim Carrey in his first full-length live action film as the title character, and also stars Jeffrey Tambor, Christine Baranski, Molly Shannon and Anthony Hopkins.
The film had been in development since 1994, when a live-action version was originally planned with Jim Carrey starring as the Grinch. The live-action version would be directed by Ron Howard with later directors including Brad Silberling and Robert Zemeckis. For unknown reasons however, Carrey dropped out of the project and it was cancelled.
The Grinch is a heartless creature who lives on a cliff overlooking the citizens of Whoville. When Christmas arrives and the residents of Whoville begin to celebrate, The Grinch is disgusted. As he watches them sing and dance with joy, he decides that Christmas should be banned.
4. A Charlie Brown Christmas
A Charlie Brown Christmas is a 1965 television special based on the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. Produced by Lee Mendelson and directed by Bill Melendez, the program made its debut on CBS on December 9, 1965. In the special, lead character Charlie Brown finds himself depressed despite the onset of the cheerful holiday season.
Lucy suggests he direct a neighborhood Christmas play, but his best efforts are ignored and mocked by his peers. Overcome with depression, Charlie Brown sees a Christmas tree light up at a house across the street, and learns from Lucy about the true meaning of Christmas.
5. Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer
The “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” TV special is probably the best-known animated film on this list. It was first broadcast in 1964, but since then it has become a staple of Christmas tradition, playing on many TV channels during the month of December each year. It is also famous for its catchy theme song, which most people have heard at least once in their lifetimes.
6. Frosty the Snowman
Frosty the Snowman is a 1969 American Christmas stop motion animated television special produced by Rankin/Bass Productions and distributed by CBS, which premiered on December 7, 1969. The special was based on the song of the same name written by Steve Nelson and Walter Rollins. It was originally broadcast only on television, but has since been released to VHS, DVD, Blu-ray and digital download.
A Frosty Story is a 1997 American direct-to-video animated Christmas film that was released on September 9, 1997 by Universal Studios Home Video. It is based on the 1960s Rankin/Bass television special Frosty the Snowman, itself based on the song of the same name.
The film stars John Goodman as Jack Frost, Tim Curry as Professor Hinkle, and Leslie Ann Powers as Sally Claus. The film also features narration provided by Ed Asner and a musical score composed by Peter Matz.
7. The Polar Express
The film was based on the book by Chris Van Allsburg who also directed the movie. It was produced by Tom Hanks who also played the lead role along with other big names such as Michael Jeter and Nona Gaye. The story is about a young boy named Chris who doesn’t want to go to bed on Christmas Eve so he goes outside to play in the snow.
On his way back in he sees what he thinks is Santa Claus boarding a train. He decides to sneak onto the train right before it leaves and that’s where his adventure begins. The animation is phenomenal and it is one of the best animated Christmas movies ever made.
8. Arthur Christmas
Arthur Christmas is a British-American 3D computer-animated comedy film written and directed by Sarah Smith. It is produced by Aardman Animations and Sony Pictures Animation as their first animated feature film.
The film was released on 11 November 2011 in the United Kingdom and on 23 November 2011 in the United States. The film received mixed reviews from critics, but was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 84th Academy Awards. It was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film.
The movie tells the story of Santa Claus’ clumsy son Arthur Claus who has to deliver a gift to a girl before Christmas morning dawns, with help from Santa’s father, Santa Claus Senior, and his grandfather, Santa Claus (the first one). Before its release, it was announced that the film will be released under the title Arthur Christmas: The Movie instead of its original name, Arthur Christmas.
9. Santa Claus is Coming to Town
This movie is a perfect way to get the kids in the holiday spirit. It follows Santa’s adventures as he sets off on his Christmas Eve journey. It also has some songs that are hard to forget, like “Christmas Is” and “Kids Want to Know.” If you have younger kids who have never been exposed to these classic Christmas movies, this would be a good place to start.
Santa Claus is Coming to Town (1970) is a Christmas stop motion animated musical TV movie. It was produced by Rankin/Bass Productions and originally aired on CBS on December 11, 1970. The film is based on the song of the same name written by John Frederick Coots and Haven Gillespie and sung by Gene Autry in 1949.
The movie stars Mickey Rooney as Kris Kringle with Fred Astaire as narrator, Bob McFadden as city slicker toy maker Horace Woodpecker, and Mickey’s real-life son Tim Rooney as young Kris Kringle. The story begins in a courtroom where a judge sentences Kris Kringle to be executed as Santa Claus because he has been found guilty of being Santa Claus and therefore robbing children of the “spirit of Christmas”.
As he is being taken away, Kringle calls out to the judge that he will return next Christmas Eve to prove his innocence. He escapes from the courtroom and returns home where he packs his things to continue his life as Santa Claus.
10. The Year Without a Santa Claus
“The Year Without a Santa Claus” (1974) – This movie is about Santa Claus getting sick, so he has to find his replacement. It’s also about how he gets over his illness and gets everything back to normal again. This movie is one of the most popular Christmas movies ever made!
The Christmas season can be stressful, especially if you have children. There are many things to do in preparation for the big day. One thing that many people do not realize is that it’s just as stressful for Santa Claus himself! Despite his cheerful appearance, he has to deal with elves who love their work too much, children who are difficult to please, and other issues that only a jolly old man with a beard can solve.
Conclusion
If you love Christmas, and are looking for some great animated holiday movies to watch with the whole family during the upcoming season, look no further than this list. You’ll have so much fun watching these movies that you may find yourself wishing that it was Christmas year-round!
As humans, one of the things we love to do is get cozy by a fire and tell stories. It’s an inborn trait that we have been enjoying for thousands of years. Whether adding to the tales in our heads or just listening intently to those around us, there is something magical that happens when we hear a good story.
It gives us hope, joy and inspiration; like looking at a wonderful painting, it causes us to stop just long enough to take in the moment. Which is why family traditions revolve around these stories: they help to guide us through life. It’s no wonder then, that one of the most enjoyable ways to spread Christmas cheer is by watching these stories together with your friends and family.
