A Boy Called Christmas

A Boy Called Christmas

An ordinary young boy called Nikolas sets out on an extraordinary adventure into the snowy north in search of his father who is on a quest to discover the fabled village of the elves, Elfhelm. Taking with him a headstrong reindeer called Blitzen and a loyal pet mouse, Nikolas soon meets his destiny in this magical and endearing story that proves nothing is impossible…

  • Released: 2021-11-25
  • Runtime: 104 minutes
  • Genre: Adventure, Family, Fantasy
  • Stars: Henry Lawfull, Kristen Wiig, Michiel Huisman, Maggie Smith, Sally Hawkins, Jim Broadbent, Toby Jones, Rune Temte, Zoe Colletti, Indica Watson, Stephen Merchant, Sinéad Phelps, Philip Lenkowsky, Peter Hosking, Perveen Hussain, Abiola Ogunbiyi, Kendrick Roger Ong, Rishi Kuppa, Joel Fry, Carol MacReady, Isabella O’Sullivan, Eden Lawrence, Ayomide Garrick
  • Director: Gil Kenan
 Comments
  • whiggyuk - 23 December 2023
    A beautiful and touching Christmas film
    I saw this at cinema when it t was first released and again today. It's beautifully shot. The snowy landscapes are stunning. The movie is poignant and magical in equal measure and always brings a tear to my eye. A lovely Christmas film. Maggie Smith, as always, adds charm and character and the talking mouse is a cute touch. The story revolves around Nicholas who has ventured looking for elf helm and looking for his dad. He learns about the meaning of Christmas along the way and has to teach it to others. It has a couple of little sad moments but is overwhelmingly lovely and feel good. Watch it.
  • ebatchelder-78001 - 19 December 2022
    Although not perfect.. a magical story and worth watching
    This movie was a really pleasant surprise. Some might say it is a bit predictable and they would not be wrong. But I think that is a given considering the trailers make no bones regarding the fact this is an origin story. Not just in how Santa Claus came to be but how we came to celebrate Christmas in its most secular traditions. It has a message that goes beyond just the traditions of Christmas but also what it is that makes Christmas such a magical time for so many and why it is so important to many who enjoy its celebration.

    I do not see the need to get into the plot of the movie as it's best to leave that a mystery. But it covers Santa's connection to nature and how Santa Claus, his workshop, and the traditions we follow of gift giving came to be.

    Maggie Smith is wonderful as usual. The other roles, played by well-known actors like Kristin Wiig and Jim Broadbent, give very good performances. While they are small roles, they are impactful roles.

    I love the fact the story takes place where during a time when there is no such thing as Christmas.

    My only issue with the movie that keeps this from being a 9 or 10 involves pacing. The journey is long and hard to reach Elfhelm. A mystical, mythological land in the deep north. A place that people have heard about as a folk tale but most do not believe exists although some do despite never having seen it.

    Once the young boy, Nicholas, reaches Elfhelm, the story introduces new characters. A cute pixie who is wonderful but I think under-utilized. The villain of the story is also under-utilized. I feel the events that unfold to bring about character changes are serviceable to the story but I believe it to be more simplistic than other Christmas fare I've seen. However, putting that point aside, the final moments of the movie hit a chord with me. I always love a good take on how our traditions came to be... and the very, very end brought a nice smile to my face.

    Some of the issues I note may be a concern to some which may be why some of the reviews are negative. I will admit that if these areas were a bit more fleshed out, I would feel a bit more of a connection to the people of Elfhelm and it would have served the overall story better.

    As for some other complaints I've read, one such review took issue with the inclusion of Indian and black characters for some reason... suggesting it was because of the inclusion of these characters that made the movie too PC. Well, I guess I don't have a problem with a fictional tale about a fictional land that includes fictional characters who happen to include people of different races. Maybe if they were making references to how they were treated differently, I might agree but the movie made no such attempt to do that or anything remotely like that. They were just people who lived in the village. They are who they are. Like anyone else in that village. I do not see why a Christmas movie is somehow made worse just because it has these types of characters in it. People who consider the inclusion of these characters as a negative I think completely miss the entire point of the movie itself.

    This is a fun movie... a visually beautiful movie, with the main character, Nicholas, whose face fits perfectly for a youthful St. Nick... before there was a St. Nick.

    Worth watching and in my view, worth recommending.