THE MORNING LIST
It’s not because you have a secret passion for Christmas TV films broadcast in the afternoon on TF1 that you should inflict your bad taste on children. To change from the traditional Disney and avoid ending up on the best of “Video Gag”, here are five ideas for special end-of-year holiday programs for children.
“Shaun the Sheep, Christmas Escape”: disasters and British humor
A classic of plasticine animation, the cutest sheep created by Aardman studios comes back with all his friends for a very successful Christmas episode. As you don’t change a winning recipe, it’s still a matter of the flock of black sheep coming to the rescue of Wallace and Gromit, who have gone to the Christmas market, where Wallace hopes to sell an infamous home-made drink. Except that a sheep slipped into the truck’s trailer, promising many blunders.
Serial disasters, very British humor and top-notch animation: this opus, which dates from 2021, testifies to the still robust health of the English studio. Lasting thirty minutes, and still without words (lucky!), it is for everyone, even if you still have to wait 4-5 years for the kids to get hooked.
Animated short film by Steve Cox (UK, 2021, 30 min). On demand on Netflix.
As a bonus: it’s not strictly speaking a Christmas film, but we can’t resist the pleasure of informing you of the release online, on Netflix, of the sequel to Chicken Run by the same Aardman studios. Titled The Nuggets Menacethis “real” film, longer and more engaging, will bring the whole family together in front of the TV during the holidays.
Animated film by Sam Fell (UK/US, 2023, 98 min). On demand on Netflix.
“Klaus”: the Christmas spirit to the rescue of a village of grumpy people
For those who missed this Spanish-British film by Sergio Pablos (and Oscar winner), released in 2019, head to Netflix for a welcome catch-up session. Christmas is reinvented there thanks to the improbable friendship between a novice postman, sent to a hostile town in the Far North, and a local toy manufacturer, despaired by the absence of festive spirit of the inhabitants of Smeerensburg, who have no only one idea in mind: to hate each other.
The drawing is magnificent, the dialogues are as funny as anything and the characters are as endearing as those of a good old family Disney. The film is suitable for all audiences (and will particularly please parents), and ideal for ages 6 and up.
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