SO IN ARTHUR CHRISTMAS, the job of Santa gets passed from father to son. The current Santa is about to hand over the gig to his smart son, Steve (voiced by Hugh Laurie) who has been modernizing gift giving and turning the elves into merry paratroopers. Santa's other son, Arthur (James McAvoy), is a kind fuck-up who wears ugly sweaters and looks like a CG David Tennant. But when Santa and crew realize that one child's present was not delivered, Arthur, being the slut for fatherly approval that he is, insists on getting it there. He teams up with his sexist, racist grandpa (Bill Nighy), himself a former Santa, to take the old sleigh out on one last trip.

Once Arthur and Grandsanta finally get in the air (along with a badass elf) things get fun. But Christ, it takes a long time to get going. It's a kids' movie, guys. Enough establishing plot. I also saw it in 3D, which was cool in a couple parts (two words: floating meerkats), but otherwise it's not that awesome. Are your children worth the extra $5? Probably not.

I am pretty Grinchy, so me saying that this movie is not terrible means something. It's hardly a must see, and I'm not sure what the "message" is, but if you have kids who insist on holiday merriment, this has got to beat Happy Feet Two: Die Happier.