Disney doesn't have an animated classic with Santa Claus as one of the main characters. They’ve releases movies based on different places around the world, but never really about the most famous Christmas figure out there. Because of this, it's easy for other studios to cash in on the beloved holiday figure. Through the years, people have made countless cartoon films and series with Santa Claus appearing left and right, mostly for their holiday-themed specials. But the 2019 film "Klaus" sees the famous father figure in a different light. Here, it's not only that the big-beared red-cloaked jolly man gives kids their presents for Christmas. The movie tells his origins and an interesting play on it too. It's a heartwarming feature that will melt even the coldest of hearts during the holidays.
Source: IMDb.com
Studio Ghibli has made quite a name for themselves in the animation world and in the entertainment industry at large. So much so that when they released their entire catalog in Netflix (though not available in the US and Japan), it made headlines. Two of them made this list, the first being the critically acclaimed Academy Award-winning hit, "Spirited Away." The movie centers on a young girl named Chihiro, whose parents are turned into pigs when they all get trapped in the spirit world after dark. Forced to work in a bathhouse, Chirio must go to great lengths to save the people she loves and return to her own human world. It's a heart-wrenching a beautifully creative film that shows Studio Ghibli at their finest.
Source: IMDb.com
The second Studio Ghibli film on this list is "My Neighbor Totoro." This is perhaps one of Hayao Miyazaki's, co-founder of Studio Ghibli, finest works. Also touching on the Japanese concept on spirits, little sisters Satsuki and Mei meet a giant forest spirit called Totoro when they move to rural Japan. With their mother in the hospital trying to recover from a life-threatening illness, Totoro appears to the girls and help them out when they're most vulnerable. Adorable most of the time but heart-wrenching when it touches on more serious topics, the movie is beloved by kids and adults all over!
Source: IMDb.com
Kids often love it when they see their toys on-screen. So much so that that particular toy becomes their most favorite after watching the film. And this is probably why after "The Lego Movie" premiered in theaters, Lego became extremely popular again. But beyond the toy charm of the movie, the story is a nice tale of an ordinary lego man becoming a hero beloved by everyone. Even though his world has a lot of heroes, some you might even recognize on-screen, Emmet comes out as the eventual protagonist in this charming film.
Source: IMDb.com
Dreamworks is arguably the most successful animated studio company after Disney. Year after year, they release their own great works, and in 2010, "How To Train Your Dragon" was a particular stand-out. Hiccup is a princely figure in a kingdom in the Viking region who hates dragons. So much so that they mostly live to kill those mythical creatures. However, when Hiccup discovers a young dragon, Toothless, and becomes his friend, it's up to him to convince the rest of his people that dragons aren't all that bad! It's a beautiful tale that proves that even with humans and dragons, friendship can flourish!
Source: IMDb.com
Let your kids enjoy some of the finest films that aren't necessarily from Disney, but are as good or, for some, even better! They all hold the same beautiful messages of love, hope, courage, and friendship, all within the magic of animation!
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