Preview: Arthur Christmas

PG for yuletide spaceships, festive nepotism, mom-and-pop-and-1.2-million-unpaid-elves business

Just in time for the holidays: a parable about Christmas logistics.

Arthur Christmas tackles the question on every skeptical 8-year-old’s mind–“How does Santa get to so many houses in one night?”–and approaches it with the analytic literalness of a business consultant. “It’s very simple, skeptical 8-year-old,” the film says. “Santa uses well-integrated technology, effective cost-benefit analysis, and nonunionized labor.” Picture a McKinsey report, but with high-strung, skydiving elves.

Yes, nothing says Christmas like worrying about logistics. Speaking of which, time to book my flight home for the holidays. Then I can start panicking as I try to figure out whose gift I’ve forgotten to buy, until I remember with a sigh of relief that I haven’t bought any gifts, so I’m at least neglecting my friends and family equally. Which is the true meaning of the holiday as I understand it. ~Ben Orlin – See more at pg13foruglycast.com