Carl Roberts 
Discover the magic of ‘The Night Before Christmas In Wonderland’. Join Santa and his friends as they navigate a magical holiday wonderland.
Based on the book written by Carys Bexington and illustrated by Kate Hindley, The Night Before Christmas In Wonderland is an animated movie for the whole family. Featuring the voices of Gerard Butler as Santa, Emelia Clarke as The Queen Of Hearts and Simone Ashley as Alice, the film is a mix between The Night Before Christmas and Alice In Wonderland. Made in 2D animation, the film has a lot going for it from the very start. With dialogue that rhymes as the poem does, a wonderful throwback to Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland, some great humour and even some singing by the cast, it all adds up to a nice little gift wrapped in a warm bow.
PREMISE
Get ready for a topsy-turvy Christmas as St Nick heads down the rabbit hole! All the festive fun of two beloved classics come together in this heartwarming animated musical. St Nick receives a delayed letter on Christmas Eve from the Princess of Hearts. He and his dedicated team of reindeer set off to Wonderland where they’re greeted by the mean and miserable Queen of Hearts who hates all things Christmas… especially presents! Can St Nick, aided by Alice, the Mad Hatter and March Hare, show the Queen the true meaning of Christmas and save the day before it’s too late?
THOUGHTS
What’s not to like with a gentle, funny and enchanting tale combining two excellent pieces of literature? Ok, so maybe Santa’s singing may not be to your taste and some of the musical direction is too modern for a tale like this, but who cares? Young children will be in raptures with the film, made in an animation style similar to TV’s Peppa Pig stories. It is a bold decision to go in this direction. Some audience members may be put off by the style of animation on display here, preferring a more modern (i.e. CGI) palette. Bah, Humbug! This is a throwback to classic animation, a style that fits the film to a tee. Young children will learn the true meaning of Christmas while falling in love with the animated reindeer and laugh at the Reindeer poop joke that lands brilliantly.
Adding to the mix are the Alice In Wonderland components. Our favourites are all here. Alice, The White Rabbit, The Cheshire Cat, The Queen Of Hearts and of course, The Mad Hatter, still conducting his tea party. It is wonderful to see them all here. The classic, memorable quotes are here too (Move down, no room, off with their heads). It is so much fun that adults watching the film will be transported back to their own childhoods. With the plotline of why the Queen hates Christmas also being timely and relevant, the film succeeds on almost every level.
VOCAL PERFORMANCES
Gerard Butler is really well suited (pardon the pun) to voice Santa. His Scottish twang and tones make this a lovable incarnation of Jolly Saint Nick. Butler embraces the spirit of the character, making him charming, lovable, thoughtful and quite funny at times. Add in a scene where Santa has his pants ripped onboard his sleigh, exposing his spotty underwear, and you can hear the laughs echoing around the house. While his singing voice is, I’ll be kind and say, not going to propel him to a number-one single, at least Butler injects his performance with some much-needed love and fun.
Emelia Clarke is wonderful as the voice of The Queen Of Hearts. One moment charming and quiet, the next roaring in anger at St Nick and his reindeer friends and being extremely grumpy, the actress seems a perfect fit for the character. She nails the Queen in every sense, not quite scaring the young children but giving them enough to boo her, almost like a pantomime, until the inevitable conclusion to proceedings. It is a wonderful vocal performance, one that bounces off of Butler’s, giving us all a great time.
SIMONE ASHLEY
Simone Ashley provides the voice of Alice and does a marvellous job. The only problem I had with this version of Alice is she turns up late into proceedings. But when she does, the charming tale elevates higher than before, bringing joy to everyone watching the film. The actress voices Alice as she should be, a little girl who is in a mysterious and insane land but trying her best to understand her surroundings and the characters she meets. As the film is voiced by British actors and actresses, some people may find fault with the fact that Alice speaks with an English accent, not an American one as heard in the Walt Disney animated movie. Again, I say Bah, Humbug to these naysayers. Simone Ashley manages to convey the heart and soul of Alice with her vocal tones here.
THE REST OF THE VOCAL CAST
The rest of the vocal cast all deliver wonderful performances as their characters. MAE MULLER voices Prancer. MACKENZIE CROOK is The White Rabbit. MAWAAN RIZWAN aces the role of The Mad Hatter. ASIM CHAUDHRY is The March Hare. TOM ALLEN is hilarious as The Fish Barrister. LENNY RUSH is charming and funny as the reindeer, Robin. ELIZA RILEY is sweet as The Princess of Hearts. SIMON DAY is The Dodo. NICOLAS HAMILTON is great as The Card Guard and DUNCAN WISBEY briefly voices The King.
However, the best laughs come in the form of the reindeer themselves. Dancer is voiced by CLARE HERNON. Comet & Donder by NAOMI McDONALD. Cupid by OLIVIA FORREST. Dasher & Vixen by LIZZIE WATERWOTH and Blitzen by RIONA O’CONNOR. The film features Additional voices by CAMILLA DEAKIN, RUTH FIELDING, EMMA RIDLEY and HANNAH McGRORY. The reindeer all have regional accents that make them even more lovable and hilarious throughout. London (Prancer), Irish (Blitzen), Scottish (Dancer), Liverpudlian (Vixen), Yorkshire (Dasher), Welsh (Cupid), West Country (Comet), and RP (Donder). At times, viewers will find themselves chucking loudly at what comes out of the reindeer’s mouths and how they say it. It is pure joy.
VERDICT
The Night Before Christmas In Wonderland fits in brilliantly with the traditional festive entertainment. It is a timeless film that will fast become a favourite, a go-to movie that charms and entertains. It is a charming and enjoyable tale, masterfully brought to the screen. The look and feel of the film wrap us all in a nice Christmas hug, getting us all in the Christmas spirit with its jolly tunes and easy humour. It is destined to become a family Christmas favourite for years to come. With terrific vocal performances, a genuine feeling of warmth and a nice message, the film is one to curl up with and enjoy. Grab yourself a mug of hot chocolate, open a tub of festive sweets, get the mince pies out and enjoy.
The Night Before Christmas In Wonderland will be available on Friday, 13th December on Sky Cinema and Hulu, courtesy of Universal Pictures.
Introducing Carl! As the News Editor at Future of the Force, Carl has been an invaluable member of our team since early 2016. His expertise and dedication have made him an integral part of our editorial staff. Beyond his professional role, Carl is a fervent supporter of Liverpool F.C. and an avid follower of pop culture. He has a deep passion for Halloween, Friday the 13th, and the iconic movie franchises Star Wars and Star Trek.
He can be found either at his neighborhood cinema, enjoying the latest releases on the big screen, or at home streaming the newest blockbuster movies.
