Holiday Movies: Classic vs Contemporary
Some holiday movies are good and some are bad, but how do newer holiday movies compare to the classics?
Throughout time, the holiday season has been celebrated and treasured by many. This has resulted in many movies both good and bad. Today we’re going to look at more recent holiday movies and see how they stand up against the “classics”.
Home Alone (1990) vs Elf (2003)
Elf was arguably the movie that started out Will Ferrell’s movie career. Styled after classic Christmas stop motion films such as Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, this hilarious but sweet movie easily comes close to being its own “classic” movie already, and is definitely worth a watch this year if you get a chance. Now if you’ve heard of Christmas, you’ve probably heard of Home Alone. Whether you like this movie or not, it’s still a classic and a great movie to watch this year.
Bonus Classic: Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
If you like the first one you’ll like the second one. Picture Home Alone but in NY. Sounds good?
The Santa Clause (1994) vs Klaus (2019) vs The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
An original Santa origin story, the plot to The Santa Clause may be a bit strange but It’s still worth a watch this December. If you like hearing stories about Santa’s start and like Tim Allen you’ll probably enjoy this movie. Klaus on the other hand is a Netflix original that is a fun take on Saint Nick’s origin story. Packed full of hilarious jokes and heartwarming moments for the entire family, it’s worth the watch if you’ve got Netflix. Another Netflix movie, The Christmas Chronicles brings a new Santa to the movie screen, a cool Santa. Played by Kurt Russel, this new Saint Nick gives us a fresh new look at Santa’s origin and how he delivers presents to children every Christmas Eve.
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) vs A Christmas Carol (2009) vs Scrooged (1988)
In The Muppet Christmas Carol, Michael Caine does a great job of playing Scrooge in this take on the Christmas Carol story, not to mention, it also has the Muppets! What’s not to like? The most recent version of the Christmas Carol, however, has Jim Carrey who is exceptional playing any character, and he’s done it again with this awesome version of the classic Christmas Carol story. This movie does a very good job of capturing Charles Dickens original book. A bit spooky, a bit funny, and if you can get your hands on this one then it’s worth a watch. Yet another classic take on the Christmas Carol, Scrooged is a bit different. Bill Murray plays a very wealthy TV executive with no time for giving away money. This modern version provides a fun current look to the “Scrooge” story. Hilarious, creative, heartwarming, it checks all the boxes.
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966) vs How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) vs The Grinch (2018)
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a great animation with a classic story and a cute dog. What’s not to like? If any movie is a classic on this list it’s this one. If you have 26 minutes, make watching this movie your top priority. Somehow Jim Carrey found a way to get on this list twice but he deserves it. How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a live action take on The Grinch and is packed with great sets, stunts and jokes. There is no doubt that at some point in the future this movie will become a classic. The Grinch (2018) is a new take on the Dr. Seuss christmas book made by the same people that made Despicable Me. I would argue it doesn’t feel like a Dr Seuss inspired movie but it’s good nonetheless.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) vs Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
There’s no question that Rudolph is a classic. One of the oldest on this list, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a timeless classic for all to enjoy. Now The Nightmare Before Christmas has always sparked a major debate about it’s holiday affiliations. Some argue that it is a Halloween movie while some argue it is a Christmas one, but this creepy animation classic created by renowned director Tim Burton’s might as well be both. If you get a chance, try and watch this one this year. Chances are you will enjoy it.
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) vs Frosty the Snowman (1969)
At some point in your life you’ve probably heard the soundtrack to this one. Not only is he in a classic comic strip, Charlie Brown is also in some classic animated movies such as this one. It’s not an extremely long movie, as it is only 30 minutes, so if you get a chance try and watch A Charlie Brown Christmas this year. Now chances are, if you liked Rudolph and Charlie Brown you’ll like Frosty. Frosty is an animation similar to Charlie Brown and it is just a short, at only 26 minutes. Frosty is a well done movie and a classic that’s fun to watch with your family.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) vs A Christmas Story (1983)
As it’s one of the movies in the Nation Lampoon’s Vacation series, it’s jam packed with lots of laughs. Follow the Griswold family as they celebrate Christmas together and maybe burn down the tree along the way. A Christmas Story follows a similar style, with lots of laughs and the same 80’s style movie feel. A Christmas Story is a funny and sweet classic about a boy that really wants a BB gun for Christmas. Will he get one? Will he shoot his eye out? You’ll have to watch to find out.
Bonus Classic: The Polar Express (2004)
While The Polar Express is a newer movie, it’s easily a classic. This animated film stars Tom Hanks in a wild ride on a train to the North Pole. If you haven’t seen this movie, WATCH IT NOW.
In the end, it’s tough to decide whether the new movies are better than the classics. What do you think? Which is your favorite on this list? Let us know using the form below.
Eli is a sophomore at Sweet Home High School. In his free time he enjoys playing video games and reading