Every once in awhile there’s going to be a face-off that pits two movies against each other that couldn’t be more diametrically opposed. This match-up is one such mind boggler. First there’s Klaus—a heartwarming, hand-drawn family feature about the Big Red Elf, which happens to be the most recent candidate on the Showdown. Then there’s Scrooged—a modern re-telling of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol that sees Bill Murray’s humbug-iest TV exec get a second chance at life. Only in a search for the Ultimate Christmas Movie would these two even enter the same conversation.
So read up on the differing titles below, then vote for your favourite!
Round of 16 – MATCH 3:
Klaus (2019)
Rightfully nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, Klaus is a modern holiday classic. In telling the tale of Jesper (Jason Schwartzman), the spoiled son of a postmaster who is sent to a remote town to establish a successful post office, the film skillfully deconstructs the myth of Santa Clause while simultaneously reinforcing it. Operating under the guise of a more realistic portrayal, the film manages to capture a sense of childlike wonder which is essential to any memorable holiday film. Even if you take away the Christmas trope there is still an engaging tale of friendship that flows throughout the film. One is genuinely interested in the plight of Jesper and Klaus, a gruff carpenter with a gift for making toys, which allows the film’s heartwarming ending to truly resonate. Klaus is a film that should be in everyone’s holiday viewing rotation. – Courtney Small
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
Scrooged (1988)
Scrooged is peak Bill Murray. In this modern retelling of A Christmas Carol, Murray gets to be wacky and deliver outrageous lines with deadpan charm. Despite its mean-spiritedness, Scrooged brings the holiday laughs which still feel fresh over 30 years after its release and, if anything, Murray’s cold-hearted yuppie broadcast executive only feels more real in this era. Underneath the brash exterior, Scrooged has a tender heart bolstered by a string of A-list ‘80s cameos and an unsurprisingly hilarious turn from Carol Kane as the Ghost Of Christmas Present. While it might feel messy and mean at times, Richard Donner’s movie has a well-earned place as a Christmas classic. – Rachel West
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 71%
VOTE:
Voting ends December 13 at 11:59 EST.
The elimination showdown runs from December 1 until the 23, with the Ultimate Christmas Movie being unveiled on Christmas Eve! You can vote here, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Check out where things stand and then tune in tomorrow for two new face offs…