2023's Latest Xmas Flicks For The Whole Family, Plus More!

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Ah, the snow, doesn't it just make you want to cuddle up with the family and watch Christmas movies? But which movie? We've put together a list of some of the latest feel-good Christmas flicks from this year all the way back to 1947. Plus we take a peek at the most exciting film that's coming out in cinemas in Beijing this Christmas!

Some of these movies, especially the older ones, are available on popular Chinese streaming sites such as iQIYI.

Newest Christmas flicks!

The Bad Guys: A Very Bad Holiday (2023)

If your kid's as big a Bad Guys fan as mine is, they'll love this 25-minute Netflix special tailor made for Christmas. This takes place before they had their big change of heart and decided to go good, during a time when they thought Christmas was the perfect opportunity to plan their break-ins. But when they holiday is threatened, they'll have to "do some good, so they can be bad"...

Good for all ages.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever (2023)

Wimpy kid fans get an all-new, full-length animated adaptation of Greg Heffley's misfortunes this festive season! This time, Greg's holiday takes a turn for the worse when he gets snowed in with his family over vacation, and he has to learn how to survive the cabin fever.

Rated PG.

The Santa Clauses (2022)

Tim Allen’s The Santa Clause (1994) was such a hit that they decided to reboot it and give him a mini-series this year. This Disney+ special sees Allen’s character, Scott Calvin, setting out to find a suitable replacement Santa as he nears his 65th birthday. The first four episodes have already aired and the remaining two will be released by mid-December.

Spirited (2022)

For the first time, the story of A Christmas Carol is told from the perspective of the ghosts in this hilarious musical twist on the classic Dickens tale. Each Christmas Eve, the Ghost of Christmas Present (Will Ferrell) selects one dark soul to be reformed by a visit from three spirits. But this season, he picked the wrong Scrooge. Clint Briggs (Ryan Reynolds) turns the tables on his ghostly host until Present finds himself reexamining his own past, present and future. Featuring original songs by Oscar winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (La La Land), this modern retelling is streaming free on Apple TV+.

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022)

Another Disney special, this one-off festive special has already made it onto Rotten Tomatoes’ list of the 100 best Christmas films, and in the 17th spot no less! A wacky, out-of-this-world spin on Christmas that’s sure to delight and entertain the whole family, this one-hour episode has earned a permanent spot on our annual must-watch Christmas list.

8-Bit Christmas (2021)

If you're a late 70s/80s baby and grew up in the time of Nintendo's Entertainment System's popularization, then this is a must-watch for you. Featuring Neil Patrick Harris as a father who takes a trip down memory lane to his childhood when all he wanted for Christmas was an NES, this heartwarming family flick is a great one for bridging the gap between the childhood of parents and the childhood of their kids today. 

Rated PG.

Christmas Classics

 (for the old-school)

Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

Yes it’s black and white and dated, but that’s what makes it a classic! Rotten Tomatoes describes it best – “Irrefutable proof that gentle sentimentalism can be the chief ingredient in a wonderful film, Miracle on 34th Street delivers a warm holiday message without resorting to treacle.” If you prefer color, the 1994 version has a more updated look while keeping the similar honest-to-goodness feel of the original. 

Best for ages 6 and up.

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

Discover the true meaning of Christmas with your favorite Peanuts characters in this cute 25-minute animated short. Charlie Brown, depressed by the commercialism of Christmas, finds his way back to the spirit of the holiday by following psychiatric advice from Lucy, directing a Christmas play, choosing an unexpected Christmas tree, and learning an important lesson from Linus. Available on Apple TV+ with a subscription.

Best for all ages!

Home Alone (1990)

Featuring Macaulay Culkin at his cutest, Home Alone and Home Alone 2 are the only ones of the franchise worth watching. (The kid in the third one is adorable, but the movie itself is deplorable.) This is a must-watch for kids that can relate to Culkin’s 8-year-old character, and it hopefully instills the same moral lesson that he learns in the movie. Best hide the toolbox after watching this one, though…

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

This puppet-driven film is great fun for young ones and probably the best way for them to be introduced to Charles Dickens’ famous tale. This heartwarming tale is also voiced by some veterans (such as Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge) who lend the film their recognizable voice talents and acting chops

Upcoming cinematic release

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

Five years after Aquaman saw its origin film make a splash in cinemas (pardon the pun), Aquaman 2 is ready to hit the big screens this December. Actor Jason Momoa's half-human, half-Atlantean everyman Arthur Curry faces off with a returning villain Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) who intends to "murder [Arthur's] family and burn his kingdom to ash" who is now aided by new villain Dr Stephen Shin (Randall Park). Nicole Kidman, or Atlanna joins forces with her sons Orm (Patrick Wilson) and Aquaman to save the day.

In Beijing cinemas Dec 20. Rated PG 13.

Our choice of IMAX cinemas to watch the new Aquaman film in? Universal Studios CityWalk’s IMAX cinema! Not only is it relatively new and uncrowded, it sports super cushy seats and maintains high levels of cleanliness. Plus, it’s got some of the latest in cinematic projection tech and is located right next to Red Oven Pizza (which you can bring into the theatre with you!) and Cutie Cones for an after-movie treat!

You can already pre-book tickets for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom online through Dianping and the WeChat mini-program.You can check out the step-by-step guide to using the latter in this article.

Images: iStock, Internet

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