In the fantastical world of Halloween Town, created by Tim Burton, Jack Skellington (voiced by Chris Sarandon) has grown tired of the yearly humdrum and wants something a little different. After wandering about in the woods, Jack accidentally stumbles into the world of Christmas Town and meets Sandy Claws. One can only imagine what kinds of madness ensue when Halloween and Christmas meet.
This film is perfect for those who love a little darkness in their animation, and want something different for Christmas.
This Dr. Seuss classic has been remade many times, and in different mediums, including live-action and animation, but our favourite one has to be the 2000 live-action film with Jim Carrey as The Grinch, Taylor Momsen as Cindy Lou Who, and the scene-stealing doggo Max!
This film features some great character work from Jim Carrey, a heart-warming story that can get you in feels even while you’re laughing, and most importantly Max – the one creature that the Grinch actually cares for.
Gremlins may be quite the oldie, but it is a goodie and a classic. In the movie, struggling inventor Randall Peltzer visits an antique store hoping to find a Christmas gift for his son Billy. He finds a small, adorable creature called a ‘mogwai’ that comes with quite a bit of responsibility. While the actual doggo Barney is more of a supporting character in his film, we do find quite a few parallels between the world of the film and the life of a new dog parent trying to figure out how to take care of their pooch.
While it may be a tad on the ridiculous side, it does provide some great entertainment for the whole family!
This Disney classic has also spawned a couple of adaptations, but the 1996 live-action film gave us an amazing performance from the legendary Glen Close as Cruella De Vil. This film is doggo overload, which honestly sounds like heaven to us!
While Snow Buddies is a direct-to-video release, this one is one of our favourites simply because it has all the right amounts of Christmas movie cheesiness that everyone loves.
Plus, who doesn’t love seeing Golden Retriever puppies frolicking in the snow?
If you’re looking for a movie that epitomizes the 90s, Beethoven is exactly what you need. The family dynamic, the workaholic father who eventually learns the importance of family, and the dog that teaches them about what’s more important. Fun fact: the dog Beethoven is played by canine actor Chris, who actually had 12 doubles.
The third and final installment of the Look Who’s Talking series sees John Travolta and Kirstie Alley reprise their roles as James and Mollie Ubriacco respectively. In this film, we follow the lives of the family’s two new dogs, a well-mannered and highly trained dog named Daphne, and a rescue pup named Rocks.
These adorable pooches are voiced by legendary actors Danny DeVito (Rocks) and Diane Keaton (Daphne) and provide loads of wholesome hijinks and family-fuelled fun.
Another made-for-TV movie, The Dog Who Saved Christmas is a heart-warming family comedy that’s surprisingly entertaining, while also being cheesy – just the way we like it. Fun fact: in 2009, The Dog Who Saved Christmas was one of the best performing programmes in its timeslot on ABC, ranking as the number 1 film the entire winter season with over 4 million viewers.
Yet another Disney classic has made it onto our list and with good reason. We get to watch the romance bloom between a human couple AND a dog couple. While we love the original animated film from 1955, the 2019 live-action brings us so much joy – who doesn’t love rescue pups becoming Hollywood stars?
Got other Christmas movies you love? Share your favourites with us in the comments!
