{"id":8244,"date":"2021-11-23T02:28:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-23T09:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/?p=8244"},"modified":"2021-11-22T14:29:40","modified_gmt":"2021-11-22T21:29:40","slug":"a-boy-called-christmas-an-unforgettable-magical-tale-of-how-christmas-came-to-be","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/2021\/a-boy-called-christmas-an-unforgettable-magical-tale-of-how-christmas-came-to-be\/","title":{"rendered":"A Boy Called Christmas * An Unforgettable Magical Tale Of How Christmas Came To Be"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/ABoycalledchristmas.poster.jpg?resize=152%2C225&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8250\" width=\"152\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/ABoycalledchristmas.poster.jpg?resize=203%2C300&amp;ssl=1 203w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/ABoycalledchristmas.poster.jpg?resize=691%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 691w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/ABoycalledchristmas.poster.jpg?resize=768%2C1138&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/ABoycalledchristmas.poster.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 152px) 100vw, 152px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>An ordinary young boy called Nikolas sets out on an extraordinary adventure into the snowy north in search of his father who is on a quest to discover the fabled village of the elves, Elfhelm. Taking with him a headstrong reindeer called Blitzen and a loyal pet mouse, Nikolas soon meets his destiny in this magical, comic and endearing story that proves nothing is impossible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Carlee S. comments, \u201c<em>A Boy Called Christmas<\/em> is an unforgettable magical tale of how Christmas came to be. Nikolas sets out on a difficult journey to the Far North in search of his father and the magical elf village called Elfhelm. What he finds is so much more.\u201d See her full review below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A Boy Called Christmas<br>By Carlee S., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 16<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>A Boy Called Christmas<\/em> is an unforgettable magical tale of how Christmas came to be. Nikolas sets out on a difficult journey to the Far North in search of his father and the magical elf village called Elfhelm. What he finds is so much more. He finds new friends, hope, and who he was meant to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/KjL7TUN35AY?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/ABoycalledchristmas.d.jpg?resize=225%2C117&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8246\" width=\"225\" height=\"117\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/ABoycalledchristmas.d.jpg?resize=300%2C156&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/ABoycalledchristmas.d.jpg?resize=768%2C398&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/ABoycalledchristmas.d.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><figcaption>A BOY CALLED CHRISTMAS &#8211; HENRY LAWFULL as NIKOLAS. \u00a9 2021 Netflix US, LLC &#8211; Studiocanal SAS<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>As the film begins, Aunt Ruth (Maggie Smith), comes to babysit three children during the Christmas season. She tells them a story of a boy named Nikolas (Henry Lawfull), or Christmas as his mother used to call him. His father, Joel, (Michael Huisman) embarks on a quest with others to find a spark of magic in the North for the King (Jim Broadbent) who is looking to bring back hope to the people. Nikolas finds a map and ventures into the great unknown with his pet mouse, Miika, in search of his father and the village of Elfhelm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My favorite scene is when Nikolas meets The Truth Pixie (Zoe Margaret Colletti) while he\u2019s locked away in a tower. The Truth Pixie is a comical character who doesn\u2019t want to help Nikolas at first, but they soon become friends, which is lucky for him. She decides to help him find his dad and their reactions to events are enjoyable to watch. The settings in the film help add to the mood of the story. The small home has simple things that reflect their simple lives. The creative details in the Elfhelm village add a festive flavor to the story. The decorations are perfect for the holiday season and add to the spirit of Christmas. The animation in the film blends well in the scenes. The animated character Miika ( Stephen Merchant) is a helpful little companion to Nicholas that adds a nice touch to the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/ABoycalledchristmas.c.jpg?resize=225%2C94&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8247\" width=\"225\" height=\"94\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/ABoycalledchristmas.c.jpg?resize=300%2C125&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/ABoycalledchristmas.c.jpg?resize=1024%2C427&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/ABoycalledchristmas.c.jpg?resize=768%2C320&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/ABoycalledchristmas.c.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><figcaption>A BOY CALLED CHRISTMAS &#8211; (L-R) Henry Lawfull as Nikolas, Miika the Mouse (voiced by Stephen Merchant) and Zoe Margaret Colletti as The Truth Pixie . Cr: NETFLIX \u00a9 2021 Netflix US, LLC &#8211; Studiocanal SAS<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The costumes in the film fit the different characters\u2019 personalities well. The elves\u2019 costumes have nice details that go well with the story. I also like how everything ties in with the kids and Aunt Ruth at the end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The message in this film is to have hope. Hope is what keeps people going in times that are hard. Nickolas learns that hope is never out of reach and shares this thought with others. The king needed a tangible symbol of hope that would bring happiness and learns from Nikolas that it was inside him all along.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I give <em>A Boy Called Christmas<\/em> 5 out of 5 stars. I recommend this to ages 10 to 17, plus adults. It releases on Netflix November 24, 2021.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An ordinary young boy called Nikolas sets out on an extraordinary adventure into the snowy north in search of his father who is on a quest to discover the fabled village of the elves, Elfhelm. Taking with him a headstrong reindeer called Blitzen and a loyal pet mouse, Nikolas soon meets his destiny in this magical, comic and endearing story that proves nothing is impossible.<br \/>\nKIDS FIRST! Film Critic Carlee S. comments, \u201cA Boy Called Christmas is an unforgettable magical tale of how Christmas came to be. Nikolas sets out on a difficult journey to the Far North in search of his father and the magical elf village called Elfhelm. What he finds is so much more.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[15],"tags":[20,4272,4269,4268,4260,4267,4266,4257,21,1240,4270,3367,2615,561,1069,4271,4261,4265,4264,4263,314,4258,4259,4262],"class_list":["post-8244","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-feature-film-reviews","tag-christmas","tag-explore","tag-father","tag-gift","tag-gil-kenan","tag-goy","tag-graham-broadbent","tag-henry-lawfull","tag-holiday","tag-jim-broadbent","tag-jim-broadbent-and-maggie-smith-directed-by-gil-kenan","tag-joel-fry","tag-kristen-wiig","tag-maggie-smith","tag-magic","tag-matt-haig","tag-michiel-huisman","tag-ol-parker","tag-peter-czemin","tag-rune-temte","tag-sally-hawkins","tag-stephen-merchant","tag-toby-jones","tag-zoe-colletti"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paS5I2-28Y","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8244","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8244"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8244\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8253,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8244\/revisions\/8253"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8244"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8244"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8244"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}