With the holiday season fast approaching, it may be time to break out the Christmas jumpers and stick on a few festive flicks. Though the weather can be a great way to ease someone into the holidays, a good movie about why Christmas is so special is guaranteed to prepare everyone for the nearing day, especially when it's watched in the company of loved ones.
Christmas movies are often bursting with endearing characters with compelling motivations, but there are some exceptions. Some characters act as villains and will usually attempt to hinder the protagonist in whatever their quest might be. Though most of these antagonistic figures are bested during the climax of a Christmas movie, it's hard to forget the lengths they went to in order to ruin (or in some cases save) Christmas.
7 Vic Frohmeyer & Emmet Walsh - Christmas With The Kranks (2004)
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Christmas With The Kranks follows the story of a married couple who seeks to spend the Christmas holidays in the Caribbean. Luther and Nora Krank spent years celebrating the festive season with their neighbors, but this year they want to do something by themselves.
Though they are perfectly in their right to enjoy the holidays in whatever way they see fit, their neighbors, Vic and Walt, disagree. They believe the Kranks should remain at home for the holidays as Christmas is a time for families and friends to be together. Though the Kranks are presented as much more villainous than their neighbors, it is difficult to side with Vic and Walt considering how juvenile their arguments are.
6 The Grinch - How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
Though most of the residents of Whoville regard the Grinch as a terrifying beast who despises Christmas, the only thing he truly dislikes is the people who forced him to leave his home. Before fleeing to Mount Crumpit, the Grinch lived in Whoville and tried to live a relatively normal life.
He was persecuted by the townsfolk in response to his appearance, however, and eventually retreated into the mountains to live as a hermit. He spent years in isolation until he decided to get revenge on all those who cast him out by ruining their Christmas experience.
5 Hans Gruber - Die Hard (1988)
Die Hard follows the story of a police officer named John McClane whose attempt to visit his family on Christmas Eve gets thwarted by a group of terrorists. Thanks to the help of his heavily armed team, Hans Gruber takes control of the Nakatomi Corporation and holds all who happen to be in the building as hostages.
Thankfully, John manages to slip away unnoticed during Hans Gruber's entrance. Believing himself to be the only person capable of stopping Hans, he mounts an assault on the organization in secret. Unfortunately for him, Hans discovers John's identity and uses his newfound knowledge to capture Holly, John's estranged wife.
4 Stripe - Gremlins (1984)
Gremlins is unique in that it acts as both a horror and a Christmas movie. It follows the story of Billy Peltzer, a young man who receives an unusual gift for Christmas: Gizmo the Mogwai. Gizmo is a magical creature who must abide by certain rules: he can't get wet, he can't be exposed to sunlight, and most importantly, he must not eat after midnight.
Gizmo breaks these rules several times throughout the narrative, resulting in the creation of various gremlins. Stripe, the ring leader, is by far the most dangerous. He spends the majority of Gremlins wreaking havoc all across Kingston falls by creating as many gremlins as he can.
3 Oogie Boogie - The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
The Nightmare Before Christmas follows Jack Skellington on his journey to find a new purpose. Jack has grown tired of celebrating Halloween every year, but he doesn't know how to change his lifestyle. That is until he stumbles across a magical land named Christmas Town.
Though Jack means well, his attempt to celebrate Christmas causes a great deal of trouble. After ordering Lock, Shock, and Barrel to kidnap Santa Claus, the famed present giver ends up trapped in Oogie's lair. Oogie spends the remainder of the movie playfully torturing Santa before Jack and Sally arrive to rescue him.
2 The Central Park Rangers - Elf (2003)
Elf documents the tale of a young man named Buddy, played by Will Ferrell, who thinks he's an elf. Though it takes years to put the pieces together, he eventually realizes he is a human. He sets off to New York City after learning of his origins in the hope of reuniting with his father, but forming a relationship with him isn't the only obstacle in his way.
Toward the climax of the movie, Buddy witnesses Santa crashing his sleigh into Central Park. He immediately rushes to the scene to offer his assistance, but his attempt to help is cut short when the Central Park Rangers arrive. Accompanied by a flash of lightning, the rangers' screen debut is a haunting one. They may be park rangers, but they look much more like the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
1 Harry & Marv - Home Alone (1990)
Home Alone follows the story of a young boy named Kevin McCallister who gets left behind when his family goes on vacation. He celebrates his family's absence for a few days, but things take a turn when two burglars attempt to break into his home.
Harry and Marv are two experienced thieves who target the homes of families they believe to be on vacation. Most of their attempts go off without a hitch, but infiltrating the McCallister home proves to be their most challenging job yet due to the traps Kevin prepares for them. Though these "Wet Bandits" are eventually outwitted by Kevin, it's hard not to respect the lengths they went to in order to infiltrate his home.