Occasionally, there are comedies that remind us of the idealism of our early days, and "Arthur Christmas" is one such achievement; it creates a bubble of joy that you want to linger inside of.

In large part, this family film is invested in countering skepticism about the jolly fat bearer of gifts and in updating all the iconic imagery of the Santa ritual. Concocted by British comedy writers Peter Baynham and Sarah Smith, "Arthur Christmas" systematically reconstructs the Santa tale from the ground up.

Yes, there's a sleigh here, but it's no ordinary, old-time contraption. It's a state-of-the-art UFO, designed with engines that are fueled by milk and cookies.

Have you always thought that it seemed preposterous that Santa can find time to visit each and every house in the world? Never fear, "Arthur Christmas" has that figured out too. He is merely the leader of an elite team of trained elves - think Navy SEALs with bells on - who get the gift from sleigh to tree.

If the reconfiguration of the Christmas routine is what dazzles our imagination, what keeps us interested on an emotional level is the dysfunctional family in the foreground.

Meet Mr. (Jim Broadment) and Mrs. Santa (Imelda Staunton), who have been overseeing the annual December celebration for 70 years. It's the family business, and on both sides of Mr. Santa we see different generations jockeying for position.

There's Grandsanta (Bill Nighy), who takes glee in mocking all the ways that Mr. Santa has modernized this operation (the 21st century holiday rush just isn't what it used to be).

Meanwhile, Mr. Santa's two kids clash relentlessly. Arthur (James McAvoy) and Steve (Hugh Laurie) couldn't be more different. Arthur is in awe of his father's empire and does all he can to preserve the yuletide magic, while Steve can't stop fantasizing about taking over the empire. He starts acting like he runs the show.

Things come to a head, innocently enough, over a girl named Gwen. As the North Pole is cleaning up after another successful year, a gift is discovered undelivered. Steve and his father brush it off, saying they'll ship it to the little girl. But that strikes Arthur as heresy. He enlists grandpa to join him on a trek, and in the process not only asserts his own authority but reminds us of why Christmas matters in the first place.

The humor is so dense and delirious here, the tone so sweet, and the creativity of a reimagined Christmas premise so surprising that "Arthur Christmas" works on every level that one would hope for from a family comedy. It's got imagination, heart and funny bone to spare. It leaves you with a pleasant, holiday high.

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