Halloween may have only been 48 hours ago, but it never takes too long for people to shift their attention away from the spookiest time of the year and onto the festive season. We can expect a deluge of holiday-themed titles to make their way to streaming over the coming weeks, just as Mariah Carey and Michael Bublé finish defrosting.
Before we get to the inevitable debate as to whether or not Die Hard is a Christmas movie, which was cleared up by no less an authority than director John McTiernan last year, there’s a chance for several films to stealthily make their way up the most-watched list. As per FlixPatrol, one of the genre’s more unsung efforts is already on its way there.
Rise of the Guardians was by no means a flop when it arrived in November 2012, garnering a strong Rotten Tomatoes score of 75% and a box office haul of $306 million against a $145 million budget. However, it doesn’t get talked about often enough when it comes to staples of the Yuletide viewing schedule, which is a crying shame.
Effectively a Christmas version of The Avengers aimed at the younger crowd, nefarious villain Pitch Black looks to overthrow the Guardians, who protect children the world over from darkness and despair. Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Sandman and the Tooth Fairy comprise the titular unit, but it’s Jack Frost who ends up saving the day in the end.
Rise of the Guardians has made a surge up the Netflix rankings over the last few days and we’re barely even into November, so we can expect it to continue climbing as the days and weeks progress.