Bumper festive film guide

Grab a Baileys, put your feet up and settle down to a festive TV filmathon

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

ITV, SATURDAY 16 DECEMBER, 6.30PM It’s an ITV tradition to show the

Hobbit films at holiday time, so here’s the jolly first one. ★★★★

The Hangover

ITV, SATURDAY 16 DECEMBER, 10PM The massively successful comedy about three buddies who endure the most extreme post-stag do comedown ever. ★★★★

The Inbetweeners Movie

CHANNEL 4, SAT 16 DEC, 11.10PM Simon Bird, Joe Thomas, James Buckley and Blake Harrison star in the spin-off from the TV comedy, yielding massive laughs. ★★★★★

Nativity!

BBC2, SUNDAY 17 DECEMBER, 5.20PM Martin Freeman stars as a weary primary school teacher facing the huge challenge of staging his class’ version of the nativity. ★★★

Pitch Perfect

CHANNEL 4, SAT 16 DEC, 9PM The first outing for the all-singing Barden Bellas sees Anna Kendrick shock herself with her a capella skills. ★★★★

Toy Story 2

BBC1, SUNDAY 17 DECEMBER, 2.50PM Buzz Lightyear and the gang set out to rescue Woody when he’s stolen from home by a toy collector, in this superb sequel. ★★★★★

Miracle On 34th Street

CHANNEL 4, SUN 17 DEC, 5.50PM The laterichard Attenborough’s turn is the main appeal of this remake about the store Santa who insists he’s the real deal. ★★★★

Legally Blonde

CHANNEL 5, SUN 17 DEC, 7.10PM The 2001 film that made Reese Witherspoon into a phenomenon, as she attempts to land her man by trying to keep it real. ★★★★

Raiders Of The Lost Ark

BBC1, WED 20 DEC, 1.45PM The original and best Indiana Jones film, with Harrison Ford tracking down the ancient Ark Of The Covenant. ★★★★★

The Inbetweeners 2

CHANNEL 4, FRI 22 DEC, DE 10PM The sequel to the hit big-screen comedy, in which the gang travel to Australia and engage in water-park frolics. ★★★★★

Die Hard

CHANNEL 4, SUN 17 DEC, 10PM The classic thriller with Bruce Willis’ cop rescuing people from psycho Alan Rickman, who’s holed up in a skyscraper. ★★★★★

Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom

BBC1, THU 21 DEC, 1.45PM Violent middle entry in the action franchise, whose highlight is the opening musical number. ★★★★

Bridget Jones’s Diary

ITV, FRIDAY 22 DECEMBER, 10.40PM The entertaining adaptation of Helen Fielding’s novel is perfectly cast with Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant. ★★★★★

Sleepy Hollow

CHANNEL 5, SUN 17 DEC, 10.50PM Wry gothic horror about 18thcentury policeman Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp) investigating deaths in a small town. ★★★★

Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade

BBC1, FRIDAY 22 DECEMBER, 1.45PM Sean Connery as Indy’s dad is the key new ingredient in this joyously frothy third adventure. ★★★★★

Bright

NETFLIX, FROM FRI 22 DEC Netflix unleashes this thriller just in time for Christmas, with Will Smith and Joel Edgerton as LA cops facing dark forces. ★★★★

Frozen

BBC1, SATURDAY 23 DECEMBER, 2.50PM The monster Disney hit about princess “Letitgo” Elsa, her sister Anna, and their quest involving a plucky snowman. ★★★★

The Muppet Christmas Carol

CHANNEL 4, CHRISTMAS EVE, 6.30PM Entertaining musical retelling of the Dickens tale, with Michael Caine as Scrooge. ★★★★

Despicable Me

ITV, SATURDAY 23 DECEMBER, 4.30PM The original smash-hit animation from 2010, which first launched the Minions upon children and adults everywhere. ★★★★

The Great Gatsby

BBC2, CHRISTMAS EVE, 9PM Baz Luhrmann’s suitably lavish telling of the classic novel, with Leo Dicaprio perfectly cast as the rich and mysterious Gatsby. ★★★★

The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies

ITV, SATURDAY 23 DECEMBER, 8PM The spectacular third Hobbity film ties up the adventure of Bilbo Baggins and his gang. ★★★★

The Lego Batman Movie

SKY CINEMA/ON DEMAND, CHRISTMAS EVE Arrogant vigilante Batman (voice of Will Arnett) battles a torrent of super villains in Gotham City, in this joyous CGI romp. ★★★★

Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?

BBC2, SATURDAY 23 DECEMBER, 10.35PM The creepy film that inspired the drama Feud:bette&joan, showing now on BBC2. ★★★★★

Toy Story 3

BBC1, CHRISTMAS DAY, 1.20PM Beautiful and moving third part of the CGI animated trilogy, which must be one of the finest franchises in all of cinema history. ★★★★★

Scrooged

CHANNEL 4, CHRISTMAS DAY, 2.35PM Classic version of Achristmas

Carol transported to modern-day New York, where Bill Murray is a cynical TV exec. ★★★★★

Home Alone

CHANNEL 4, CHRISTMAS DAY, 5.50PM Aw, remember when Macaulay Culkin was a cute kid? It’s 26 years since this arrived in cinemas – let the booby traps begin! ★★★★

Cinderella

BBC1, CHRISTMAS DAY, 3.10PM Kenneth Branagh’s impressive retelling of the fairy tale stars Lily James in the title role and Cate Blanchett as the baddie. ★★★★

Shaunthe Sheepthe Movie

BBC1, BOXING DAY, 2.10PM TV premiere of this cunningly silly big-screen adventure for Shaun, as he takes a day off from the farm. Chaos ensues. ★★★★

ET The Extra-terrestrial

ITV, BOXING DAY, 3.30PM Films don’t come much better or more emotionally affecting than Spielberg’s classic about a little boy befriending an alien. ★★★★★

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2

SKY CINEMA/ON DEMAND, BOXING DAY This colourful and breezy sequel to the Marvel superhero romp is a fun frolic from the off. ★★★★

Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix

ITV, THURSDAY 28 DECEMBER, 8PM Welcome Imelda Staunton as the evil Umbridge, one of Harry’s greatest ever adversaries. ★★★★

Back To The Future

CHANNEL 4, BOXING DAY, 6PM C4 is showing this legendary trilogy over three evenings, and it all starts with Michael J Fox and his time-travelling car. ★★★★★

Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire

ITV, WEDNESDAY 27 DECEMBER, 8PM It’s the one with the Triwizard Tournament, the Yule Ball and a pre- Twilight R-pattz. ★★★★

Harry Potter And The Half-blood Prince

ITV, FRIDAY 29 DECEMBER, 8PM Tom Felton’s Draco Malfoy steps up to a more active role, and a love potion sends Ron loopy. ★★★★