Which holiday film is right for your family?

In a culture that sometimes fails to produce even a single family-friendly film in an entire month, suddenly we’re faced with an embarrassment of riches: Three PG films open today—The Muppets, Hugo and Arthur Christmas—all vying for kids’ attention and parents’ pocketbooks during this extended Thanksgiving weekend. (Adding to the race is Happy Feet Two, which got an early start last Friday. As director George Miller told the Los Angeles Times in an article that picked apart the studios’ strategies, “It’s Darwinian out there!”)

So how to decide which way to spend your time and money? As it turns out, we like all three of the new films, each of which has distinctive charm. (Although, if we had to pick just one, the answer might surprise you: It's the flick with the least amount of promotion and buzz. Yeah, we were surprised too.) To read our full reviews, click on any of the linked titles above—but if you've only got time for a quick recap, we break them down for you right here.

The Muppets
Running time 98 minutes
The big draw It’s the Muppets. Nuff said.
Good for ages 5 and up

Highlights (for kids) Everyone loves puppets—er, Muppets!—even kids who aren't yet familiar with the beloved Kermit and his madcap crew. They'll laugh at the kooky humor (e.g., when the Muppets supposedly drive their car across the Atlantic Ocean floor, emerging on a French beach). Bonus: A brand-new Toy Story short from the Pixar peeps.

Highlights (for adults) The film's creative staff retains the signature touches from the heyday of Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Richard Hunt and the rest. To wit: Plenty of meta humor and celebrity cameos, sometimes all at once—like when Emily (The Devil Wears Prada) Blunt appears once again as the secretary to a demanding fashion-magazine editor. (This time around, the Vogue doyenne is Miss Piggy.)

Lowlights There's a bit too much of the human protagonist (co-writer Jason Segel) and, aside from the first original song, most of the rest of the soundtrack is weak. (Not even the Muppets can make "We Built This City" cool.) Worst of all: If you're going to reprise Kermit's signature song, "The Rainbow Connection" (adding to its emotional weight by having all the Muppets join in), then why-oh-why cut away after just one verse? Way to tease us! 

Bottom line It feels great to share our love of these characters with a new generation.