Movies Like Christmas Comes But Once a Year
If you liked Christmas Comes But Once a Year (1936), a animation and family movie directed by Dave Fleischer, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.
- 1
Toy Story That Time Forgot (2014)
★ 7.1/10Also animation and familyDuring a post-Christmas play date, the gang find themselves in uncharted territory when the coolest set of action figures ever turn out to be dangerously delusional. It's all up to Trixie, the triceratops, if the gang…
- 2
Santa's Little Helpers (2019)
★ 6.3/10Also animation and comedyAfter being accidentally stranded at the North Pole, the Minions decide to embrace their new surroundings by taking on the role of Santa's helpers. Chaos and hilarity ensue as they attempt to prove their worth as…
- 3
The Boss Baby: Christmas Bonus (2022)
★ 6.7/10Also animation and familyChristmas Eve takes a twisty turn when the Boss Baby accidentally swaps places with one of Santa's elves and gets stranded at the North Pole.
- 4
Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas (2021)
★ 6.9/10Also animation and comedyShaun's seasonal excitement turns to dismay when a farmhouse raid to get bigger stockings for the flock inadvertently leads to Timmy going missing. Can Shaun get Timmy back before he becomes someone else’s present?
- 5
Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas (2011)
★ 6.5/10Also animation and familyWhen Sid accidentally destroys Manny's heirloom Christmas rock and ends up on Santa's naughty list, he leads a hilarious quest to the North Pole to make things right and ends up making things much worse. Now it's up to…
- 6
Olive, the Other Reindeer (1999)
★ 6.7/10Also animation and familyAfter mis-hearing a radio broadcast about Santa canceling his Christmas trip due to an injured reindeer, Olive the dog decides to travel to the North Pole and volunteer to be a replacement. Unfortunately, Olive must…
- 7
Home Makeover (2010)
★ 6.8/10Also animation and familyWhen a social worker visits Gru’s house to assess its suitability for children, chaos ensues. Margo, Edith, and Agnes, along with the ever-mischievous Minions, scramble to give the home a makeover in record time. Their…
- 8
A Scooby-Doo! Christmas (2002)
★ 8.2/10Also animation and familyOn the way to Daphne's relatives' condominium, the Mystery Inc. gang detours through the town of Winter Hollow, where the vengeful Headless Snowman has destroyed the town's Christmas spirit.
- 9
Prep & Landing (2009)
★ 6.9/10Also animation and familyWayne gets a new rookie partner, Lanny, after his previous partner got the promotion he wanted. Lanny has to remind Wayne of the Spirit of Christmas and the importance of being an elf in Santa's Prep and Landing elite…
- 10
Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse (2001)
★ 7/10Also animation and familyWhen a huge snowstorm leaves everyone stranded, Mickey and all of his guests at the House of Mouse, including Pooh, Belle, Snow White, Cinderella, Ariel and many more of his old and new friends, break out the cookies…
- 11
Three Blind Mouseketeers (1936)
★ 6.5/10Also animation and familyAs the title implies, the three blind mice are musketeers. The cat sets a number of traps for them, which they all evade (apparently without realizing it) while he sleeps. The cat eventually wakes up and begins chasing…
- 12
A Garfield Christmas (1987)
★ 7.4/10Also animation and familyGarfield, Jon and Odie go to Jon's family farm for Christmas, where Garfield finds a present for Grandma.
- 13
Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983)
★ 7.7/10Also family and animationEbenezer Scrooge is far too greedy to understand that Christmas is a time for kindness and generosity. But with the guidance of some new found friends, Scrooge learns to embrace the spirit of the season. A retelling of…
- 14
Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale (2007)
★ 6.8/10Also animation and comedyChristmas is never so spirited as when Tom and Jerry lock horns for the holidays in their new original movie--Tom & Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale In an empty opera house, Jerry wishes for a chance to perform -- and…
- 15
Trolls Holiday in Harmony (2021)
★ 7.1/10Also animation and familyQueen Poppy plans the first annual Trolls Kingdom Secret Holiday Gift Swap, but things don't go quite as expected.
- 16
Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin (2024)
★ 7.7/10Also animation and familyFranklin is new to town and hoping to make friends, but his usual tactics don't work on the Peanuts gang. When the Soap Box Derby arrives, he's sure it's a chance to impress new pals and teams up with the only other…
- 17
Mickey Saves Christmas (2022)
★ 7.3/10Also animation and familyMickey, Minnie and their pals attempt to celebrate the perfect Christmas at their snowy cabin. However, when Pluto causes Santa to lose all the presents on his sleigh, the friends travel to the North Pole on a quest to…
- 18
Stick Man (2015)
★ 6.8/10Also animation and familyStick Man lives in the family tree with his Stick Lady Love and their stick children three, and he's heading on an epic adventure across the seasons. Will he get back to his family in time for Christmas?
- 19
The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol (2011)
★ 6.7/10Also animation and comedyWhen Grouchy Smurf behaves badly to everyone and refuses to celebrate Christmas, the Smurfs of Christmas Past, Present and Future teach him to appreciate Christmas.
- 20
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw (2025)
★ 6.8/10Also animation and familyWhen laidback Greg finds himself at odds with his dad's outsized expectations, pressure builds to turn his act around. After a series of hilarious near disasters, Greg's dad presents him with an ultimatum that just…