Christmas movies have become a staple for movie fans around the holidays. With so many different films out there it's hard to believe that there are still holiday stories to tell but there certainly are since each decade continues to turn our holiday classics.
While the 1980s gave us some of the best classics like National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story, the 1990s turned out some iconic Christmas movies of their own. Of course, the 1990s also gave us a few Christmas movies we wish we could forget too.
10 Jack Frost (1998) - 5.4
Released in 1998, Jack Frost is one of those Christmas movies that people either love or hate, there is no in-between. The movie stars Michael Keaton as Jack Frost, a man who dies in a car accident only to come back as a snowman the following Christmas after his son Charlie mysteriously brings him to life after playing Jack's harmonica.
While Jack Frost attempted to tell a heartwarming story about a deceased father trying to reconnect with his son whom he didn't spend much time with when he was alive, many couldn't get around how creepy the snowman actually looked. The movie went on to be a box office bomb despite its 5.4 ratings on IMDb.
9 Jingle All The Way (1996) - 5.6
Jingle All The Way is another 1990s Christmas classic that has Christmas fans divided over. The movie stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as Howard Langston, a workaholic father who is determined to show his wife and son how much they mean to him by having the perfect Christmas by getting his son the "hottest toy of the season." What seems like a simple task proves to be insanely difficult and Howard ends up spending all of Christmas Eve hunting down this toy.
Despite its mixed reviews, Jingle All The Way did kickstart a franchise of its own. and is a beloved classic for several families during the holidays.
8 All I Want for Christmas (1991) - 6.0
When it comes to 90s Christmas classics being debated, All I Want For Christmas tops the list. The movie follows two siblings whose only Christmas wish this year is that their newly engaged mother ditches her fiance and reconnects with their father. Afraid Santa won't deliver, the kids spring into action and trap their future step-father in an ice cream truck that takes him to New Jersey.
Despite its 6.0 rating on IMDb, when it was released it was a box office flop. It seems as if Christmas movie fans just can't decide if they love or hate this heartfelt yet eccentric movie.
7 Miracle On 34th Street (1994) - 6.5
A remake of the 1947 Christmas classic of the same name, Miracle on 34th Street stars Mara Wilson as Susan Walker, a young child who has become skeptical about Santa Claus. Susan's relationship with Santa gets complicated when the department store Santa her mom hired ends up getting arrested and put on trial for assault.
While the movie tells an identical story to the original there were a few changes, namely the John Hughes and George Seaton, the writers, had to think of fictional department store names since Macy's refused to be involved in the remake and Gimbels was out of business. Not only is the 1994 remake beloved by fans, but was also John Hughes's fourth Christmas movie to be considered a classic.
6 The Santa Clause (1994) - 6.5
There is no denying that The Santa Clause is one of the 1990s most iconic Christmas movies. The movie stars Tim Allen as Scott Calvin, a divorced father who gets to spend Christmas Eve and morning with his son. Their night takes an odd turn when Scott startles Santa on his roof causing him to fall and die which then leads Scott and Charlie on a journey to the North Pole where they learn that Scott is now the new Santa.
Surprisingly, the movie was originally met with mixed reviews but has since won over the heart of critics and Christmas fans alike. In addition, it launched a successful franchise of its own.
5 Home Alone 2: Lost In New York (1992) - 6.8
John Hughes may be best regarded for his coming-of-age 1980s films, but the man also had great success when it came to writing Christmas movie classics. After the success of the first Home Alone, Hughes revised the McCallisters in 1992 with the release of Home Alone 2: Lost In New York.
This time, Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) does make it to the airport with his family but unfortunately, he ends up on the wrong plane which takes him to New York City unsupervised. While Kevin lives it up at the Plaza Hotel, his fun Christmas alone is threatened when he runs into the Sticky Bandits once again.
4 Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas (1999) - 7.2
Disney really made a strong effort to capitalize on the Christmas movie craze in the 1990s. One of the better received Disney Christmas movies of the decade was Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas. The movie told three different stories: one centered on Donald Duck and his Christmas obsessed nephews, one centered on Goofy trying to give Max the best Christmas to keep him believing in Santa, and one centered on Mickey and Minnie would both want to give each other the perfect Christmas gift.
While the movie wasn't released in theaters, it did do well in direct-to-video sales and even spawned a sequel in the 2000s.
3 Home Alone (1990) - 7.6
Though it only has a 7.6 rating on IMDb, Home Alone is arguably the most iconic Christmas classic released in the 1990s. It's also tied for Hughes' most popular Christmas movie alongside National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.
The movie stars Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, a young boy who gets his Christmas wish when his family accidentally leaves him behind while they race to catch their flight to Paris. Everything is going great for Kevin until he realizes that his house is being cased by the Sticky Bandits. As the man of the house, Kevin sets out to stop the thieves from stealing from his house.
2 The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) - 7.7
Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is beloved by millions around the world and has had several film adaptations over the years. In 1992, the beloved Muppets got a chance to bring the classic story to life.
While Scrooge was played by Michael Caine, the other characters were played by the famous Muppets. Gonzo the Great played Charles Dickens, Kermit the Frog as Bob Cratchit, and of course, Miss Piggy as Emily Cratchit. The movie went on to make $27.2 million at the box office.
1 The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) - 8.0
While The Nightmare Before Christmas status as a Christmas classic is a hotly debated subject, it was one of the 1990s most successful and popular "Christmas" movies upon release.
Created by Tim Burton, the movie follows Jack Skellington, the pumpkin king of Halloweentown, who finds himself disinterested in Halloween. Needing a break, Jack wanders into the forest where he discovers portals to different holiday towns. He then gets sucked into Christmastown where he falls in love with the idea of being Santa Claus.
