Starring: Kurt Russell, Judah Lewis, Darby Camp, Oliver Hudson, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Lamorne Morris, Martin Roach
Review: Siblings Kate (Darby Camp) and Teddy Pierce (Judah Lewis) hatch a scheme to capture Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. When the plan goes awry, the kids join forces with a somewhat jolly Saint Nick (Kurt Russell) and his loyal elves to save the holiday before it's too late.
I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by The Christmas Chronicles. Propelling a new movie into the realm of Christmas classics is a tough task. I, for one, have a pretty set list of Christmas movies that I enjoy each holiday season, but this movie was an absolute joy to watch. The plot is somewhat formulaic in the sense that we've seen Santa's sleigh derail before (Elf (2003)), and we've seen Santa run into other roadblocks that threaten the completion of his Christmas duties (The Santa Clause (1994)). This film checks its list of Christmas tropes like Santa checks his naughty list. That said, I think there's enough originality here to allow this movie to really excel. This film does a great job delivering a true adventure movie where we get to see Santa like never before; stealing cars and singing Christmas carols from a holding cell all in the name of saving Christmas. It's a lot of fun to watch, and Kurt Russell is fantastic as usual in portraying a Santa Claus that's maybe a little rougher around the edges than we're used to.
There's also a really heartwarming story here as well, as this wild adventure helps our protagonist Pierce siblings learn to enjoy Christmas again following the passing of their father. The Christmas Chronicles is an ambitious mess at times, but it works as a fun, goofy mess. It's a highly entertaining, charming film that is a welcomed edition to the Christmas movie universe. I highly recommend it for the whole family!