Film Reviews & Movie Analysis

Christmas Bells Jingled: 🔔🔔🔔🔔

Kate Pierce (Darby Camp) gets her wish to be away from her mum and her new boyfriend during the holidays. She gets whisked away from a sunny beach in Mexico to the cold of the North Pole, and the comfort of her old friend Santa Claus (Kurt Russell).

Wrapped up in an adventure that includes the star of Bethlehem, a blast from the past and a bitterly disgruntled elf, it will take Kate, her prospective step-brother Jack (Jahzir Bruno), Mrs Claus. (Goldie Hawn) and Santa to set things right and save Christmas.

When The Christmas Chronicles came to Netflix in 2018 it was an instant holiday hit with many, including myself who has watched it every year since.

Though thrilled Kurt Russel was back to play Zaddy Santa, I was sceptical of this movie retaining the magic that made it so special the first time around. Though arguably not as good, I really enjoyed the movie. Belsnickel the elf played by Julian Dennison felt fresh and the movie as a whole still pulled on those heartstrings.

Kate was a little more mature than her first misadventure but not so much so that she was a jaded and surly teen (for the most part), and Jack, new to the reality of Santa Claus was sweet (especially in his bond with Mrs Claus) and managed to hold his own among the ensemble.

Goldie Hawn was a fantastic Mrs Claus and watching her and Kurt Russell felt like less of a performance and more of an insight into their relationship (and it was adorable!).

This movie literally has Santa and Mrs Claus as lead characters and is mostly set in the North Pole. It’s hard not to have those Christmas bells jingled with those factors alone. However pour in a little self enlightenment, and a sprinkle of Biblical references and you’ve got yourself a movie that will put you right in the spirit of Christmas.