Kirpianuscus
Nice enough for be moving. first for the eccentric option for George Wendt for Mr. Claus, a bad idea as hypothesis, an admirable result at the end. second - adorable performance of Shelley Long. not the last, the ordinary ingredients for a Christmas movie who, in this case, are more seductive. a film who reminds not exactly the spirit of Christmas but its mark on the family spirit. and this is more than a significant virtue.
studioAT
The main draw of this TV movie is really the fact that 'Cheers' stars Shelley Long and George Wendt reunite in it.But actually this is worth watching without that detail, because a decent story is being told. Yes, it's a little predictable, and it's certainly more than a little cheesy, but it's well meaning, and hey- it's a Christmas film.I enjoyed this far more than I thought I would, and that's because of the performances that were given by the actors, who try their best to rise above the sentiment that can sometimes clog films like this.If you're in need of a 'Cheers' reunion, this could be the place to go.
Harbinger_3781
Not remembering much of the movie, except the 65%+ part(basically starts from the lovebirds falls out to end). It once again got me thinking - Why do people always have to be so scientific about everything? There's obviously good reason Santa Claus don't just casually appear in open public or on live TV, and there's good reason for the saying "Christmas is about believing". When I saw Alex freaking out at Peter, believing he's cheating on her with his Elven quartermaster at North Pole base, then how rudely her dad treated Santa afterwards, I flared. Truth be told I'm quite surprised he didn't already dispatch Krampus for this insolence - he really ticks me off.Also, Peter's behaviour after he and Alex's fallout - (sigh) boy, he got totally emasculated. As son of a semi-divine figure I thought he'd have more dignity in him, and after his fallout he just go full-on cold disappointment mode. The story ends with Alex's family surprised at the Claus' sleigh repaired and lifted off and Alex and peter reconciled at the same time? If it were me I'd go with a story that's like: "After the fallout with Alex, Peter went all cold and insensitive. He quickly fixes the family sleigh and Alex's family - especially Alex's father - watches in utter surprise as the sleigh lifts off. And as they prepare for hyperspeed, Glinda, the Elven quartermaster, turns her head towards Alex and her father. 'You are a nice lady,' she says, 'too bad you couldn't take the leap of faith.' And the sleigh zooms off into the darkness in a red-and-white light."Peter then glances back at Alex. 'Glinda's right, you know,' he says to Alex - and she sees in his eyes that there's no affection or careness; only icy cold disappointment - as he turns his head back forward, took one step, then also zoomed away without a word in a red-and-white light. Alex and her family then stood on the cold ground, stunned... speechless."They should make the story into having the sleigh fixed during that fallout, not after reconciliation, and have the display of the Santa Magic as the Claus' family demonstration of dignity and his disappointment at how little faith his future daughter-in-law's family have, plus giving the Claus family the initiative to say the words, "I'm disappointed in you."Okay, I know that sometimes seeing is actually believing, but there ARE times in life, where there is no evidence to certain things. I always believed that Christmas Magic is something of great divinity and sacredness, and it's not one for mortal eyes to witness. I get annoyed when adults tell young children that there "is no Santa" - do people really have to SEE Santa to believe in Santa? What makes us mortals believe we even HAVE the right to meet Santa himself in person? Santa may or may not be corporeal, but being REAL doesn't have to be CORPOREAL. Christmas itself isn't corporeal - hasn't been corporeal since day one - but do people go around and tell others that Christmas isn't real? What really happened to "taking leaps of faith", to believe in something just because you believe in it, without any evidence, eye-witness, reports, or even rumors to support that belief? I'm from the country that DOESN'T celebrate Christmas on a country-wide level, and even I, in my own ways, believe in Santa Claus to be very real. Alex's father gives me the flares: the insolence he displays in front of Santa was really the insolence of Christmas, and in my opinion, the Divine Christmas Magic - if he doesn't believe, he doesn't deserve. Even with all things end really well and smoothly the ending's treating him too kind, and he still annoys the hell out of me.Hope 2016's Santa Claus portrayals can have more of a sense of dignity and hardness, the old man Claus can be tougher, resourceful with an overwhelming temperament, and the children Claus not always get all mopey over his or her love interest that when they fall out the young Claus can instantly re-focus on the annual courier mission.
