This laborious trog through bits and pieces of cool ideas gets frustratingly derivative of every single home invasion trope mixed with a (clearly) not villainous villain. The least they could do is maybe include the backstory of John Leguizamo's character quicker. How much he hates Christmas and how his worst nightmare would have to be to go mano-a-mano with the man himself. The LEAST they could do is an action catchphrase like "Sorry, Jimmy, you're now a stocking stuffer" when he drives him up a chimney and turns him to pulp. None of this is as fun as I'm explaining it. Because it takes the dumbest parts of "Die Hard" and adds in a very baffling McGuffin. And, honestly, the villain are justified in their crime. Since the matriarch of the family played by Beverly D'Angelo is the ballbusting head of family and a very bad person. The "terrorists" are also very uneven in humor. At once they talk about holding onto a man's phallus as it's being fed to a nutcracker (get it?!) and the next they're into "Home Alone" booby trapped antics. It was a misstep and the tone of the film is so uneven. The balance of laughs is way off. Also the guy who plays the Dad seems more like a Dad than Liberace. He isn't convincing in the least. As either a Father or a son of Beverly D'Angelo.
David Harbour plays Santa Claus. In this case, a reborn Nordic warrior who was given the power to return his crimes of violence to do good. This makes a LOT more sense if it opened the movie, and then have him at the bar. You see what I mean by poor structure? It was such a layup and the template was there. The little girl Trudy is obnoxious. She is clearly playing the always good kid kid. This type in movies irk me the most. They are total gems because the script needs them to be. The "I wish Father and Mother would get back together" corny "Parent Trap" trope works in specific tones of films but not really shoehorned into a decidedly brutal violent movie.
There are too many moments of drag. Everytime Harbour is alone talking to Trudy, you expect some pearl of wisdom. Or clever dialogue, but extend Bruce Willis's John McClane talk to Al Powell during when he speaks of his wife and multiply that by a thousand and that is what you will be putting yourself through.
Has the bar of movies gone so low that we see this flick as "original" It is a lazy, tired, boring story written by stunt people who probably suffered horrific head injury. This is tacked on sentiment which lacks so much heart. Harbour wants to be that smug reluctant hero. But, the concept of St. Nick holds him to a standard these people forgot.
A gimmick flick filled with poor choices. It could've been really fun.
David Harbour plays Santa Claus. In this case, a reborn Nordic warrior who was given the power to return his crimes of violence to do good. This makes a LOT more sense if it opened the movie, and then have him at the bar. You see what I mean by poor structure? It was such a layup and the template was there. The little girl Trudy is obnoxious. She is clearly playing the always good kid kid. This type in movies irk me the most. They are total gems because the script needs them to be. The "I wish Father and Mother would get back together" corny "Parent Trap" trope works in specific tones of films but not really shoehorned into a decidedly brutal violent movie.
There are too many moments of drag. Everytime Harbour is alone talking to Trudy, you expect some pearl of wisdom. Or clever dialogue, but extend Bruce Willis's John McClane talk to Al Powell during when he speaks of his wife and multiply that by a thousand and that is what you will be putting yourself through.
Has the bar of movies gone so low that we see this flick as "original" It is a lazy, tired, boring story written by stunt people who probably suffered horrific head injury. This is tacked on sentiment which lacks so much heart. Harbour wants to be that smug reluctant hero. But, the concept of St. Nick holds him to a standard these people forgot.
A gimmick flick filled with poor choices. It could've been really fun.