Netflix’s The Christmas Chronicles (2018) – Film Review

Ah… What a way to kick off the Christmas season—come home from gorging ourselves on turkey and pie, postpone picking up the tree until the next day, kick back on the couch and tune into Netflix.

Truth is, ever since I first heard about Netflix’s adaptation of The Christmas Chronicles, I’ve been onboard. I needn’t state it aloud by this point, but I will anyway: No, I didn’t read the book. Didn’t even know it was based on a book, until I did some digging on Wikipedia. The Christmas Chronicles, the movie, though, definitely has some hints of Home Alone, The Santa Clause, and a dash of The Polar Express thrown in, for good measure. A homage piece, but one that is also able to stand on its own merits, what Chronicles gets right is not only, but mainly, in its delivery.

Remixes and re-imaginings of classic Christmas tunes abound. My personal favorite—sadly, not sung by Kurt Russell, himself, is “Santa Claus Is Back in Town”, originally performed by Elvis Presley. Here, Russell’s Santa (more on him in the next paragraph) lip-syncs Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul’s more “big band” rock/bluesy rendition. It’s great—breaks up the action just enough to be welcome, while also putting smiles on the faces of the audience, as well as the disbelieving characters in the film. The pacing, overall, is good, though; properly mixing slower moments (like this) and romps of advent action is another strength the film has in spades. I never felt bored or like stuff was being thrown at me for the sake of keeping me involved.

Alright. So…Santa.

Kurt Russell, hands down, is in the top-three best on-screen Santas we’ve ever had—right next to the late Edmund Gwenn in the 1947 Miracle on 34th Street, and Tim Allen in the aforementioned Clause trilogy. He’s deadpan in his delivery—some of his lines had to be ad-libbed, they’re just too perfect. Not to knock the writers of this film; they nailed it, every bit of holiday-themed interaction. Whether it’s Russell’s character deconstructing popular aspects of the Santa mythos, or quips about “naughty list” side-characters that cross his path, it’s clear to anyone who knows him as an actor that he really had a passion for this project, and it reflects on-screen. His make-up is great (I wonder how much of that beard was actually his own?), and the suit is modern enough to be legit, while also being purely, unabashedly Santa.

Also, Kate (Darby Camp; Big Little Lies, The Leftovers) is adorable—everything we faith-starved adults aspire to, around this time of year. Her childlike belief in Santa and Christmas is pure, and a rock to which other, not-so-sure characters see as a beacon. Her brother, Teddy, for example, played by Judah Lewis (Netflix’s The Babysitter, Demolition), is having a hard time with life, in general, after the introductory events of the film. Trying to cope around this most difficult time of year, for him, would be impossible without his little sister…and the seemingly-unfortunate events that befall them, this Christmas Eve. Some interactions between them early-on are awkward (maybe shot early in production), but the believer/non-believer dynamic between them works well for both their arcs coming to fruition.

The production value is mostly on-screen. I feel like some of the props were skimped on, but I can overlook that for the rest of the film’s sake. Smooth camerawork keeps us immersed. The CGI isn’t sleek, but it works with the kiddy, lively atmosphere of the rest of the film. I love the elves, especially—mash-ups of the Gremlins and Krampus’s gingerbread minions, while remaining cute and unique in their individual Troll-like character and design. There’s also a special ending cameo that really tops things off—just you wait and see…

Chronicles is heartfelt in its messages—a perfect addition to any library (even of the Netflix queue variety). Proper attention was paid to character development, while not dragging solely on that bit. The story is simple and straightforward, while also offering up fun twists-and-turns to keep us engaged. Full of pop culture references, cynical commentary, and heartwarming characters, Chronicles is a new holiday favorite. Final ‘Risk Assessment: *****/.

Next review: Creed II