The Pierces, Kate (Darby Camp), Teddy (Judah Lewis), Claire (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) and Doug (Oliver Hudson), are the perfect family. The siblings, Kate and Teddy, get along well, and, as a whole, the family looks ideal in every way. However, after Doug passes away, leaving behind two children and a wife, things have changed. With the patriarch of the family gone, the family is almost in shambles, seeing Teddy and Kate at odds with one another. However, with a little coercing, Kate convinces Teddy to spend one more night with her like old times. The Christmas Chronicles sees the brother and sister spend Christmas Eve trying to get video footage of Santa. Their little experiment finds them in a precarious situation with the real Santa Claus (Kurt Russell).
Christmas films tend to have the ability to make individuals feel nostalgic, caring and giving. They do more than just spread Christmas cheer, they inspire viewers to do better, making films of this nature some of the most important. The Christmas Chronicles attempts to induce these emotions through different means. Russell embodies a Santa Claus that is, unlike the expected rendition of the character, sarcastic, a bit moody and uniquely dangerous. This unique interpretation separates Russell from others who have donned the red hat and the bowl full of jelly, and it allows him to be seen on his own rather than be compared to the others that came before.
Opposite Russel and the talented Lewis is Camp who, in the grand scheme of things, has been relatively quiet in Hollywood. There is something about Camp that makes her perfect in this role. She is a wonderful marriage of maturity and naivety that allows both children and adults to identify with the character of Kate. The combination of writing, her spot-on facial expressions and the intelligible tone of her voice bring to life a lively young girl who is capable of holding her own among some immensely talented individuals. The casting of Camp, regardless of how appealing Russell and Lewis are, is the most compelling aspect of The Christmas Chronicles.
A large portion of The Christmas Chronicles relies heavily on whether or not characters like the elves and the reindeer appear legitimate. Here lies one of the few issues of The Christmas Chronicles. The CGI feels a bit juvenile at times and appears entirely too cartoony, but it gets its point across and allows viewers to appreciate what is taking place. It’s important to remember that The Christmas Chronicles is a film about Santa Claus and his journey with two meddling children, so, all in all, overly-cartoony elves and reindeer certainly don’t ruin the film.
The Christmas Chronicles feels fresh and entertaining. Its combination of talented actors, edgy Christmas humor and allusions to Christmas classics like The Santa Clause make the ride from beginning to end a pleasure to watch. Russell is the perfect choice to play this rendition of Santa Claus, and Camp and Lewis both hold their own and allow Russell to shine. The Christmas Chronicles is a perfect mixture of laugh-out-loud humor and genuine, heartfelt emotion that makes for a flawlessly executed Christmas story.
Directed by Clay Kaytis. Written by Matt Lieberman & David Guggenheim. Starring Kurt Russell, Darby Camp, Judah Lewis, Oliver Hudson, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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