Just two years ago Kurt Russell took on the particularly difficult role of Santa Claus in the Netflix original The Christmas Chronicles. With his rough, tough exterior and his track record of playing badass characters such as Snake Plissken (Escape from New York) and MacReady (The Thing), Russell seems a bit off for this particular role. However, with a certain sarcasm and joie de vivre, he found a way to steal the hearts of viewers of all ages around the world. Obviously, with the success of the first film, The Christmas Chronicles 2 was inevitable; but, a sequel living up to the hype of the original film is far less likely.
Christmas of 2018 was an experience full of twists and turns, naughty and nice, and love and loss. Christmas 2020, or The Christmas Chronicles 2, sees Santa and Kate (Darby Camp) reunite for another fun-filled, gut-wrenching adventure. When the once promising elf, Belsnickel (Julian Dennison), makes it his goal to ruin Christmas forever, the headstrong Kate falls to the center of his plan. With her potential future stepbrother, Jack (Jahzir Bruno), Kate is tasked with saving Christmas...again.
Camp brings the same vim and vigor to the small screen once again, this time with a little twist. She has changed from her typical chipper, family-centric self to something a bit more sinister. While her intentions are typically still good, the change that writers Chris Columbus and Matt Lieberman make to the character feel a bit unnecessary as, even as it pertains to the plot to a degree, its bearing on the overall film is quite small. Like the change made to Kate, her brother, Teddy (Judah Lewis), changes from the original film to The Christmas Chronicles 2 as well. While he has grown mentally and emotionally, the greatest change to his character is how little of a role he plays in the film. The chemistry between Lewis and Camp in the first film was brilliant, shedding light on both the difficulties and the pleasures of having a sibling. With that aspect of their relationship nearly gone in The Christmas Chronicles 2, viewers can’t help but to miss Lewis and the passion for film that he brings to the table.
With all of that being said, a new bond is formed throughout the course of The Christmas Chronicles 2, one between Kate and Jack. In a similar fashion to the relationship between Teddy and Kate, the two tweens find themselves unable to see eye to eye, but forced to work together to make sure that Christmas endures. The young, inexperienced Bruno poses a potential problem for the minds behind The Christmas Chronicles 2. As passionate as he is about filmmaking and acting, it’s possible that he lacks the ability to convey emotion in a way conducive to a productive story and film. This thought looms over the film and viewers as they anticipate moments when the young talent will fail to reach them like Camp and Lewis did in the previous installment. To viewers’ delight, Bruno manages to be as exciting, adorable, and intriguing as the film’s other young actors and provides those viewers with a new character to latch onto and allow to steer them through the twisted tales of Santa Claus and Belsnickel.
The acting is as brilliant as anyone could have hoped for, but the writing and the overall feeling present in The Christmas Chronicles 2 does not live up to the precedent set by The Christmas Chronicles. As loveable as the characters are, the passion behind the previous installment’s story is lacking here in The Christmas Chronicles 2. This film is not as emotionally drawing and creates a disconnect between the story and the audience. There are many aspects of this film that provide viewers entertainment, but this particular story certainly takes away from the allure of the film and the franchise as a whole. Even as The Christmas Chronicles 2 falls off from the first film, Russell’s portrayal of Santa Claus and the combination of both Camp and Bruno make the film worthwhile. The Christmas Chronicles 2 is a Christmas film that fails to live up to the hype of its predecessor, but is still sure to entertain.
Directed by Chris Columbus. Written by Matt Lieberman, Chris Columbus & David Guggenheim. Starring Kurt Russell, Goldie Hawn, Darby Camp, Julian Dennison, Jahzir Bruno, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½10
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