Genre: Comedy, fantasy
The holidays are a time for feel-good movies, heartwarming tales, and a little sparkle of Christmas magic. However the latest comedic release, Dear Santa, fails to entertain, despite the potential of its storyline.
The movie follows young Liam who is a timid and awkward boy living with dyslexia. He writes a letter to Santa with a list of things that he believes will make his life better.
Unfortunately, Liam makes a crucial spelling mistake and inadvertently sends his letter to Satan instead. This summons Satan (Jack Black), who shows up in an outfit that looks very similar to what Santa wears, except instead of a red and white hat, he has horns.
Through Satan’s cunning, the two make an agreement that involves Liam being granted three wishes in exchange for his soul.
Theoretically, this film has all the makings of a wholesome and entertaining Christmas movie typified by Black’s casting. Its potential, however is thwarted because the humour, marked by excessively crude language, undermines the movie’s attempt to market itself as family friendly.
One thing that makes Christmas films such a fun viewing experience for the whole family is having a storyline that is simple and easy for children to understand but this film is contrary to the conventional Christmas spirit because it contains elements that are inappropriate for young children to watch.
The film has come under criticism from audiences given some feel that the concept of a child selling their soul to Satan feels distasteful, regardless of one’s personal religious beliefs.
This is exacerbated by the frequent plot holes that the film simply ignores, the main one being, how does Satan even get the letter if the address is the North Pole? Does this mean Satan lives at the North Pole too?
The sub-plot regarding the complexities of Liam’s family life comes into play quite unexpectedly in the end and feels rushed and inauthentic.
The film has few redeeming qualities and fans of Black are the only people who will enjoy this film.
Dear Santa is available for streaming on Hulu.
