The Christmas Chronicles

Available on Netflix.

Clay Kaytis’s The Christmas Chronicles appeared on Netflix a couple of years ago, with a sequel appearing this year, It seemed to time to catch the original.

In true Christmas movie style Kate and Teddie Pierce a teen brother and his young sister have had a tough year. However, when they sneakily find themselves with Santa, they end up in a race against time to save Christmas.

What Christmas Chronicles does is give us a bit of classic Christmas film fare, the story is one you’ve seen many times before, a sad backstory, a lack of belief in the big man and a saccharine sweet ending to make us all smile. However, what this does have is Kurt Russell’s Santa, played as a street wise, wise cracking, blues singing, gym going St. Nick.

Russell’s portrayal brings a real bit of fun to the central role, the kids are fine Darby Camp is appropriately wide eyed and sweet as Kate, with Judah Lewis just with the right balance of cynicism, tempered by that big brother love for his sister. There is also fun to be had with Martin Roach and Lamorne Morris as two Chicago cops who get embroiled in Santa’s problem.

There’s some nice insights into Santa magic, a selection of Gremlin esque Elves to help out, a fine jailhouse music number and a lesson in what happens to bad boys and girls.

In the end it’s not highly original, even with a couple of nice twists, but it’s good natured, warm hearted and a bit of tinsel filled fun and who doesn’t want that at Christmas.