MovieChat Forums > The Christmas Chronicles (2018) Discussion > Not quite a classic but worth a watch...

Not quite a classic but worth a watch...

posted 6 years ago by [deleted]
6 replies | jump to latest

Having been burned recently by so many of Netflix' brand sub-par movies, I was leery of watching this. My wife insisted though and it turned out to be a fun movie. Not great, but fun.

The running gag how Kurt Russell's slimmed down Santa is annoyed with the classic depiction of him as the fat guy in the red suit (actually an invention of Coca Cola decades and decades ago) is played just right.

Santa's helpers were less like elves and more like Gremlins I thought.

And, Santa's song bit in the jail cell was a bit random for the story, but it did warm my cold heart to hear Kurt Russel 're-connect' with his inner Elvis.

And, the surprise at the end did catch me unexpectedly...

Worthy of your holiday time...

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8599) 6 years ago

I don't understand why everyone keeps deciding to create a new thread instead of using one of the existing discussion threads that have already been made.

Anyway. . .

I agree with your assessment. Not a great film, but a fun one.

I also agree with the elves. Why are they so small? I dunno. But like yourself, I immediately thought of Gizmo and the gremlins.

It's been a while since we last got a Christmas film like this and, in some ways, it feels like a throwback to the Christmas films of the 90s (which is a good thing). When you go back and look at it, we have gotten VERY few good Christmas movies in the 2010s. It's been a ghost town basically. So The Christmas Chronicles is certainly welcome.

[–] Boricanator (1434) 6 years ago

I felt the same way. It felt like a return to the 1990s in it’s style. Plus, Russell’s take on Santa was pretty cool. I think this might become one of the seasonal Christmas movies.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8599) 6 years ago

It's going to be interesting to see how well it ages and what kind of foothold it can achieve.

According to Netflix, it has been doing huge numbers of terms of the number of people who have streamed it. But will it endure? 10, 20, 30 years from now will people be including it in their yearly line-up of Christmas films they always watch or will it be largely forgotten?

I guess time will tell.

[–] peterkneter (383) 6 years ago

Absolutely agree. It is a good aproach and a solid Santa performance by Kurt Russel!
Some great set designs. The CGI was mediocre but ok. All in all - what you really need for a classic
is an unique Idea. A great new story. and a good director. would be great to see one of the "great"
directing a xmas movie. Like Spielberg...

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8599) 6 years ago

Yeah, I think you're right about needing a good story to stand out. If you look at films like A Christmas Story, Home Alone and Elf, all feel pretty unique.

That's the hard thing now: making a film that audiences feel like they haven't already seen before.

[–] AndyKing1967 (36264) 4 years ago

Totally agree.