La mission de Chien Noël

I loved the movie "The Search for Santa Paws." Tears were rolling down my face so fast. My favorite part of the film is when Santa Paws (voice of Mitchel Musso) and Santa (Richard Riehle) come to Quinn (Kaitlyn Mayer) and Will's (Madison Pettis) new home. They were adopted by the Hucklebuckles but Quinn had lost something important to her. Santa Paws gave Quinn her mother's ornament that had been taken from her. In the story, Santa Paws and Santa are best friends. They both have a special crystal to keep them alive but when in New York, Santa is hit by a taxi, he loses his memory and his crystal. It is taken by a homeless guy named Gus. Santa was heading off to find a new ambassador for New York because Mr. Hucklebuckle, who ran Hucklebuckle Toys, had died. Meanwhile, Hucklebuckle Toys was being run by his grandson, James Huckle (John Ducey) and wife, Kate (Bonnie Somerville). But you see not everything is what you see. James wants to sell the store, but his grandfather has one condition – he had to make a profit the first Christmas he ran it. So did he? Well, you'll have to buy The Search for Santa Paws today to find out. I recommend this film to everyone. It showed me the meaning of Christmas. It will make laugh, cry, and even smile. It is a heartwarming tale to watch on Christmas!!! You can give it as a gift, a movie to help your kids get in the spirit, or even a bedtime story. So stop reading this review right now and go buy "The Search for Santa Paws." The whole family will enjoy this film. I know --I loved it! Reviewed by Lauren Boxer, age 12, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic

Pretty enjoyable movie to watch especially since I'm tired although I wouldn't recommend this to most kids it has some mean spirited actions. Has sweet moments as well though, very cute, and solid amount of entertainment!

At the North Pole, a stuffed white dog turns into a real animal Santa Claus names Paws, who becomes the old man's best friend.

In New York City, Mr. Stewart brings James and Kate Huckle to the Hucklebuckle toy store James' grandfather left to him. Despite James having a lucrative CPA practice in Los Angeles, the couple cannot sell the business until they run it profitably during the weeks leading to Christmas.

Nearby, a social worker brings Quinn to her new foster family. Ms. Stout hates Christmas, or anything that will make her girls happy, and she has high expectations of the girls, who are home-schooled and must do chores. Punishment means being locked in the basement where an incinerator destroys any contraband.

Quinn won't talk at first but when she does, she is incredibly cute. And she can sing. Willamina is the oldest and takes charge when Ms. Stout is gone to her hairdresser or elsewhere. She is nice but unlike the other girls has lost her belief in magic.

Santa's sleigh crashes in Central Park and the old man wanders the city not knowing who he is. Paws also ends up wandering the city. A thief steals Santa's magic crystal and Santa gradually begins transforming into a mortal. The thief takes over a kettle with a bell from another Santa and raises funds--for himself.

Santa discovers the toy store. James and Kate have decided to hire a Santa to attract kids and this man, known as Bud, needs a job. Somehow he is perfect and lots of kids come to the store, which becomes a big success.

Included among those kids are the bubbly Quinn and her cynical "big sister", both of whom get punished for their misdeeds. For one thing, they took in Paws and kept him hidden, though as a nonbeliever Willamina only sees a stuffed dog. And Paws, like Santa, has a magic crystal that produces wonderful and colorful results, and a delightful musical number. Will the girls turn Ms. Stout into a believer? Will Willamina believe?

Mrs. Santa wonders why her husband is taking so long to come back. She and Elpert go to New York City to find out what happened. They find out from a young boy where Santa might be. Also very helpful is that thief who stole Santa's magic crystal and is turning into the old man--and is not as happy as you might expect.

Meanwhile, Santa is developing serious health problems. And Paws becomes a stuffed animal again. Can they be rescued in time?

This is a good family film. Kaitlyn Maher is a treasure as the absolutely adorable little star. Richard Riehle is familiar to me and makes a great Santa. I know Wendi McLendon-Covey as a smothering and very loving Jewish mom, and she effectively plays a very different character here (though not so different from when the TV mom feels her kids have been wronged). Madison Pettis is good as the older girl.

Bonnie Somerville shows much more enthusiasm than the cynical John Ducey. Patrika Darbo makes a wonderful Mrs. Santa. I seem to be seeing a lot of her.

And the various actors providing voices do a good job too.

Yes, this movie can be scary at times, but it's fine for kids. You just know everything will turn out okay.

This is another entry in the Buddies film series, a spinoff from the "Air Bud" movies. This doesn't even have "Buddies" in the title, nor does it seem to have any of the original characters! This movie features Santa losing his memory and then becoming a mall Santa. A stuffed dog that he brought to life has to help him. I actually am glad they didn't focus too much on the animals. That lip movement can get very creepy.

Good movies like "Homeward Bound" and "Babe: Pig In The City" handled talking animals much better. One distracting part was the horrible special effects with the reindeer. They were so fake looking and creepy! At least Santa getting amnesia was kind of original. I'm glad there weren't any dog farts in this. They're too common in the Buddies films. **

...at the vociferously negative reviews... and so many of them. It is almost as though some folks are ganging up on the rest of us. Calm down. Not every movie is for everyone. Just because it has a Christmas motif doesn't make it universal. And it also doesn't mean it's a horrible film.

I found The Search for Santa Paws to be very charming. If some viewers are looking for Christmas stories that are entirely upbeat and positive, then no, this isn't for them. However, others of us have different expectations. Reading reactions from reviewers running off with their hair on fire because the film didn't live up to their standards is very misleading. (I don't care for films in the tradition of Bad Santa, so I simply avoid them. I don't come unglued.)

Now then, that having been said, several characters could have used some more development. Mr Huckle was alternatively both unsympathetic and silly for no apparent reason, while his wife seemed mostly oblivious to his mood swings. The orphanage matron was just relentlessly and boringly obstinate. If she had even tried to be really mean rather than just persistently irritable, we might have learned something about how she even got into the orphan business. (She openly complains that it doesn't pay very well.) Mrs Claus was mostly sycophantic. Surely, she has a lot to say about how the North Pole operation is conducted. We needed to hear that. And Quinn - who is apparently a regular in these movies - is just annoying. Her diction is terrible, and her acting is wooden. (There are plenty of good child actresses. Go find one.)

Still, overall, the film is engaging. It certainly doesn't deserve to be castigated just because the viewer wanted something else. What I mostly read here weren't reviews. That were just complaints.