Dear Santa

I literally never write reviews on this site but felt compelled to after seeing how poorly this movie has been rated. It's far from great and after watching the trailer it was pretty much exactly what I expected it to be. Jack Black was pretty solid though I wouldn't say his best performance. The acting all around was good enough.

I'm guessing some angry Christians and the fairly sad plot line had some people unfairly give this an instant 0. It definitely has some laughs, and I thought was decently written. In reality it should be about a 6.5 on this site imo. I'm throwing it a 10 to help out.

The movie feels disjointed at several points with the ending appearing to be haphazardly thrown together. That didn't make sense to me until I looked at the cast list and realized there might have been a major re-write, re-shoot. Jack Black's partner from Tenacious D, Kyle Gass, plays an English teacher that is in the far background of one scene.. and looks very much like Santa Claus. Now this is just my speculation, but I don't imagine he would have had such a small part in the film initially (historically he has always had much larger roles). After his controversial statements on the attempted assassination of Trump I have a suspicion the film went through major editing and changes.. making the ending feel out of place. It's just a guess at this point, but it's the only thing that seems to explain why professional actors and directors would release something this horrible.

"Dear Santa" attempts to present itself as a Christmas comedy with an interesting twist, but it falls short in almost every aspect. The premise-where a dyslexic child accidentally sends his wish list to Satan instead of Santa Claus (a play on the words SANTA and SATAN)-had promise, especially with Jack Black portraying the cunning prince of hell. However, the film fails to sustain the magic or humor suggested by its intriguing setup.

Visually, the movie disappoints. The special effects, particularly in the fantasy sequences, are mediocre and fail to convey either the chaos that should accompany Satan or the warm visual charm expected of a Christmas movie. The narrative is also riddled with inconsistencies.

Liam's (Robert Timothy Smith) arc, centered on a young boy coping with the loss of his brother while trying to rediscover the joy of the season, had potential. His journey of resilience and learning the importance of family could have been touching but is muddled by uneven subplots, such as his crush on Emmy (Kai Cech) and his friendship with Gibby (Jaden Carson Baker). Moreover, Jack Black's performance, though deliberately over-the-top, comes off as unfunny and out of sync with the rest of the film.

The greatest flaw of "Dear Santa" is its inability to evoke genuine emotions. With a weak premise and a script filled with clumsy dialogue, poorly executed jokes, and situations that seem out of touch with its intended young audience, the movie lacks both the tenderness and humor needed for redemption. Ultimately, it fails to capture the Christmas spirit or deliver a satisfying comedy. To make matters worse, the ending undermines its own established rules by conveniently allowing the past to be altered, further damaging the story's credibility.

On the surface, the lowbrow humor and plot seems aimed at children. However, the central premise of selling your soul to Satan introduces themes far more complex than most kids would grasp. And while there are lessons on honesty and doing the right thing, as well as a subplot involving a father learning to trust his child when faced with the incomprehensible, these things might resonate more with adults.

The humor, while aiming for lightheartedness, often comes across as juvenile, which grated on me. The moral lessons appear too nuanced or misplaced for kids to grasp. So I'm not sure if this is really a family movie or just one that has something for everyone in the family.

Kids can just endure the boring efforts at moral quandary while parents have to suffer through jokes that haven't been funny since they were in elementary school.

That said, the performances are great. Jack Black just steals every scene he's in. The subplot involving the parents, particularly the father's arc, is great. But the narrative as a whole, fails to dig deep enough into its more complex elements, like a child's struggles with dyslexia and the implications of accidentally summoning Satan.

The ending, for me, falls flat and feels contrived. It's as if the writers needed to wrap things up. The protagonist doesn't resolving anything so ending feeling unearned.

As a movie to play in the background, feel free to the queue this up, but don't feel you have to sit and watch it. You can get all the jokes and plot points while still cooking a holiday dinner for twelve.

Jack Black is undoubtedly the star of this film.

His acting, eccentric mannerisms, and slapstick comedy evoke Jim Carrey's style - both actors light up the screen with their infectious energy!

The film cleverly weaves witty and darkly satirical dialogue into a broader commentary on contemporary Western society, particularly addressing issues of childhood bullying and dysfunctional parent-child relationships.

Yet the movie never wallows in darkness; instead, it remains vibrant, colorful, and full of laughs.

Post Malone delivers an entertaining cameo, and true to Christmas movie tradition, it wraps up with a heartwarming ending!

Perfect for holiday season viewing...

Recommended!