January 6 - Christmas Chronicles (movie review)

Day 6 - Write a review of your favorite movie from 2018

I am a huge Christmas-movie-buff. I mean I have this whole list of movies I have to go through once it feels like Christmas. While I was trying to recall my favorite movie from 2018 I realized that " Christmas Chronicles" from Netflix is the only movie I have seen from 2018. A shame, I know...

I must confess that I was not very excited by the trailer and the teaser. But seeing that Kurt Russell was Santa was too appealing to miss watching this.

The film is about the Pierce family who used to be all about Christmas until their dad died.

We see the family members through home video series made each year at Christmas. The home movie flashbacks end in 2017 and then we learn that this year it will not be a "Merry" Christmas for them as it will be the first Christmas after the loss of their father who died tragically while saving other people's lives as a firefighter.

Single mom Claire has to work non-stop, even on Christmas Eve leaving her kids 10-year old Kate and the rebellious teen Teddy alone to decorate for Christmas. 

Teddy is really depressed and isolated after his father's death and hangs out with the wrong crowd and doesn't believe in Santa.

Kate is a strong believer that Santa exists. Using her dad's old camcorder she records a video letter for Santa. While re-watching the old home movies Kate accidentally sees the red sleeve of Santa. 
She persuades her brother to try to capture Santa on film to prove that he is real. 

And Santa does show up.

The siblings follow Santa and end up stowing away on Santa's sleigh. After Santa discovers them, he loses his concentration and crashes his high-tech sleigh in Chicago and loses his magic sack. 

Santa and the kids have to team up to save the world from losing their Christmas spirit.

"The Christmas Chronicles" can be a fun family movie enjoyed both by kids and parents. It's full of humor provided by the "The Coolest Santa Ever" and Christmas magic unlike some other Christmas movies that showcase only romance.

It's a cinema movie that you don't have to go to a movie theater to see. Just enough to snuggle under a blanket with some hot tea and snacks and enjoy it.

The "Christmas Chronicles" has almost everything any perfect Christmas movie needs to be a success  - holiday music, elves, reindeer, family Christmas spirit, tender reconciliation but I will have a second thought on re-watching it. The plot is too predictable and a little cheesy...

But one thing is beyond question - Russell is one of the best Santa characters yet, and you can't deny his enthusiasm in playing the role of Santa, not the traditional type, cool, straight-talking but yet kind and warm-hearted.

Have you seen "The Christmas Chronicles" and what are your thoughts on it?




This post was inspired by The January Mind, Body and Writing Challenge hosted by Linda Jean from Witte's World Blog.