We covered the original film when it was released two years ago and found it to be okay. In fact, I wasn’t expecting a sequel but here we are: “The Christmas Chronicles 2” courtesy of Netflix.
The man who once did battle with “The Thing” (Kurt Russell) is back as jolly ole St. Nick – and this time he’s accompanied by real life partner Goldie Hawn as Mrs. Claus. That element I loved. Watching an actual couple that have been together for nearly 40 years makes for a chemistry that simply can’t be coached, and as the Claus’, they are pretty darned good.
Our plot comes from an elf turned villain called Belsnickel (Julian Dennison) whose rivalry with Santa has caused him to go astray. It’s actually a good casting choice and I found the Belsnickel character, armed with Bond-villain type devices and a giant snow lynx to be a pretty cool addition. The creepy CGI elves from the original are back and once again, they are off-putting at first but eventually come around in your mind as normal. I loved the element of the North Pole Village, and the set is great in making you believe you are actually taking part in Santa’s world.
The Claus’ are again joined by Kate (Darby Camp) reprising her Christmas obsessed character from the original. This time, Kate travels with Jack (Jahzir Bruno) the son of a man her mother (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) is dating. Kate and Jack provide good comedic elements and are effective in their roles (it is a kids movie after all). Sadly, Kimberly Williams-Paisley is once again an ancillary character, and I’m hoping if (when) “Chronicles 3” comes out, they wise up and give her character a more important role. In fact, I would like to see all the same characters come back into play. A Christmas wedding perhaps? It’s there for the taking, people.
“The Christmas Chronicles 2” is a fun movie that casts big name stars and is easy to watch. Like its predecessor, its fast paced and well-acted. I don’t often say it but let’s hope for a part 3.
