Santaman (2022)

Rated: G

Genres: Animation, Adventure, Family 

Starring: D.C. Douglas

Synopsis: Fed up with the growing number of "Naughty-Listers", Santa becomes a superhero dubbed Santaman. Santa and his new friends must find a way to stop the ultimate "Naughty-Lister" before Christmas disappears forever.

Review: In the beginning I was intrigued and wanted to see what would happen. About halfway through I was a little bored. I was able to watch it without it seeming tedious. There were just too many stories.  Is it about Santa’s ego, climate change, the effect of coal vs. gifts, child abuse, the list could go on.  It lacked true direction.  I think kids will really like it. It’s one I won’t watch again but I think the magic of it will capture little ones. 

Scoring: 3

Santa, Maybe (2023)

Rated: G

Genre: Romance

Starring: Aubrey Reynolds and Samuel Whitten

Synopsis: The new marketing coordinator isn't just any marketing coordinator - it's Glenn. 

Review: There were some cute moments but mostly it was just boring. The story had potential but when scenes would start to really get emotional and a little interesting, they’d switch. It’s okay for a watch once but I wouldn’t watch again.

Scoring: 2

Santa Pac’s Merry Berry Day (2016)

Rated: TV-Y7

Genres: Animation, Fantasy

Synopsis: Pac aims to keep Berry Day the happiest day ever.

Review: This was more interesting to me than other Pac Man offerings.  My favorite part was the take on Jimmy Stewart in It’s A Wonderful Life.  It’s happy and merry but made for children.  I believe most adults could easily watch it making it a good family film.

Scoring: 3

Santa Paws 2 (2012)

Rated: G

Genres: Adventure, Family, Fantasy

Starring: Cheryl Ladd and Pat Finn

Synopsis: When Mrs. Claus travels to Pineville, the playful Santa Pups stow away on her sled.  Taking mischief to a whole new level, they begin granting joyful wishes to Pineville's boys and girls, but something goes terribly wrong - the Christmas spirit begins to disappear. Now the Santa Pups and Mrs. Claus must race to save Christmas around the world. From the creators of Disney Buddies, this magical, heartwarming tale is brimming with hope, cheer, and Christmas spirit.

Review: While it’s yet another talking animal movie, this one is better than many others, not that that’s saying much. This one is geared towards children.

Scoring: 2.5

Santa Quest (2014)

Rated: NR

Genre: Documentary

Starring: John Dunsworth

Synopsis: Renowned Canadian actor John Dunsworth is tackling one of the most challenging acting roles of his illustrious career - becoming Santa Claus. 

Review: I enjoyed seeing the Santa Winter Games and some other places.  I didn’t like the way Dunsworth vacillated between making Santa a joke and showing him reverence.  Between the cursing, talk about parents buying gifts, and other hints about the reality of Santa. I didn’t mind seeing it once but unless you’re a huge Dunsworth fan, I’d skip it.

Scoring: 1.5

The Santa Squad (2020)

Rated: PG

Genres: Family, Romance

Starring: Aaron Ashmore, Rebecca Dalton, and Jayne Eastwood

Synopsis: An unemployed art teacher has to accept a job with the Santa Squad to help wealthy widower Gordon and his two daughters rediscover the magic of Christmas.

Review: Any time I see Jayne Eastwood I know I’m going to love it.  This is no exception.  The story of a widower finding love with the woman his children adore is nothing new but the addition of the senior center is fun.  It’s a typical love story but the girls are amazing.

Scoring: 3.5

The Santa Stakeout (2021)

Rated: G

Genres: Comedy, Romance

Starring: Tamera Mowry-Housely, Paul Campbell, and Joe Pantoliano

Synopsis: Tanya, a police detective who is partnered with fellow detective Ryan to solve a recent string of heists.  They go undercover as newlyweds, moving into the vacant house next to Mr. Miller, the prime suspect in the case.

Review: An optimistic new detective who loves Christmas and a seasoned detective who is a cynical Scrooge have to pretend to be newlyweds. The premise sounds old but the movie, along with the casting, makes it fresh and funny.  Mowry-Housley and Campbell do such an amazing job playing off each other and they make the relationship feel real and the development organic.  I really enjoyed this and can’t wait to watch again.

Scoring: 4

The Santa Suit (2010)

Rated: G

Genres: Drama, Fantasy 

Starring: Kevin Sorbo and Jodie Dowdall

Synopsis: Hunter Toys CEO Drake Hunter turned his father's company from a cozy quality manufacturer into a ruthless, profitable business. After denying his staff any festive generosity again, the scrooge is suddenly and magically transformed into Kris Krandall. That forces him to work as a Santa in Norm Dobson's toy store, with weird would be-actor Sebastian. Drake reassesses his values and priorities in life. 

Review:  The premise is corny but that’s it. I found this to be touching. A man learns how others see him, how to be there for others, how to empathize, and how to be a good man. I truly enjoyed watching this one. This will be an annual movie for us. 

Scoring: 4.5

The Santa Summit (2023)

Rated: G

Genre: Romance

Starring: Hunter King and Ben Hollingsworth 

Synopsis: Liam returns home to regroup after setbacks and attends the town's annual celebration with his brother. He bonds with an art teacher but doesn't get her name before they're separated in a sea of Santas.

Review:  I thought the premise was original and had real potential. It just dropped the ball a few times. Do I want the couples to connect, sure. So, I cared but I wasn’t as entertained as I’d expected. I think this is geared towards a specific demographic and a lot of people will love it.

Scoring: 3

Santa Who (2000)

Rated: PG

Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Musical 

Starring: Leslie Nielson, Steven Eckholdt, and Robin Lively

Synopsis: Santa Claus develops amnesia after accidentally falling out of his sleigh and only the innocence of a small child can save him. Meanwhile, Santa has to battle the disbelief of a newsman.

Review:  This movie is a little silly but it’s good for children and those who are a child at heart. It’s got everything you’d expect; a child, a grinch, and a Santa in need of help. 

Scoring: 3

Santa With Muscles (1996)

Rated: PG

Genres: Comedy

Starring: Hulk Hogan

Synopsis: An evil millionaire believes he is Santa Claus after an accident renders him amnesiac.

Review:  If you like Hogan, you may enjoy watching him. Other than that, the movie has nothing to offer. 

Scoring: 1

Santa’s Apprentice (2010)

Rated: G

Genres: Animation, Fantasy

Starring: N/A

Synopsis: Santa doesn't want to retire, but rules are rules and he must train someone to replace him. The lucky winner, to be chosen from among millions of children, must be named Nicholas, be an orphan and have a pure heart. On the other side of the planet, there is a little boy who is a perfect match, but his lack of self-confidence and fear of heights make him a poor contestant. Will Santa agree to step down, and help his apprentice take his place?

Review:  If you want to talk to your children about other children saying there’s no Santa, bullying, orphans, families losing their homes, and why there’s so many Santas because they have to have apprentices, have at it.  I believe the way these topics were addressed, plus all being in one movie, makes it dark, joyless, and devoid of Christmas spirit.  This movie even made Santa seem not so nice at times. 

Scoring: 1

Santa’s Boot Camp (2016)

Rated: NR

Genres: Comedy, Fantasy

Starring: Eric Roberts and Storm Reid

Synopsis: Willy Wonka meets "The Breakfast Club" at Christmas. When kids become so bratty and self-centered that Santa's elves go on strike, Santa, in desperation, must bring six unscrupulous youths to his boot camp to help save Christmas.

Review: It’s an enjoyable, if not silly, movie.  It’s one that children should really appreciate and parents who don’t appreciate it with them will at least not feel tortured watching it.  The elves are played by younger children while the bratty kids are younger teens.  This makes it easy to tell them apart.  The elf ears don’t hurt either.  A good family film.

Scoring: 2.5

Santa’s Boots (2018)

Rated: PG

Genres: Drama, Romance 

Starring: Megan Hilty, Noah Mills, and Teryl Rothery

Synopsis: Holly returns home for Christmas and is put to work as Santa’s elf at her family’s store, where she meets Nick, and falls in love. When Nick disappears days before Christmas, Holly searches for him with her only clue, his black boot. 

Review:  While the story has many of the classic components of a Christmas romance, the approach to them is something I haven’t seen before. I really enjoyed not knowing exactly how it would end. The cast, the story, and the setting were all wonderful. Keep an eye open for the nod to “Cinderella” at the end. 

Scoring: 3.5

Santa’s Castle (2018)

Rated: PG

Genre: Fantasy

Synopsis: Based on L. Frank Baum’s Christmas tales, this is the story of when Santa was kidnapped by a group of creatures determined to cancel Christmas.  Santa’s loyal magical creatures have to save Santa and Christmas before the night is over.

Review: This was surprisingly interesting and not what I expected.  I’m not sure why it’s not rated G because it’s clearly for children and not scary.  The only part that I didn’t care for was some of the costumes, like the elf hat with tons of buttons.  This would be good for a family to watch together.

Scoring: 2.5

Santa’s Got Style (2022)

Rated: G

Genres: Comedy, Romance

Starring: Franco Lo Presti and Kathryn Davis

Synopsis: Follows Madison, a department store executive who takes the idea to hire a young Santa with fashionable style instead of a classic one, but she can't find the right model, until her best friend Ethan decides to be the Santa of her dreams.

Review: The poster alone made me not want to watch this, but I decided to go in with an open mind. It’s way worse than I thought. The Santa outfit looked so bad and how she didn’t recognize one her best friends because of a beard I don’t get. It wasn’t totally boring, and I’ve seen way worse. 

Score: 1.5

Santa’s Letters (2000)

Rated: NR

Genre: Comedy

Starring: Jonathan Arkin

Synopsis: Santa’s curiosity is piqued when he receives a letter from a boy asking him not to visit this year.

Review: This movie was dreadful.  The children were played by adult actors.  Just trying to keep up with who was a child and who was an adult was tiring.  The fact that it’s a low budget indie film has little to do with how bad it is.  Skip this one.

Scoring: 1

Santa’s Summer House (2012)

Rated: G

Genres: Drama, Fantasy

Starring: Daniel Bernhardt

Synopsis: Five travelers land on a strange island and discover they share a common discontent.

Review: This is a standard poorly acted low budget film.  If I didn’t know the title, I’d have no idea what’s going on. The croquet scene alone was ridiculously long.  The concept is good but very poorly executed.

Scoring: 1.5

Santa Stole Our Dog: A Merry Doggone Christmas (2017)

Rated: NR

Genres: Family, Fantasy

Starring: Ed Asner

Synopsis: On a snowy and cold Christmas Eve, Santa Claus accidentally steals the family Dog. So begins an epic journey through the twelve days of Christmas as the family ventures to the North Pole to get their beloved canine back.

Review: This movie started out really slow and a little boring.  As it went on, they added Christmas magic.  They even included a talking-and sneezing-snowman.  The story got better.  It even included information on global warming. It’s cute but it seems geared more towards children. 

Scoring: 2.5