Delightful for the kids and Surreal for the adults

Rating: 8/10 (4 December 2018)

If it wasn't for the tacked on and plot driven love story this would be the perfect Christmas movie. Farrell is at his absolute best and Buddy is a great comedic figure. There is so much glee and Christmas spirit that comes from Santa's biggest helper that it is hard to not get swept up in the cheesy Christmas laughs, fun and cheer.
I just re-watched this today for the first time in over a decade and it struck me how there is a lot of surrealist moments in the film-Leon and the other parodies of the classic Christmas cartoons for example-that make the film really work for older folks. It's not just silly kids stuff, but there is a subversive edge to a lot of it. Notice how Santa was ready to deal with a mugger for example. I had either forgotten or didn't pick up on this quality when I first watched the film.
This film just flies by; neither the director nor screenwriter puts too much time into any one joke or gag. Unlike a lot of SNL comedies it doesn't feel like a skit stretch out way to much. It is always amusing. It warms the heart a little bit too. Caan manages to make the climax work despite the weaker writing.
This will be added into my Christmas rotation.