When it comes to Christmas movies that I watched religiously as a child, The Santa Clause was very high up on that list. While I would tend to head towards The Nightmare Before Christmas for my animated needs, or maybe check out It’s A Wonderful Life if I wanted something classic, The Santa Clause was something I genuinely would re-watch again and again, as well as the second film that came out. The third one, admittedly, I was never a big fan of, but still found time to enjoy it.
The film series was a statement piece in my memories as a child during Christmas time, so imagine my excitement when twenty-four-year-old-me heard that there was going to be a miniseries that was meant to be a sequel to the films all these years later on Disney+. That’s right, today we are talking about the first two episodes of The Santa Clauses, and the thoughts that came into my head honestly as I watched them.
Man, It Feels Good To See Tim Allen As Santa Again
I mean, come on, it’s Tim Allen as Santa Claus, you really can’t get better than that. I think of all the imaginings of Santa that I have seen over my time, from some of the more unconventional movies involving Santa to the movies that are entirely about Santa, but Tim Allen’s version is something that brings me so much joy.
And it really seems like he loves playing the role. No matter how silly the jokes could be or the effects (which we’ll get into in a bit), Tim Allen dedicates a 100% of himself to this role and I believe it during every moment on screen.
I Kinda Love Noel
I know, I know, we all loved Bernard as a child and maybe some of us had strange crushes on him, and while it is confirmed that the actor (David Krumholtz) is going to be in the series, I had a feeling it wasn't going to be as Santa's right-hand man, at least not at first judging from the trailers. So this had me wondering who was going to step into that role in the film. That answer came in the form of Noel.
And I have to say, I really love Noel. While he’s certainly corny and has all the classic cliché Christmas puns you could think of, it’s the delivery from actor Devin Bright. The comedic timing on some of these moments shows genuine talent and I really like him as Santa’s right-hand man, and I hope he plays a bigger role in the miniseries thus forward.
The Visual Effects Need Some Work
I know that this is a streaming platform but Disney could put a little more money into shows that aren’t Star Wars related. I swear, there were so many moments during these first two episodes of The Santa Clauses where I felt like I was directly watching a green screen in the background.
I mean, come on, this is from the same streaming platform that brought us The Mandalorian – a very visually-heavy show that is getting a Season 3 in 2023 because of how popular it is. You’re telling me that there couldn’t be a bigger budget to make this series years later? Some of these animals look like they don’t fit into the world at all.
Man, I Wish I Had Santa’s Workout Routine
What a life. Santa doesn’t need to get skinny – he needs to get round and have a chubby tummy, so you want to know what his workout routine is? Literally just eating cookies and milkshakes made of candy and sitting around on the couch all day. I mean, I would kill to have that workout routine.
Is it too late to become Santa? Or Santa’s daughter? I promise I will make a mean batch of cookies.
I Kind Of Feel Bad For Santa’s Family
For the most part, this piece has been really light-hearted, but I have to address something that made me sad – and that’s Santa’s family in The Santa Clauses. From the opening minutes of the series, we see how disconnected these kids are from their father because they’re all alone up in the North Pole with no other children their age and having to rely on bits and pieces of their elf technology in order to see what the outside world is like.
They look like they want to see the world just as it is instead of being locked away in Santa’s workshop and I can’t help but imagine how lonely they must feel up there. The same goes for Mrs. Claus -- obviously Carol Calvin, before she became Mrs. Claus. While I feel like she accepted where they were and would follow her husband anywhere, I feel bad that she feels underused in the North Pole and underappreciated. I wish I could help her from afar.
The Fact That The Magic Is Disappearing Is Really Depressing
I had a feeling this was coming right out the gate because this franchise's world has changed so much since the first Santa Clause movie and the theme for a lot of modern-day Christmas movies is about the magic disappearing from Christmas.
But man, there’s just something about seeing Santa Claus literally lose the magic that we all grew up reading about that makes me sad. He was barely able to even get up a chimney by tapping his nose. That’s so sad to see. But it’s also the harsh reality of the job – Scott was getting burnt out by being Santa in this new world – and I can see why he wants to get a replacement that really understands how this world works rather than the one he knew.
I Also Kind Of Love Simon Choski – He Looks Like He Has A Genuine Heart And Wants To Do Good
Key word is wants.
I always feel that in so many portrayals of tech moguls, they’re sometimes made out to be heartless monsters, but with Simon Choski in The Santa Clauses, I genuinely really like him. I can see that he has a lot of heart and really wants to do good but he just doesn’t have the means to get there.
And through it all, he does it because he loves his daughter, and wants her to have a good life. He’s a single dad trying to work his way through life for her. How can you not like that? But I feel like there's something around the corner that might turn that around where his need for advancement in the toy industry might get the better of him. We'll just have to wait and see. Either way, he's certainly one of my favorite characters of The Santa Clauses cast.
Charlie Is All Grown Up!
My little Charlie is all grown up and I’m not crying, you are.
Granted, it’s expected, considering the first movie came out in 1994 and Charlie was a kid then, but it’s still so shocking to see him as a fully-grown adult with children and a wife and living in Florida. I do hope that he has more of a role in The Santa Clauses rather than just his one appearance in episode two with that big choice. He looks so good.
Where. Is. Bernard??
No, no, you can’t do that to me Disney+. You can’t tease me with Bernard in those trailers and all the press releases and not show me Bernard. Where is he? I need to see the man that was single-handedly one of my first crushes as a child – this is blasphemy.
Granted, there are still four episodes left, so I am waiting very impatiently for him to show up, just know that Disney+!
While it's hard to say if The Santa Clauses is going to end up being one of the best shows on Disney+ – just because there are so many great options – I do think it’s a great holiday treat for us in 2022 to watch our characters from these classic movies continue their story, and I can’t wait to see where it goes next.
But I swear to God if Bernard isn’t in the next episode I’m going to be very naughty and, um…not eat my vegetables! Your move, Santa.
