Dudley Mooreas PatchThe story
About Santa Claus: The Movie
Centuries ago, a kindly woodcutter and his wife are caught in a blizzard while taking toys to village children, and are rescued by elves who give them the job of delivering presents to the whole world every Christmas Eve. In the present day, an ambitious elf quits the workshop after his mass-production scheme backfires and ends up in a big American city working for a crooked toy tycoon, whose plan to cash in on Christmas puts the season, and two children who have befriended Father Christmas, at risk.
The CineClaus verdict
America wrote this off on release and Britain quietly adopted it, which tells you most of what you need to know.
The opening half hour is an earnest origin story for Father Christmas, told with real care and a great deal of snow. Then it swerves into a daft corporate caper, with John Lithgow gleefully overplaying a crooked toy boss.
Dudley Moore holds the two halves together. The flying effects look their age, and the sincerity carries them anyway. Made for children who still believe, and for the adults who first saw it on BBC One at Christmas.
The family desk
Can the kids watch?
Our take: rated PG for mild violence and language. Pitched at pantomime level throughout: a child sleeping rough and a climax that puts two children in peril, with everyone safe and home by the end, so most five-year-olds will be fine.
BBFC advice: Mild violence, language.
Content advice & accessibility
- Where the advice comes from
- The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).
- Our age guidance
- Editorial, separate from the official PG certificate, and never looser than it.
- Subtitles
- Check your chosen service and edition for supported tracks.
