A master toymaker discovers a magical kingdom of elves whilst out delivering his toys during a stormy blizzard at the North Pole where he becomes Santa Claus. But when his eager-to-please elf, Patch, leaves for the big streets of New York City, he becomes mixed up with a dastardly toy tycoon's plan to take over Christmas. And so begins his adventure to rescue Patch and to save Christmas for all the children of the world. Santa Claus: The Movie follows a unique look into the origins of Santa, showing how he came to be the magical being who flies his eight reindeer and sleigh all across the globe. It was a fascinating depiction and I love seeing how it all began hundreds of years ago, in the Middle Ages with him being a woodcutter who carves toys. He delivers from town to town every Christmas with their trusty reindeer, Donner and Blitzen plus his wife, Anya bringing joy to all the people. However being caught in a terrific blizzard, they are hammered by the cold weather until they are saved when a bright light appears, followed by many elves who guide them to their new home. It is here thanks to its magical presence that the pair of them are blessed with eternal life like the elves, including the reindeer who are now joined by the remaining six Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet and Cupid. Whilst also there, Mr Claus first receives his name Santa from the ancient elf who further tells him how he will deliver all the presents made to the children of the world in one night with the magic that allows the reindeer to fly. It was certainly a magical moment to see the build-up to this eventful first flight as we see the many goings on of the kingdom and how the pair take it all in. We are in just as much awe as them as we see the grand-scale display of the workshop with the countless elves who occupy every stretch of it. There is an incredible amount of detail in every scene to be appreciated from the clock to the toy-like operated machines used to make toys. Throughout this marvellous kingdom is a constant feeling of warmth. It looks so welcoming and comforting, which is clearly the theme they were trying to portray and it works tremendously in my opinion across the board. Another notable event that occurs here is the making of Santa's iconic suit that goes from its traditional green to the more recognised red with its in-universe reasoning for its change. I also love the scenes of the letters arriving with children's requests and how its done, the introduction of the naughty and nice rules as well as Santa's reaction to the Night Before Christmas where he is taken aback by the comment, "A round little belly. That shook when he laughed, Like a bowl full of jelly". With Santa living forever, we see a progression of time up to the then modern day of the 80s where he comes to befriend two children particularly streetwise kid Joe and the kind upper-class Cornelia who takes pity on the boy. They are both okay, not too annoying but nothing massively special by any standards. We spend quite a bit of time with them over the varying Christmases but also with the second half of the story that takes a dramatic change with the popular elf, Patch, leaving to pursue his creative ideas in New York. It is there where he mistakingly sees toys being removed from a window due to being deemed unsafe as being very popular, therefore seeking out owner B.Z. to manufacture his goods. The remainder of the film is almost completely derived from the story laid out, not to say it is worse or bad but puzzling, to say the least. Naturally, B.Z. is deemed a bad guy who wants to further this publicity stunt of Patch's creation to benefit him and dethron Santa as the holiday's figurehead. B.Z. was certainly a villain you love to hate with his hilarious outbursts and Patch is a loveable elf with some crazy ideas that are meant well. This segment of the movie is full of twists, thrills and excitement that make for an entertaining final act that despite not fitting with the earlier section, is still engaging all the same. Overall, I still to this day adore Santa Claus: The Movie and is a firm favourite for me and my sister this holiday season. It has some amazing visuals, characters and effects with that added heart for the whole family to enjoy.
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