So...here we have a story of Santa having kids (boy Nicholas and girl Noelle) and naturally, the boy is being groomed to be the 24th Santa to take up the reins (pun intended). However, as they prepare for the first Christmas without their father, Nick is expected to take over...and after some advice from his sister, he bolts, leaving a cousin to be in charge and be the next Santa. Noelle goes after him and they both discover that SHE is the one who inherited the "twinkle" to be the next Santa.
First off, Santa isn't a real person (sorry for those who still believe) so there's no strict code (as the Elder Elves stated) as to the requirement of a male to be Santa. That said, Santa - Father Christmas - is based on Saint Nicholas of Myra, also known as Nicholas of Bari, who was a 4th century monk who became the patron saint of children. So for 1600 years, Santa Claus (Sinterklaas) has been a man.
Second, this is Disney, and they have a habit of creating social justice stories out of things that are better left alone. That said, they did a pretty decent job of making this transition to a female Santa without the negativity associated with the militant PC Warriors we have in the streets instead of a hospital padded room.
I can't say for sure that's what the filmmakers were going for, but in the grand scope of things, I found myself liking the overall story concept, the execution of the plot, and the fact that it is left open for a possible sequel where Noelle and Jake are together and have a mixed child that becomes the first Santa "of color." As long as they keep the general spirit of Christmas in the film, I'd be up for watching it.
Overall, I liked this film. I only gave it an 8/10 because there are things I would have done differently (like have someone other than Shirley MacClaine in it anywhere)...but I didn't make the film and I enjoyed the hour and a half distraction. This will definitely be part of my holiday viewing list in the future.
First off, Santa isn't a real person (sorry for those who still believe) so there's no strict code (as the Elder Elves stated) as to the requirement of a male to be Santa. That said, Santa - Father Christmas - is based on Saint Nicholas of Myra, also known as Nicholas of Bari, who was a 4th century monk who became the patron saint of children. So for 1600 years, Santa Claus (Sinterklaas) has been a man.
Second, this is Disney, and they have a habit of creating social justice stories out of things that are better left alone. That said, they did a pretty decent job of making this transition to a female Santa without the negativity associated with the militant PC Warriors we have in the streets instead of a hospital padded room.
I can't say for sure that's what the filmmakers were going for, but in the grand scope of things, I found myself liking the overall story concept, the execution of the plot, and the fact that it is left open for a possible sequel where Noelle and Jake are together and have a mixed child that becomes the first Santa "of color." As long as they keep the general spirit of Christmas in the film, I'd be up for watching it.
Overall, I liked this film. I only gave it an 8/10 because there are things I would have done differently (like have someone other than Shirley MacClaine in it anywhere)...but I didn't make the film and I enjoyed the hour and a half distraction. This will definitely be part of my holiday viewing list in the future.