Father and child sit together smiling while looking at a smart phone.

Want more recommendations for your family?

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration

Parents' Guide to

Santa Paws 2: Santa Pups

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Holiday musical with adorable puppies will amuse kids.

Movie G 2012 88 minutes
Santa Paws 2: Santa Pups Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 9+

Based on 4 parent reviews

age 18+
Like Movie
age 3+

Surprisingly entertaining

My three and a half year old and I watched this together. His only complaint was there were a lot of songs and not a whole lot of pups. But the message was good, it moved at a good speed, it was clean, and there were positive messages. It wasn't too secular nor too religious. A perfect balance and something to watch together if you just need a little happy break.

This title has:

Great messages

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (4 ):

Although the musical numbers in this holiday special aren't all that memorable (not sure a song about a "Christmas Cold" is all that appealing to anyone), the pups are certainly adorable. And the characters are such sweet underdogs it's hard for even the frostiest, anti-talking-animals viewer to resist the cuteness. But yes, those who aren't amused by the sub-genre of chattering pets will have a harder time warming up to the storyline than those who fully embrace the doggy protagonists.

Former Charlie's Angels star Ladd is so distractingly beautiful, there's never been such a gorgeous Mrs. Claus. Newbern's Mr. Reynolds and his kids provide an emotional depth to the story to balance out the cutesy pups. By the time order is restored and Christmas can be properly celebrated, it's clear that the messages here are in keeping with the best of (secular) season's greetings -- that Christmas is a time for family togetherness, kindness to strangers, and generosity.

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate