Common Sense Media Review
By Stephanie Morgan
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Visual delight adds diversity to an older Christmas story.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Santa Clauses
What's the Story?
In THE SANTA CLAUSES, it's been over 20 years since Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) officially became Santa Claus. Now living in the North Pole with Mrs. Claus and his two nearly grown children, he starts to notice the magic of the job is fading. At the same time, a single father (Kal Penn) struggles to take care of his daughter while running a large e-commerce company. How will these two fathers' paths cross and what will it mean for the future of Christmas?
Is It Any Good?
Despite relying on the well-worn trope of Santa being in trouble due to not enough kids believing in him, this latest Christmas series still manages to deliver some holiday magic. Picking up several years after The Santa Clause movies left off, The Santa Clauses attempts to update its storyline as well as the diversity of its cast. Along with the addition of more characters of color, kids will also appreciate the emphasis on technology such as VR goggles and drones. There are lots of pleasing special effects (an elf throwing up sparkles was one of my favorites) and plenty of the jokes land, including a few parents will smirk at while their children are none the wiser. Where the series trips up a bit is in its attempt to satirize "woke culture," lamely joking about "brat shaming" and changing the naughty list to the "misunderstood list." Nevertheless, this is a show with high-quality special effects and engaging characters that care about each other, making it a solid pick for families to watch together.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how The Santa Clause story has changed from the first movie in 1994 to this series. Have the special effects improved? Are the people that make up the cast more diverse? What else is different and what's the same?
Talk about Santa's remark that "wishing everyone a Merry Christmas is problematic" now. What other holidays do your friends, neighbors, teachers, or family members celebrate?
TV Details
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