Review: ‘The Christmas Chronicles 2’
Kurt Russell makes a triumphant return to the role of Santa Claus, but this festive sequel lacks the magic and charm of the first film.
The Christmas Chronicles 2 follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, with the Pierce family again crossing paths with Santa. This time, however, it is unintentional as a teenage Kate (Darby Camp) is transported to the North Pole by mischievous elf Belsnickel (Julian Dennison). Like her brother Teddy in the first film, Kate is now cynical and is angry at their mum for taking them on holiday with her new boyfriend Bob and his son, Jack. There are more pressing matters at hand, though, as Kate and Jack become caught up in Belsnickel’s plan to take over Christmas and must help Santa to save it.
Unfortunately, this film treads much of the same territory as the previous one, and when it does give us something new it squanders the opportunity. Just as Teddy was struggling to deal with losing his dad in The Christmas Chronicles, Kate struggles with the fear of him being replaced. The difference here is that Kate is much less sympathetic than her older brother was. She spends the first part of the film behaving like a spoiled brat. She is ungrateful for the holiday to Mexico that Bob has taken them on and is continually rude to him and Jack, despite their best efforts to get along. While younger viewers might be able to empathize with Kate, she will get on the nerves of pretty much everyone else.
If Kate was the only moody teenager in the film, this might be forgivable. However the film regrettably decides to double down on the teen angst by providing us with a teenage villain, too. Belsnickel, an elf trapped in human form, wants revenge on Santa Claus for petty and selfish reasons. No doubt his situation is meant to serve as a parallel to Kate’s, but he is equally difficult to empathize with. Given that a key part of a great Christmas film is to make everyone watching (regardless of age) connect with the characters, the fact that two main characters are angry teenagers is really what lets this film down the most.
Visually, however, The Christmas Chronicles 2 is pure magic. For the first time we get to see the North Pole and Santa’s Village in all its glory. Everything is vibrant and full of cheer, and the elves are as cute and amusing as before. The highlight of the village is seeing them in the workshops- making a variety of colorful toys and treats. While the majority of the new ground the film covers is disappointing, the pure, Christmas-y joy of Santa’s Village is one of the high points.
Another new addition to the film is Goldie Hawn’s Mrs. Claus. While it’s great to see more of her in this film, Hawn’s talent feels truly wasted. Despite Kurt Russell’s Santa being decidedly badass, Hawn’s Mrs. Claus is lacking that same flair. She is confined to what is ultimately a motherly role, lamenting the lack of children in the North Pole and taking it upon herself to provide care for Kate and Jack. She is there to feed them, comfort them, provide encouragement, all of the things that are considered motherly tasks. She is a functional character who seems to be there purely to provide support, and this issue is compounded by the fact that she isn’t even given a first name. It is truly unfortunate that such a promising character that was meant to bring something new to this sequel was completely wasted because of lackluster writing.
The Christmas Chronicles 2 is ultimately a disappointing sequel. It’s worth watching purely for Kurt Russell continuing to play an incredible Santa, but on the whole this is sadly lacking the magic of the first film. – Lauren Miles
Rating: 2.5/5
The Christmas Chronicles 2 is now streaming on Netflix.