- Created by Jack Burditt
- Based on The Santa Clause by Leo Benvenuti and Steve Rudnick
- November 16, 2022 to present
- Disney+
Main Cast
- Scott Calvin/Santa Claus-Tim Allen
- Carol Calvin/Mrs. Claus-Elizabeth Mitchell
- Buddy “Cal” Calvin-Claus-Austin Kane
- Sandra Calvin-Claus-Elizabeth Allen-Dick
- Betty-Matilda Lawler
- Noel-Devin Bright
- Kris Kringle-Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias
- Magnus Antas/The Mad Santa-Eric Stonestreet
Recurring Cast
- Edie-Isabella Bennett
- Crouton-Sasha Knight
- Hugo-Izaac Wang
- La Befana-Laura San Giacomo
- Gary-Liam Kyle
- Riley-Ruby Jay
- Olga-Marta Kessler
- Cupid-Kevin Pollak
- The Easter Bunny-Tracy Morgan
- Sandman-Michael Dorn
The more I think about it the more I come to feel that the first season of The Santa Clauses was among the better if not among the best film-to-television (or streaming if you want to get nitpicky) transitions ever. It very effectively captured the tone and spirit of the films which birthed it while moving to a new medium. Stargate SG1 and Ash vs The Evil Dead both did a good job of moving their cinematic worlds to television. Some would put M*A*S*H up there, but I was never really into M*A*S*H. Anywho…
…Enter Season Two…
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While training his son to be his successor, Scott must contend with the return of Magnus Antas-The Mad Santa!
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Chapter Seven: The Kribble Krabble Clause & Chapter Eight: Floofy
- Directed by Jason Winer
- Written by Jack Burditt
- November 8, 2023
The first two episodes aired back-to-back/same time (however you want to put it) on Disney+. We have Scott (Tim Allen) grooming his son Buddy (Austin Kane) to be the next Santa Claus. Not sure if I feel like using ‘grooming’ these days.
More importantly, we are introduced to new characters such as Kris Kringle (Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias) who’s a Christmas obsessed individual that runs a Christmas park that his father doesn’t approve of. He is given emotional fuel to continue to pursue his dream while on the verge of giving up because of Buddy’s (Austin Kane) gift of a magical snow globes on Christmas. Everybody gets to look at their favorite Christmas memory for about a week, but Kris’s father can’t seem to make it happen. I think it goes without saying that will play into the series at large. Then again these are not about serious complexity but are more enjoyable comfort food.
We are also introduced to Magnus Antas/The Mad Santa (Eric Stonestreet) who was imprisoned in a nutcracker that somehow made its way in Kris’s gift shop. Magnus Antas can only be freed when he encounters Christmas magic which leaks out when Kris’s globe is broken. What’s painfully obvious is that the enjoyably off-kilter Gary (Liam Kyle) was behind it but we do not know why.
Stonestreet as The Mad Santa here is the right mixture of serious evil and comedic evil to fit in with this world that treats Christmas seriously, but is appreciative of some of the other things that have grown up around Christmas. Stonestreet makes an enjoyable character and his transitions from evil to not so evil are natural. What it looks like is that his gnome sidekick is the one pushing the evil. Why? Again that’s probably will be something explained in later episodes.
Like I said, this takes a slightly skewed look at Christmas things or even real-world things with a Christmas twist. Among those things the first two episodes set up a few plots that look relatively connected but even if they are not appear just fun. The characters have still grown to whatever extent that they were in the last season. They don’t take a step or five back in order to fully recapture the first season’s magic. They appear to be developing and growing further.
This is family friendly humor without being bad humor. Some stuff may go a tad over the heads of children, but they’ll understand there’s something funny there even if they don’t quite get it. The adults will find plenty to smile at and chuckle about throughout.
I am very pleased with the first two episodes of season two. It is a positive start.
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Chapter Nine: No Magic at the Dinner Table
- Directed by Katie Locke O’Brien
- Written by Camille Patrao and Eugene Garcia-Cross
- November 15, 2023
As a villain in this episode Magnus Antas/The Mad Santa (Eric Stonestreet) becomes a little bit more of a buffoon than he does a threat to Christmas in general or Scott (Tim Allen) specifically. That is a downturn from the first two episodes. I’m not sure how this will fit into things. I don’t mind a comical villain but even in something as absurd as Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult Pahpshmir (Raye Birk) felt like he was a threat. Magnus Antas is just kinda sad and ineffective as a character. With the addition of Olga (Marta Kessler) he is more a henpecked husband in execution than villain.
This episode also introduces The Easter Bunny as played by Tracy Morgan. Morgan is one of those actors that throws himself into whatever he’s doing-both emotionally and physically. He is built for extreme comedy and does what he does here very good with the minimal moments on the screen his character gets but he’s in it for too short a time.
The Easter Bunny learns about Magnus Antas and then in one of those cliché moments gets silenced before he can tell anyone the very important information. Then again if he had been able to let the cat out of the bag this would be the final episode. I hate it when film and television do this. It is one of those lazy writing bits to get mileage. If they needed to hold him up a little bit, why not simply have him struggle to get to the North Pole for some reason. I don’t think it would’ve really affected anything other than maybe the budget. Or better yet, introduce this in the next episode!
Speaking of lazy writing, Magnus Antas finally gets his ticket North because of an accident you can see coming before it ever happens. Buddy is having issues with his girlfriend who lives conveniently close to the Christmas themed tourist trap where Magnus Antas hangs. When Buddy gets dumped he accidentally drops the magic filled vest he must wear because of his training right in front of Magnus Antas. Mad Santa did not even need to look for it. Ugh! Convenience to shorten the story.
Scott is a bit of a supporting character here when at one point the character was the star of this universe. The main plot appears to involve The Mad Santa, but Scott is not even connecting to that other than a bit of bad trolling on the part of Magnus Antas. And while he is supposedly training Buddy much of that is just referenced while Buddy is whining to his sister who is complaining about her training with La Befana (Laura San Giacomo).
Connecting to that is Mrs. Claus trying to be goth while poorly investigating the missing nutcracker while missing the obvious clues that Gary did something with it. I get this is aimed at family viewing, but they are not even trying here.
All together not bad, but not great. I understand this is family viewing, but the conveniences and lazy writing are annoying. Still worth a watch at this point,
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So far the first three episodes are okay but not great. Still enjoying myself and I cannot say this stinks…yet.
Warren Watched A Movie 