This Santa Claus film is one of the best, in terms of heartwarming Christmas films. It's quite twee and hasn't aged well but it's still lovely and enjoyable. The Santa Claus is from the North Pole (of course) and is traditional (post Coca-Cola) and a craftsman who makes presents for children before he "becomes" Santa. It's got some lovely magical scenes, and beautiful reindeer (animatronic so dated now but still cute and entertaining for children) and the elves - lead by Dudley Moore - are sweet and funny. There are some great music and soundtrack and the sets are quite beautiful. I'm sure it was quite big budget at the time! The bad guy, played by John Lithgow, who is trying to take over Christmas, was hilarious, comic-book malevolent and had one of his most iconic roles with some great one-liners. The two child actors were a little hammy in places, particularly the girl, but all in all they are sweet and accomplished and it is the moral and heart of the film that is so prominent and distracts from any flaws; both of the children are orphans of sorts and need a home and someone to love them, she's from a rich family and he is from the streets. It's heartwarming and suitable for all family members and nicely old fashioned enough to not be bogged down with so much SFX and flippancy that all heart is lost. Dudley Moore is fun and enjoyable, and Mrs Claus simply radiant and charming along with Santa - who is so believable and one of the best, jolly and kindly Santa ever put on screen. Fun for all the family.

This is an ambitious movie. It tries to cover a lot of ground, perhaps a little too much, but it's still a fun ride.The first part of the movie covers Santa's origins. It is charming and sweet, but also decidedly lacking in any kind of meaningful conflict to keep your attention. The reindeer puppeteering is outstanding (considering the technology at the time) and David Huddleson is quite convincing as Santa. It shows him settling into the role of Christmas Toy Delivery Demigod in a believable (if slightly overlong) fashion.Then, the second part of the story adds some badly needed plot, but it does a bit too much. Overachieving elf Patch (Moore) disgraces Santa's entire operation one year when he sacrifices quality for mass production. He flees the North Pole, determined to redeem himself and show Santa he is still deserving of the mantle of Top Elf.I must pause here to point out this is the problem with Patch as a character. While Moore (predictably) plays him with considerably affable charm, he seems to have an overblown ego, which is an issue the movie never really resolves.Enter B.Z., a greedy toy magnate who takes advantage of Patch to pull his own sullied reputation out of the gutter and to profit like never before. John Lithgow's turn as the villain is oh-so-very hammy and outrageously over the top, but extremely fun to watch.Add to the mix a sub-subplot of the friendship of a rich little girl and an Artful-Dodger-esque street urchin, and it all starts to creak under its own narrative weight.But the movie is still dripping with Christmas Charm and I watch it every year. Sure, its got problems, but its still a fun ride.

This film was clearly created for the young, and young at heart. It tells the story of how Santa became who he is, sticking mostly to the original lore of England/Germany/Holand/Austria, the tale of Kris Kringle, the gift giver (not the same as Saint Nicholas). and then later jumps to a more modern time frame to tell a tale of Santa's troubles.Its a very light-hearted tale but at times has some serious points which makes it perfect for children and those that still believe in the magic of Christmas.The cast is amazing, Santa is played perfectly and is one of my all time favorites, the remaining cast blends perfectly together in their roles and none of them stood out of place. The "bad guys" are perfectly over the top as would be expected for a film for a young audience and the film has stood the test of time as my youngest nieces and nephews love the film.I have this right next to A Christmas Story as my two favorite Christmas movies of all time with Its a Wonderful Life, the 1930s Christmas Carol and Miracle on 34th Street as my 5 favorites ever.

From the makers of the 1978 - 1987 "Superman" film franchise comes this likable look at the origin of Santa Claus: how a gift giving man named Claus was chosen by elves long ago to be a worldwide distributor of gifts, the introduction to the workshop, the reindeer, and all of those good things. Eventually more modern touches are given to the material: Santa Claus restoring hope to a homeless boy (Christian Fitzpatrick), and the machinations of a sleazy corporate villain named B.Z., played by John Lithgow at his hammy best. When an elf named Patch (Dudley Moore) has his heart broken as his dreams of being Santas' assistant don't pan out, he journeys from the North Pole to NYC and is manipulated by the heartless B.Z.These touches can't really sour the charm of this disarming fable. It's so wonderfully performed that one does get caught up in it. The under appreciated character actor David Huddleston has a nice warm presence as the man selected to be Saint Nick, as does Judy Cornwell as his wife Anya. Moore is a delight as Patch, a forward-thinking elf with grand ideas and new ways of making toys. Lithgow is a hoot as a completely unsubtle character. Jeffrey Kramer (Deputy Hendricks from "Jaws" 1 and 2) is fine as snivelling flunky Towzer. Burgess Meredith has a great cameo as a wise old elf who gives Santa a hearty welcome. The kids, also including Carrie Kei Heim as Cornelia, are likable enough.Capably directed by Jeannot Szwarc ("Jaws 2", "Somewhere in Time", "Supergirl"), the most impressive asset that "Santa Claus" can boast is its production design. The 2.35:1 aspect ratio treats us to a true "eye candy" assortment of details when it comes to Santas' workshop and residence. Henry Mancini does the music, and Sheena Easton belts out the touching closing anthem, "Christmas All Over the World".There's enough of what could be considered "magic" here to make this decent family viewing.Seven out of 10.