"Santa Claus" of 1985 is one of the first movies to give a modern take – or update, on Santa Claus. It doesn't go into the true story or the background, but picks up with the fantasy of Santa, his reindeer and the North Pole. The plot has an interesting twist to the beginning of Santa that is mystical. And, another interesting twist is that the elves and the North Pole always have been there -- at least since who knows when, just waiting for the Santa to come on the scene. That's another somewhat mystical aspect. From that fantasy beginning, the movie opens up to a very colorful, inventive and fun story and adventure. The sets for this film were excellent and some of the items were very ingenious. I don't want to give those away. The special effects and design add sparkle, literally and figuratively, to the movie. So, one can say that it is magic. It's sort of a magic show put on film. Of course, there are twists in the plot that work in a couple of Christmas messages. John Lithgow's character, as the mean, villainous B.Z. is just funny enough that he shouldn't be scary to small children. We older children can chuckle at his character. All of the cast are very good in their roles. Without being too overboard, this film gives some colorful and fun treatment to the tradition of Santa Claus that the whole family can enjoy. The little guys might especially enjoy the reindeer as portrayed in this film.

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.

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.