Santa Claus: The Movie

Hoping to combine seasonal comedy with a high-concept origin story, the production team of Alexander and Ilya Salkind (who revived the cinematic fortunes of The Three Musketeers in the early '70s and then set the standard for the comic book movie with their take on Superman) turned their attention to a beloved fictional figure—Santa Claus—in this 1985 film that nicely recreates the jolly old elf's workshop and the North Pole. David Huddleston stars as Kris Kringle, with Dudley Moore playing well-meaning if misguided elf Patch, and John Lithgow as the baddie B.Z., a villainous toymaker with aims of taking over Christmas. Unfortunately, the result was a mishmash. Director Jeannot Szwarc's approach boasts instances of beauty and grandeur, but all the flashy F/X-laden stuff as Moore and Lithgow square-off doesn't succeed, and the script is simply too bloated and juvenile. Santa Claus: The Movie is ultimately a mixed stocking: handsome on the outside but containing mostly coal. DVD extras include commentary with Szwarc, a “making-of” documentary, and text bios. Optional. (B. Gibron)