Fatman – A Subversive Yet Entertaining Christmas Film

The premise of Fatman is one that many have surely come across without maybe knowing what it is associated with. While it is admittedly ridiculous on paper, audiences looking for a different type of Christmas movie will be rewarded with a campy and subversive yet entertaining experience (one in the vein of Bad Santa but not nearly as offensive though it is still a very R rated film). Though it certainly won’t be for everyone, it is a surprisingly restrained one that somewhat still requires a level of disbelief. It is also a film that actually has something important to say underneath all that craziness about the state of Christmas and this current generation (whether or not that message registers with audiences remains to be seen however). Meanwhile, the film is a source of pride for yours truly, as it was shot in my hometown of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada so those from there will surely recognize many of the landmarks which appear over the course of the film.

The aforementioned ridiculous premise of Fatman saw a wicked though crafty 12-year-old child named Billy Wenan (Chance Hurstfield) hire a hitman (Goggins) to kill Santa Claus a.k.a Chris Cringle (Gibson) after receiving a lump of coal in his stocking for Christmas. Suffice it to say that Billy probably deserved it as he used his means to his advantage to exact his will upon anyone or anything in his way. Meanwhile, this version of Santa Claus wasn’t traditional by any means (besides the casting of Gibson), trading the whimsy for a gruff and unorthodox individual who fought along with his wife Ruth (Jean-Baptiste) to save their crumbling business due to the decline of good children across the world. Though the legend and the mystery was still there, he was an everyman broken down and beaten up by the years and years of Christmases. Times were changing and maybe Christmas didn’t mean the same as it used to as his enthusiasm began to wain but nevertheless, he still fought to keep his business running for his elf employees. Luckily for Cringle, he was thrown a lifeline by the U.S. government who had been supporting his operation for countless years.

The hitman (the character’s name is Skinny Man) was an over-the-top kind of intense with his own connection to Cringle, seeming fueling his motivation to complete the hit that went beyond money. His eccentricities went beyond his overly intense demeanour which fit the film nicely. He was determined and he was not going to let anyone or anything get in his way. That being said, seeing him perform his detective work in breaking through the mystery that was Chris Cringle was fun to watch. It was only a matter time until he caught up with Cringle and this was where things truly got crazy which should come as a surprise to absolutely no one. This of course led to an exciting showdown between both men but despite the predictable result, the end was a nice touch and a satisfying one.

Ultimately, the best part of Fatman was the excellent performances of Gibson and Goggins as Cringle and the Skinny Man. Gibson showed a surprising amount of restraint (for the most part) as Cringle, playing it straight in an already crazy film. This made it easier to connect with the character thanks to his relatability and screen presence let alone his take on a broken down man damaged by the world was a compelling one. Goggins delivers once again, bringing plenty of campy energy while his eccentric intensity fit well against Gibson and stole plenty of scenes in his own right (with his hamster coming in at a close second). Jean-Baptiste was solid as Ruth Cringle and had good chemistry with Gibson. Meanwhile. Hurstfield was great as Billy Wenan. He’s a character we are supposed to dislike and he certainly succeeded at that.

At the end of the day, Fatman should be part of everyone’s Christmas film rotation.

still courtesy of Saban Films

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.