Netflix’s The Christmas Chronicles: Part 2 – A Fun, World-Building Sequel (Early Review)

Sixth on Netflix’s Holiday roster is their second sequel of the year based off the surprisingly unsurprising hit, The Christmas Chronicles. The first film answered a simple question: what if Santa was someone cool, like Kurt Russell? While it was a cheesy Holiday film, it managed to bring a sense of action to an otherwise rom-com or family drama filled genre. With Netflix doubling down on their festive Russell, could The Christmas Chronicles: Part 2 be a solid follow up?

The Christmas Chronicles: Part 2 picks up two years after the events of the original film. Kate Pierce (Camp) is unhappy with her current family dynamic as her mother Claire (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) seems primed to get remarried to Bob (Tyrese Gibson) during a tropical winter vacation. However, Kate and her future stepbrother Jack (Jahzir Bruno) are magically transported by the evil Belsnickel (Julian Dennison) to the North Pole where they meet Santa (Russell) and Mrs. Claus (Hawn).

Quality-wise, The Christmas Chronicles: Part 2 is on par in many ways to the original: the story is a fun, family-friendly adventure with bits of action and family themes and the acting is superb from the entire ensemble. However, it manages to become something more thanks to a change in director, the addition of a new character that helps to elevate another and even the antagonist is memorable (even if their story is eerily familiar to another Christmas film, more on that later).

Producer Chris Columbus returns to the director’s chair for The Christmas Chronicles: Part 2, allowing him to do exactly what was needed for a series like this: world-building! From his foray into Christmas films (Home Alone/Home Alone 2/Jingle all the Way) to his ability to create magical worlds of childlike wonder (Harry Potter), Columbus is able to bring a warm fuzziness to Santa’s Village which is inherently needed. It also helps that Russell and Hawn dove deep into creating backstories for their characters which helped to build a lore that blends tradition with a modern take on the St. Nicholas tale.

Continuing on with the Hawn and Russell dynamic, that is the selling point of this film. Many people watched the original thanks to Russell donning the red suit, but now his real life wife is playing the Big Man’s spouse making it the first time they have worked on-screen together in over 30 years. She helps elevate the always charismatic Russell with her own joy and innate kindness. However, he doesn’t need much elevation because Russell manages to build upon his first performance and bring an engaging, enthusiastic and warm Santa Claus that embodies all the greatest elements of Santa’s past.

The biggest gripe to have with The Christmas Chronicles: Part 2 is its very simplistic plot reminiscent of The Santa Clause 3 with Martin Short’s Jack Frost being replaced with Julian Dennison’s Belsnickel. It dives into the same themes but with a little more action and a better Santa’s Village. While this narrative may feel that it lacks originality, it manages to infuse a lot of history into it that would may anyone interested in the backstory of Christmas happy. From flashbacks of St. Nicolas in Turkey to the Elvish language that the filmmakers created, they certainly did their homework in creating a truly immersive holiday experience.

Now onto the next Christmas tale! ‘Tis the season!

still courtesy of Netflix

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Dylan Phillips