Today’s quick review: The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two. Two years after Kate Pierce (Darby Camp) helped Santa Claus (Kurt Russell) save Christmas, Belsnickel (Julian Dennison), an enemy from Santa’s past, uses her to sneak into Santa’s Village and cause chaos. To stop Belsnickel, Santa and Kate must pay a visit to Santa’s old home, while Mrs. Claus (Goldie Hawn) and Kate’s friend Jack (Jahzir Bruno) work to repair the damage to the village.
The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two is a family Christmas adventure starring Kurt Russell. The sequel picks up with the Pierce family two years after the events of the original movie, as Kate contemplates running away from home. Part Two expands the world of The Christmas Chronicles, showing more of the North Pole and revealing the details of Santa’s past. The movie has plentiful action and a healthy sense of adventure, but only a mediocre plot.
The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two doubles down on the fantasy elements introduced in the first movie. The North Pole, Santa’s elves, and the magic of Christmas all get more screen time, along with a host of gadgets created by Belsnickel. The upshot of this is that the movie has plenty to work with when it comes to action and comedy. Along with a generous CGI budget, this gives Part Two the same sense of family-friendly adventure as the first one.
Unfortunately, the film is hampered by a lackluster story. Where the first Christmas Chronicles was a heartfelt movie about a brother and sister coping with the loss of their dad, the second one treats its emotional arc as an afterthought. Part Two tries to spin a story around Kate coming to terms with the changes in her family, but the conflict isn’t developed well, and it never feels central to the plot.
The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two is still a fun enough movie to please fans of family-oriented fantasy adventures. Its production values, its imagination, and Kurt Russell’s performance as Santa go a long way towards making it an enjoyable experience. But ultimately Part Two lacks the charm, the originality, and the heart of the first film. Give it a shot only if you don’t mind the lack of substance.
For another creative take on Santa Claus, try The Santa Clause. For a holiday adventure with even more CGI-fueled action, try The Polar Express.
[6.0 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11057644/). I give it a 6.5 for a light adventure hurt by an uninspired story.