Santa Claws (2014)

Santa Claws: Directed by Glenn Miller. With Ezra James Colbert, Nicola Lambo, John P. Fowler, Jordan Bielsky. Tommy leaves his kittens out for Santa to take back to the North Pole, but after a major allergic reaction Santa can’t deliver presents anymore, so the kittens have to deliver the rest of the presents to all the boys and girls.

“Despite my reservations about the ridiculousness of the premise (and it was) and finding the cover looking like most cheap-looking family film covers, watched u0026#39;Santa Clawsu0026#39; anyway because of my love of Christmas films/specials, anything Christmas and finding kittens cute and usually very difficult to dislike.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eActually sort of wanted to like u0026#39;Santa Clawsu0026#39; in a guilty pleasure sort of way, but unfortunately it is as awful as the rating and reviews say and as far as Christmas-themed films go it is down there as one of the worst. Should have trusted my reservations, but wanted to be fair on the film as is intended with every film viewed. Canu0026#39;t find much redeeming about it, other than perhaps the odd nice soundtrack choice. There is no warmth or charm at all, lots of mean spirit and what should have been easy to like actually grated.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eu0026#39;Santa Clawsu0026#39; is a cheap-looking film, with colours that are both drab and garish, less than slick and sometimes gimmicky photography and tacky editing that indicated it was all hastily put together. At best the effects are slapdash and again indicative of very rushed and under-budgeted production.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe script fails completely at being tongue-in-cheek, is full of cheese and awkwardness and is very childish and lacking in wit. The story is paper thin and padded while also being very jumpy and rushed structurally, which made the excessive over-familiarity less forgivable. The Christmas spirit just isnu0026#39;t there, there is no charm or warmth, the cute parts are a mix of saccharine and annoying and some of it is mean-spirited and distasteful. Detected no enthusiasm in the direction.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eNone of the characters are engaging, with the kittens being more obnoxious than cute when there were signs of proper personality going on, their resourcefulness never being sincere or well-intentioned and making for head-scratching moments. Even worse is one of the most despicable bullying mother figures in any family film and the kid is annoying. The acting generally has no energy and some of the actors, especially with the mother, over-act in almost pantomime fashion.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eConcluding, awful catastrophe of a film. 1/10 Bethany Cox”