First released in 2016, this Danish animation has had a couple of titles over the re-releases, finally ending up with 'Finding Santa'
It's a one hour + feel-good children's Christmas story, and is, in its own way, well done and although I personally didn't like the style of animation used -they looked like wooden dolls - it was consistent and worked for them.
The story concerns an 8 year old orphan boy called Julius, who has spent the last 8 years in the orphanage doted over by the Fosterfather, much to the annoyance of the others especially a Draco Malfoy-esque Gregory and his sidekick, Squeak. Julius is a true believer in Father Christmas and makes a nativity box in the shed with his own craftwork, including a marzipan pig. He is magically transported through a portal within the box to the land of Father Chistmas and tasked with saving Christmas.. he is the only one who can do it. Krampus has "killed" the real Santa and now has taken over and forced the elves into slavery making coal to give to all the boys and girls at Christmas instead of presents. So Julius has an adventure in this wonderland and finally, of course, overthrows evil, and all ends happily ever after...
BUT... there are a few things in this film which don't sit right with me. First of all, it's quite dark. For a family friendly children's Christmas story marketed in countries that do not have the Krampus tradition - ie: The USA and The UK, children will not understand and maybe find it too scary in places. The whole business with the present-wrapping machine and having elves, Santa, Julius and Krampus all put through there and sliced into small pieces and wrapped as presents (not all.. but still) is something from a nightmare surely. Also the elves are not the happy-go-lucky fun characters that most children will know and love in both the USA and UK; but much more like the original idea and more morose and a little mean too.. very Scandanavian.
The oddest thing in this film though is the crossover of custom and tradition. The film is set in Denmark, and most of the characters are taken from Scandanavian folklore, and so would be familiar to their Scandanavian audience: Krampus, a marzipan pig (given on New Year's Day for good luck), St Joan and Kurt, reindeers made from straw, etc; so these would mean precious little to American or British children. The name changes were also odd. I noticed for example the Danish name for Squeak, and wondered why and who chose Squeak as a replacement... a strange choice.
It's also quite unfortunate - for the UK market at least - that the English version (thankfully not subtitled but properly dubbed) is using American lingo and verbiology. A Scandanavian log cabin - very oldie-worldie, even with a gramaphone and record - in the middle of the woods with a sign and bells seems right. Then we listen to contemporary American English being spoken by them and I have to say that this jars.
The ultimate arbiter though has to be the target audience, and so I showed this film this weekend to my nephew (age 9) and my neice (age 6 nearly 7). Sadly neither truly engaged with it, became rather fidgety and bored with neither having the patience or interest to watch the entire film. The overriding comment from my nephew being "silly and boring".
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 28/11/20
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