PiraBit if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

ActuallyGlimmer The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Derry Herrera Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

Tyreece Hulme One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

grizzledgeezer This review contains a major spoiler... to wit... It's a /terrible/ movie, MST3K fodder all the way.To call this exercise in "Christmas warmth" irritating is to horribly understate its appalling ickiness. Not surprisingly, it's from Robert Halmi, who's done for live-action TV films what Hanna-Barbera did for TV animation (ie, churned out a huge pile of crap).The script is dreadful ("You're just going to have to forge ahead at the other site!"), and Jackie Cooper's (!!!) direction is even worse. He evokes loud and/or unconvincing performances from just about everyone, especially Mason Adams. June Lockhart comes off as a chunk of animated cardboard. Art Carney seems annoyed beyond belief, anxious to collect his paycheck and getouttahere. When the badly-made-up-as-an-elf Paul Williams gazes at Jaclyn Smith and emits an intended-to-be-overwhelmingly-winsome grin, make sure you're not standing near the TV, or your last meal will land on it. Only Smith, who has little more to do than strike a pose of "I really don't believe this", more or less survives. A pall of "We're only doing this for the money" hangs over the proceedings.The "special effects" are miserable. Smith & her kids are taken to Santa's place in a sleigh decorated in such poor taste it's obvious none of Santa's elves is gay. Even a 3-year-old can see it's a badly made miniature being pulled through a thoroughly unconvincing model landscape. (The last American film with such awful miniatures was 1940's "Rebecca".) And the matte paintings are incredibly amateurish.Ick. Phooey. Patooey. The perfect film for Christmas Eve -- if you want to get your friends laughing. It's thoroughly deserving of a Golden Turkey. There's not one thing in the film -- not even Paul LeMat's beard (which ought to be thicker and fuzzier for someone working in the Arctic) -- to mitigate my 1-star "awful" rating."Santa's factory?! Are we going to see that, too?""Oh, yes. And as a special Christmas treat -- for us -- you'll all be gutted -- while alive -- then ground up and made into Soylent products."PS: Slowing time is /not/ "a scientific impossibility". The writers obviously know nothing about Special or General Relativity.

TVholic Somewhere between the sugary sweet fantasies of Rankin-Bass and the more cynical (yet enjoyable in their own right) offerings like "Scrooged" lies this little TV movie. It makes few efforts at being cool, instead aiming for pre-teen innocence, or maybe just the innocence adults think they had at that age. In any event, whether by design, by accident or even by the idealizing effects of misty childhood memory, this movie has won a place in the hearts of many kids and kids at heart who watched it in the 1980s.It has all the usual ingredients for a decent Christmas movie. Family strife, imminent peril but no real violence, little people as elves, singing, colorful toy clutter, and some fairly imaginative Christmas-themed props. But it takes itself fairly seriously and doesn't devolve into complete goofiness like "Elf."This was one of the early movies showing a "high tech" Santa, far presaging "The Santa Clause" or "Santa vs. the Snowman." Of course, by modern standards, the effects are primitive, but remember that this is a kid's movie, and kids are not nearly as picky as adults are. Which is a good thing. Take it for the story and don't whine that it's not a Disney/Pixar visual extravaganza. It could have been a lot worse, being a TV movie, and you have to give them points for doing quite a bit of exterior filming on location in Alaska rather than some fakey soundstage. The interiors of North Pole City were small, limited by the budget, but there was a bit of homey coziness in there.If there is one real weakness in the movie, it's the acting. Many were fine, including Jaclyn Smith, Art Carney, June Lockhart, Paul Williams (alas, at 5'2", too tall to look convincing as an elf, especially when around all the real dwarfs playing elves) and veteran character actor Mason Adams. On the other hand, R.J. Williams was not a good child actor, being roughly in the same league as the "Full House" era Olsen twins. He overacted during most of his scenes, and the emotion just never seemed genuine. In the other direction was Paul Le Mat as his father. Every line, facial tic and gesture seems to come out of an acting class technique. It doesn't feel like anything comes from his heart. With flat delivery of his lines and an unexpressive face, he was terrible and as unconvincing as his young co-star. A second problem is that Santa was very passive in this. He never really does anything to try to save North Pole City other than convincing Claudia and the kids. Later on, in desperation, he says that he'll have to take matters into his own hands and convince Michael himself, but nothing comes of this.All in all, it's a worthwhile treat for the family, although it may bore some adults who didn't grow up with it.

jd-alessandro Feel good holiday entertainment for the entire family. Good take on how Santa's home in the North Pole can exist without anyone finding it. Old time theme where no one believes the children until it's almost too late. Race against time to save Christmas, Santa and the North Pole make for a thrilling finish. The best part is when Santa tells the mom about her own childhood Christmas and she is awe struck and brought to tears. Remember the magic of Christmas is in our hearts. Jaclyn Smith is one of the most beautiful and classy actress of all time. Her grace and beauty alone is worth watching this picture. I recommend it for children of all ages.

sierrat-1 I've been looking for this movie all over the internet, all i can find is amazon, even my local video stores don't have it..one of the most heartwarming stores I've ever seen, just a super job of bringing you a little down then lifting you up with the belief in the north pole folk. Wish it were a little more widely available. Best Christmas movie I've seen. It would be a good investment for a family who wants to spend some quality time together and see the magic of Christmas. Paul Lemat and Paul williams are excellent as is Jacly Smith who seems to appear all to infrequently in movies these days. Again a masterful job of bringing the magic of Christmas alive and making believers out of even the most cold hearted.