Where I Watched It: Disney Plus

English Audio Description?: Yes

Cast: Ludacris, Lil Rel Howery, Madison Skye Vadium, Tiana Paris, and Oscar Nunez.

Written By: Scott Rosenberg

Directed By: Tim Story

I love a good streaming surprise that feels like it had a real budget. The feeling that Disney could have sent this to theatres is what sets this apart from a lot of other cheaper Christmas fare. They did go out and get Tim Story to direct, who earlier this year did get his film The blackening into theatres. I’m also a big fan of representation, and I’ll be honest and say it was nice to see a film featuring a black cast and a black Santa. Everyone should be able to see themselves on screen.

The plot is simple. It’s so simple, it’s so close to another film released at the same time. Another Christmas film, Genie, also features a father currently separated from his wife, and he also has a daughter he’s spending time with. Except here, our main man (Ludacris) is a social worker very skeptical of his mythological new friend, Santa (Lil Rel Howery), and the only cure is to go on a ride along journey.

Not that Ludacris is the first film character to get to “assist” Santa, so once again, we are still in a somewhat generic plot. However, Howery is the winner here. he’s had a really busy year, if you have streaming services. He’s popped up in TV shows (Poker Face, Harlem), Spirit Award nominees (We Grow Now), cartoons (Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie), sequels (Vacation Friends 2, Good burger 2), comedies (The Outlaws), and thrillers (The Mill). If we gave out an award to the definitive actor of 2023, it should actually probably be Howery. Just like in most of the aforementioned projects, he is the reason to watch this. I believe I said he was the strongest cast member of The outlaws, and he’s hilarious here as well. I’m also going to note that while she’s in less of the film, Tiana Paris is having a great year having already logged a notable performance in They Cloned Tyrone.

The audio description does help to capture that winter holiday magic, and it is appropriate for kids. I didn’t really have a problem with anything. This is a nice film for the season. I doubt it will become a classic, but not everyone likes to rewatch the same films over and over every single year. new films can be peppered in to spice things up, and you could do worse. Tim story is very capable of directing films that might not win Oscar’s, but they can put a smile on your face.

Final Grade: B-