I suppose everyone deserves a chance at redemption - but, boy howdy, protagonist Dax is so immediately and thoroughly unlikable that I'd rather Krampus just took him away right off the bat and let us be done with it. (Further demerit for being a major stain on the name of one of my beloved cats.) Adjoin that redemption arc to themes of utmost capitalist criminality, greed, and malfeasance, and variations on story ideas made popular with older popular Christmas movies, and we have all the exposition we need as 'Santa's little helper' begins, and indeed as the plot proceeds.
The element of romance that's introduced is less than credible and wholly contrived - an unfortunate blemish given what is broadly a fairly solid screenplay. However, otherwise the narrative is reasonably strong and mildly compelling, if vaguely familiar, just as scene writing is built on increasing touches of engaging heart and comedy as the story progresses - thankfully far outweighing the unabashed cruelty that initially greets us. Though dialogue is inconsistent, there's some cleverness and earnestness peppered throughout. In a like fashion, 'Santa's little helper' is a bit uneven generally: early scenes are overbearing, and the second act to no small extent seems to work overtime to try to make up for a dubious first impression. Gratifyingly, the third act is pretty robust - successfully counterbalancing previous deficiencies, and building to a strong finish.
The cast is quite good, each actor inhabiting their respective roles with spirit and personality. Among the supporting cast, that includes Saraya Jade-Bevis as hard-nosed, competitive Eleanor; Eric Keenleyside as Santa, smart and playfully whimsical; and Kathryn Kirkpatrick, warm and convivial as Mrs. Claus. All due credit to star Michael Mizanin as Dax - not the best of all performances, rather lacking nuance that would make the redemption arc feel more believable, but nonetheless ably rolling with the shifting attitudes and demands of the character. Still, though ostensibly only second fiddle, I think that among the assembled actors it's AnnaLynne McCord who actually does the most to boost 'Santa's little helper.' She brings notable range and strength of personality to her part as cheerful, resolute Billie, and lights up the screen with each scene in which she appears. Hats off to the casting director - McCord leans into the cheese, and her involvement is a boon for the feature.
True, elements of the plot can certainly be chalked up to movie magic, working only because sturdy suspension of belief allows them to. As protagonist Dax's part in the story is contested by Eleanor, setting them at odds, it's a little regrettable that Mizanin and Jade-Bevis aren't given more opportunity to play off one another - in those scenes that allow them to do so, we see potential that wasn't truly pursued. And in a wider sense, again, quality and engagement fluctuates throughout the runtime, as some passing moments of the film are written or executed better than others. None of this is to say that 'Santa's little helper' is bad - by no means do I think it is - but it's far from perfect.
For a lot of reasons, ham-handedness most of all, this isn't going to be for everyone. I even kind of think that there's enough of an adult sensibility to the lead character, and to some of the scenes along the way, that the title is a hard "PG" stopping just shy of deserving a "PG-13" rating. Even viewers receptive to the camp of holiday-themed features will likely be divided here. Yet for any flaws or indelicacies that do trouble the movie, more so than not it's suitably entertaining, and done well enough in all various aspects to be modestly worthwhile. One needn't go out of their way to watch it, but if you're open to the type of film 'Santa's little helper' represents, then it's a decent way to spend 90 minutes.
Not bad!
