SANTA CLAUS (1985) ** I've never been much of a fan of the Santa Claus myth-it always seemed more like a way to convince children that even their parents will lie to them than a good idea. It's also true that there is also something very cool about it, revolving around the joy of giving. Jeannot Szwarc takes things even further, gently reflecting religious implications around the corner of the myth. All of which works very nicely in the early portions of the film. David Huddleston cuts such an admirably tough and generous figure that he actually looks regal standing there in his Santa suit, surrounded by elves. Head elf Dudley Moore's performance is so exceptional that he somehow lends a sense of gravitas to the proceedings, no (ahem) small achievement. Unfortunately, after they remind us of all the cool things about Santa, they decide to make up a plot of their own. The simple but wonderful special effects that served so well earlier begin to smack of the tawdry modernity that the film seeks to denounce. Dudley becomes the fallen elf, riddled in the service of corporate greed (nicely portrayed by John Lithgow, who obviously understands what's funny about it). Carrie Kei Heim and Christian Fitzpatrick are nice kids, and Huddleston never falls apart, and Judy Cornwell looks just like Mrs. Claus should, but the magnificence of the early film is replaced with pedestrian clichés and generally misfiring sentimentality. It's not an indictment of Santa, but even I would agree that he deserves better.
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