Greetings, salutations, and a seasonal welcome to all you movie aficionados. Here are my considerations and recommendation for The Santa Squad.
Story: 1.00/2 - Direction and Pace: 2.00/4 - Performances: 1.25/2 - Enjoyment: 1.00/2
Total 5.25/10
There's one endearing element in The Santa Squad movie and it's the morality story of family and the love required to form solid relationships. The father, Gordon Church, is a self-made man, and now he's working hard so his kids will never want for anything. Unfortunately, the after-effects of this all-work lifestyle are that his daughters want their father. And that is the main crux of the movie. Because of a simple storyline, the viewer requires a narrative filled with engaging characters. And though the writers try to deliver them plenty, only two of them hold the attention. The two daughters, Rose and Iris, are superbly written and marvellously portrayed by the young actresses Hattie Kragten and Molly Lewis, respectively. The trouble is the rest of the people in the story lack potency. Though they are credible and well-acted, I had trouble becoming involved, especially in the love-story side of things. They all needed more oomph to them - a bit of Christmas Sparkle. The female lead, Allie, and the Manservant, Daniel, come close, but close isn't enough. Though the film's entertaining, I believe it could've been better. No sooner had the viewer been introduced to a character than they could determine what role they were to play in the unfolding story. For example, the girlfriend, Kimmie: She's on screen for a full minute, in which time you glean she's a gold digger and the villain. I needed more.
I also required more from the direction which travels the road of commonness. Because of its ordinariness, there's little heart-warming or light-heartedness integrated into the movie's atmosphere: It's dull and drab, which is awful for a Christmas movie. Because of its mediocrity, I'd only recommend the film for one watch, and only if pushed. However, the girls make this movie shine in their scenes, and for them alone, it's worth a look-see.
Please check out my HO! HO! HO! Christmas Belles list to see where I ranked the movie.
Take Care, Stay Well, And Best Wishes For A Merry Christmas.