Movie: Dear Santa (2024) Caution; Spoiler Alert

 Dear Santa

Came out; 2024

Time; 1 hour 47 Minutes

Watched: Amazon

Rated: PG-13 for some language and suggestive material

IMDB Rating; 5.4/10

Rotten Tomatoes:

Tomato Meter 20%

Popcorn Meter 43%

Caution; Spoiler Alert

Staring;

Jack Black as Satan

Robert Timothy Smith as Liam Turner

Keegan-Michael Key as Dr. Finkleman

Brianne Howey as Molly Turner

Hayes MacArthur as Bill Turner

Post Malone as Austin Post (AKA Post Malone)

P.J. Byrne as Mr. Charles

Jadan Carson Baker as Gibby

Kai Cech as Emma

Story Line;

When a young boy mails his Christmas wish list to Santa with one crucial spelling error, a devilish Jack Black arrives to wreak havoc on the holidays

Thoughts:

This was cute and again, another different type of “Christmas” movie.

I like Jack Black for the most part. You can tell he always just has fun no matter what role he's playing.

I thought this was funny and yet heart warming at the same time

CAUTION; Spoiler Alert

Liam Turner is a polite but meek sixth-grader with dyslexia, struggling to adjust to a new town and a fractured family life. His parents, Bill and Molly, are grappling with marital issues following the recent death of Liam's older brother, Spencer. Adding to Liam's challenges are his insecurities: he's too nervous to introduce his new best friend, Gibby, to his parents and keeps embarrassing himself around Emma, his schoolmate and crush. Despite his struggles, Emma is the only one in class who stands up for him and acknowledges his dyslexia.

In the spirit of hope, Liam writes a Christmas wish list and mails it out. However, a spelling error causes him to address the letter to "Satan" instead of "Santa." To Liam's surprise, Satan himself appears in his bedroom the very next night. Mistaking Satan for Santa due to his unconventional appearance and manners. Playing along, Satan offers Liam three wishes.. Offhandedly, Liam wishes for Emma to give him a chance. The next day, Satan appears at Liam's school and urges him to talk to Emma. Despite his awkwardness, Liam secures a date with her at a Post Malone concert, complete with VIP tickets provided by Satan.

Excited, Liam tells his mother and Gibby about his encounter with "Santa," but Gibby quickly realizes the mistake. Confronting Satan, Liam demands to cancel the deal, but Satan refuses, enticing Liam to use the remaining wishes, with his soul as the ultimate payment. Liam's parents, concerned about their son's "fantasies," bring in Dr. Finkleman, a child psychologist, for an intervention. However, the session is interrupted when Satan and Gibby whisk Liam away to the concert. With Satan's help, Liam gets on stage, dances alongside Post Malone, and even receives a cheek kiss from Emma. Gibby, feeling overshadowed and rejected by a girl due to his overbite, leaves the concert early, disheartened.

Later, Liam calls Gibby and notices his friend's disappointment. When Satan visits again, Liam uses his second wish to fix Gibby's teeth and invites him on a double date with Emma at the local Christmas carnival. Unbeknownst to Liam, his worried parents overhear his conversation and, fearing for his mental health, interrupt his plans to bring him back to Dr. Finkleman. Their assumptions about Liam's delusions crumble when a nurse mentions seeing him at the concert. Meanwhile, Satan tempts Liam to use his final wish by showing images of Emma and Gibby seemingly enjoying the carnival without him.

Upset, Liam locks himself in his room while his parents, finally confronting their grief, begin to reconcile. Misinterpreting their conversation as a prelude to divorce, Liam sneaks out and visits Satan at his motel, using his third wish to ensure his parents stay together and in love forever. Satan accepts but declares he won't claim Liam's soul until he dies naturally, advising him to "enjoy life" until then. Believing his soul is doomed, Liam begins standing up to his tormentors at school but inadvertently alienates Emma.

In Hell, it's revealed that Satan is a half-demon on trial for trying to earn full demon status. However, by granting two unselfish wishes, he invalidated the contract for Liam's soul. Furious, Lucifer declares the deal void and banishes Satan. Given an hour to say goodbye, Satan visits Liam one last time and admits that he genuinely likes him. He reveals that Liam's final wish was unnecessary, as his parents reconciled on their own, and instead, he fulfilled a wish from Liam's original letter.

On Christmas morning, Liam is astonished to find his brother Spencer miraculously resurrected, reuniting their family for the holiday. Just as he begins to savor the joy, Liam receives a call from Gibby, who has persuaded Emma to give him another chance by sharing the story of Spencer's death. Caught off guard, Liam panics but resolves to make things right.