Was not sure as to whether 'Santa's Boots' would be a good film or not. It did sound like it could be a charming and light-hearted film, which is actually more than enough to make a Christmas film work. With the whole Cinderella reversal with the boot though to the story, it did sound like it could easily be a very cheesy film and not in an endearing way if not done right. Even the title, 'Santa's Boots', though is indication enough of what the film would be like.
'Santa's Boots' turned out to be a lovely film that achieved exactly what it set out to do without trying to do any more than necessary, while still showing effort in each component throughout. Sure, the whole stuff with the boots was very silly at first and quite corny. But as the story progressed, it became far less gimmicky and was actually quite sweet. It has been very hit and miss regarding all the recently seen Christmas films, and 'Santa's Boots' was one of the hits unquestionably.
It did get off to a pretty corny and slow start. It did get going quite quickly though once the boots plotline took getting used to and it was the very meaning of a very pleasant diversion, pure formula plot elements and all.
Although not an exceptional-looking film, it doesn't look cheap either and the location is lovely. The soundtrack gives the right amount of festive cheer and didn't feel inappropriate or heavy-handed. The script is an amiable mix of quietly amusing comedy, sweet but never over-sentimental romance and more serious moments that move and warm the heart without making the storytelling too dark.
Luckily, that is something that it never gets. The tone is constantly light-hearted and heart-warming, capturing the joy and charm of the holiday more than ideally. The story tropes are never anything original by any stretch, but the theme of moving on without forgetting is a relatable one and has a good deal of heart. The characters have enough personality and didn't irritate me, while Megan Hilty and Noah Mills give appealing understated performances (Hilty having the more energy of the two) and their chemistry is never dull or disengaged.
Overall, very nicely done. 8/10
'Santa's Boots' turned out to be a lovely film that achieved exactly what it set out to do without trying to do any more than necessary, while still showing effort in each component throughout. Sure, the whole stuff with the boots was very silly at first and quite corny. But as the story progressed, it became far less gimmicky and was actually quite sweet. It has been very hit and miss regarding all the recently seen Christmas films, and 'Santa's Boots' was one of the hits unquestionably.
It did get off to a pretty corny and slow start. It did get going quite quickly though once the boots plotline took getting used to and it was the very meaning of a very pleasant diversion, pure formula plot elements and all.
Although not an exceptional-looking film, it doesn't look cheap either and the location is lovely. The soundtrack gives the right amount of festive cheer and didn't feel inappropriate or heavy-handed. The script is an amiable mix of quietly amusing comedy, sweet but never over-sentimental romance and more serious moments that move and warm the heart without making the storytelling too dark.
Luckily, that is something that it never gets. The tone is constantly light-hearted and heart-warming, capturing the joy and charm of the holiday more than ideally. The story tropes are never anything original by any stretch, but the theme of moving on without forgetting is a relatable one and has a good deal of heart. The characters have enough personality and didn't irritate me, while Megan Hilty and Noah Mills give appealing understated performances (Hilty having the more energy of the two) and their chemistry is never dull or disengaged.
Overall, very nicely done. 8/10