The Santa Suit (2010) Reviews

• I don't think there is anybody in the whole world that cares about Drake Hunter.

  lastliberal2010-12-12

  Every year we are exposed to different takes on traditional stories. There are rarely new concepts, just different ways of interpretation. Kevin Sorbo has a dozen screen appearances this year, and it is a welcome break to see him in something other than Hercules or Syfy. He is perfect as an unloved CEO - no wife, no girlfriend, no friends of any kind. He pushed cheap toys and is only interested in sales, not people. Of course, he runs into the real Santa, who decides to teach him a lesson. He is now broke and in a Santa suit. What else is going to do but work as Santa for Christmas? Of course, there is a sad, cute little girl (Brianna Daguanno), and a perky social worker (Jennifer Gibson). This one will tug at your heartstrings even if you know how it will end.

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• Clothes Make the Man

  boblipton2010-12-08

  This is a fine little Santa movie as Drake Hunter, the scrooge-like owner of a toy company, finds himself mysteriously transformed into a Santa lookalike for the Christmas season -- he looks and feels like himself in his own mind, but everyone sees him as the jolly old elf in the red suit, even himself in mirrors -- and comes to recognize how empty his life is. Although this sort of body-switching device has been used many times before, this variation on it is well handled in the script department and well worth your time. I do have one issue: Kevin Sorbo plays the role for as understandably depressed and low affect for the first hour. As I have commented in many another review, this is appropriate but uninteresting but there are enough interesting performances around him to sustain the movie until he begins to slowly work his way out of that state and into a decent person in the second half. That pay off makes the movie.

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• A Santa lesson

  alisonrhem622010-12-05

  The best Christmas movie I have seen in decades. Kevin Sorbo does and exceptional job in the role of Drake. Sorbo's character is realistic and believable and not over the top. I laughed and cried and can't wait to watch it again and again. If it has been ages since a movie has touched your heart then this is a must see. If you want to watch a Christmas movie that makes you feel you have not wasted 2 hours of your time, then this is the one to see. If you want to watch a movie that you can't walk away from even on the commercials then sit back and enjoy this ever so worthwhile movie. This is a movie that should be watched year long and not just at Christmas. Honestly, I can't say enough about this movie, except "Watch it!"

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• Flaws but Still Worth Watching

  Christmas-Reviewer2017-08-11

  BEWARE OF FALSE REVIEWS & REVIEWERS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW TO THEIR NAME. NOW WHEN ITS A POSITIVE REVIEW THAT TELLS ME THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE MOVIE. IF ITS A NEGATIVE REVIEW THEN THEY MIGHT HAVE A GRUDGE AGAINST THE FILM . I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 200 HOLIDAY FILMS. I HAVE NO AGENDA. In this film Drake Hunter, the president of Hunter Marketing, has the perfect plan to boost sales for his father\'s toy company over the holiday season—hire department store Santas to promote his father\'s merchandise. When the real Santa Claus turns Drake into a Santa lookalike, Drake finds himself working as a dress-up Kris Kringle to make ends meet. Stripped of power and position, Drake discovers the importance of honesty, compassion, and respect. Now the flaws with this film is numerous. The production itself is the main problem. You can tell its fake snow. Out of camera range there is not snow. There is a scene where someone runs down the street. Then when she turns the corner its nighttime. As for the film itself? Well it works. However barely. Kevin Sorbo is only saved because the people around him are much better actors. There is a few minor surprises here and there but in general it is very predictable. However the film works. If you like Christmas films you will enjoy this. I did.

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• way, way above average for a Christmas movie...

  grizzledgeezer2010-12-24

  I've been watching Hallmark Channel's tsimmes of uplifting Christmas movies as I work in the morning. They vary from the interesting ("Ms Scrooge") to the appalling ("The Night They Saved Christmas"). (The latter is so devoid of joy, wit, or humor -- all the adult actors, including Art Carney, are there strictly to pick up their paychecks -- that it's a must-see for misanthropes and noelphobes.) "The Santa Suit" is a modern version of "A Christmas Carol", with big chunks of "Miracle on 34th Street" blended in. It consistently /sidesteps/ (most) opportunities to be cute, cheaply sentimental, or superficially humorous. It even addresses issues films such as these rarely, if ever, consider. * Perhaps I'm getting old, but it drew a few tears, which seemed to have been honestly earned. Though "The Santa Suit" is an exercise in subdued acting, writing, and direction, Kevin Sorbo's performance nevertheless stands out. I never thought much of this hairy-chest-with-a-dimple -- he did little more than read his lines in "Andromeda" -- but here he actually /acts/ and delivers a convincing characterization. If there's an Emmy for "Best Actor in a Made-for-Cable Movie", he should be nominated. No, it's not a great film, but it's "good enough", one of those rare "Christmas movies" most viewers won't think was a waste of time. * When Drake considers getting an expensive doll for a farbisseneh little girl, the woman who hired him to play Santa suggests that perhaps she would be better off /not/ believing in Santa, and not expecting to receive everything she wants. (The film might have been even better had it taken this path to its predictable resolution. What, you were expecting maybe a sorrowful ending?)

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