Did you ever notice that there are certain movies that just seem to grab our attention from the moment that they hit the silver screen? Often, they will contain many of the same actors but for those who stand the test of time, it may include Kirk Russell in the lineup. We have been following him for many years, including some of the older movies that we may have watched on VHS.
Some of the older movies that included Kurt Russell were a little bit on the scary side. In fact, some of them freaked us out and made it difficult for us to sleep at night while others may have shown the softer side of Russell. That is why you might have been surprised to find out that he is going to play Santa in The Christmas Chronicles, an original Netflix movie. When you see it, you will understand why he was cast in that part.
The Christmas Chronicles has been available on Netflix since Thanksgiving day. Some of you may have already seen it because it was streamed 20 million times. That being said, there are plenty of Netflix users who have not seen it yet. The chief content officer of Netflix, Ted Sarandos had the following to say: “Even in his successful career, [Kurt Russell] has never had that many people see one of his movies in the first week ever. Even movies that go on to $1 billion don’t typically do that in the first week.” He was talking about the movie that would have grossed $200 million its first week in the movie theater.
It’s hard to tell how many people viewed the movie more than one time and that may account for some of the 20 million views. It really is good enough to watch over and over again.
Although I don’t want to give any spoilers, I will give you a little bit of the storyline. It centers on a brother and sister who had lost their father. They sneak into Santa’s sleigh and as a result, it crashed in downtown Chicago. They spend the rest of the movie trying to get out of Chicago so Christmas can be saved.
If you have ever seen Escape from New York, where Kirk Russell is in downtown Manhattan and trying to save the United States, a common thread. You might even wonder if he is going to turn around and be Snake, his character from the Escape from New York movie.
As far as what really touches us about the movie, it’s the way that Kurt Russell portrays his character. He adds an edge to the film that is quite believable. He argues with other characters about his lack of Ho, Ho, Ho and the reasons why he doesn’t go to the gym but he is also offended by the commercialism that surrounds the holidays.
At the same time, he loves his list and the toys and so it really leaves you feeling good in the end.
If there’s one part of the movie that could use a little working, it is the musical line. When children watch these types of movies, they can get excited about the plot but they really need a song to stick with them.
Any parent will tell you that there is a need for better programming for children these days. We may try to have a family night but it could end up falling flat because of a lack of options. Even the Captain Underpants movie may have kept them interested but most parents dreaded having to sit through it in the theater.
Let’s face it, the end of December is coming up quickly and this movie is one we would recommend. It helps us all to feel like we are part of the season and for those of us who love Kirk Russell, we will watch it more than once.