Les chroniques de Noel 2 (The Christmas Chronicles 2)

This year Netflix offers us three films from November to celebrate the magic of Christmas, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Jangle (2020) and two sequels of their success The Princess Switch: Switched Again) and (The Christmas Chronicles 2 that we could discover. The latter will be available on November 25th, one month before Christmas. Netflix thus gives us here a festive program perfect to wait until December 25th.

The first part, which was broadcast on November 20, 2018, had totally conquered us. In this one, we followed the story of the sister and brother, Kate and Teddy Pierce, whose plan for Christmas Eve to film Santa Claus turns into an unexpected journey full of good and new surprises of all kinds. Directed by Clay Kaytis to a script by Matt Lieberman, this first installment features actor Kurt Russell as Santa Claus. The Christmas Chronicles 2 takes place a few years after the story told in the first part. This time, young teenage girl Kate Pierce (Darby Camp) and Jack (Jahzir Bruno), the son of her mother's new friend, are reunited with Santa Claus when a mysterious troublemaker threatens to cancel Christmas forever. While the first installment was set in Lowell, Massachusetts, this time most of the story takes place at Santa's secret base where elves make the many gifts that children around the world eagerly await.

This second part proves to be much better than the first one, thanks to the script by Chris Columbus, Matt Lieberman who benefits from many excellent ideas and includes obvious winks to the Gremlins (Chris Columbus is the screenwriter of the first movie) when the Elves become diabolical and unleash themselves on Santa's base. It is also Chris Columbus who replaces Clay Kaytis on this second part and his direction proves to be inspired and inventive. One thus finds the director of the inevitable Home Alone 1&2 (1990, 1992), Mrs. Doubtfire (Mrs. Doubtfire) (1993), Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) (2002). After Pixels (2015), it took more than five years to find Chris Columbus behind the camera. This film also marks the reunion in front of the camera of Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn after Overboard (1987) and their alchemy is visible on the screen and gives the film a very special aura.

The Christmas Chronicles 2 also benefits from several levels of reading and will appeal to both a young audience and a more adult audience who will notice the many allusions to Christmas films such as Life is Beautiful (It's a Wonderful Life) (1946) and Elf (2003). Even if Santa's village is very stereotypical, we have to admit that he brings an extra magic to the film and allows us to immerse ourselves totally in a film celebrating not only good feelings but also what Christmas really is like, like being with the family over a good meal. The special effects are also particularly well done here, especially from the point of view of the many elves with different behaviors. In one scene Santa Claus and the young Kate Pierce will be projected into the past and this one will make a memorable encounter. As in the first part, a perfectly orchestrated piece of music is likely to mark the memory of many spectators.

The Christmas Chronicles 2 therefore brings us what we currently miss in the cinema: excellent family entertainment capable of moving us deeply and making us laugh or even applaud the time of several very successful scenes. We also find Kurt Russel in great shape and in a role as striking as those of Snake Plissken and Jack Burton. We can only advise you to discover this film from November 25th.

The Christmas Chronicles 2
Directed by Chris Columbus
Produced by Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan, Mark Radcliffe
Screenplay by Chris Columbus, Matt Lieberman
Starring Kurt Russell, Goldie Hawn, Judah Lewis, Kimberly Williams-Paisley
Music by Christophe Beck
Cinematography: Don Burgess
Edited by Dan Zimmerman
Production companies : 1492 Pictures
Distributed by Netflix
Release date: November 25, 2020
Running time: 112 minutes

Viewed on November 19, 2020 (Netflix press access)

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