Review Detail
2.8 2
A Dark and Twisted Christmas Tale Lacking Credibility
(Updated: January 04, 2025)
Overall rating
2.0
Entertainment Factor
2.0
Story
2.0
Actors Performance
2.0
Cinematography
2.0
Sound Track
2.0
The Fatman: It’s been a long time since Santa left me gifts under the tree but I sure as hell would not want Mel Gibson doing this.
Long story short: a spoiled, precocious brat gets a lump of coal for Xmas, so he hires a hit man to take out Santa. Said hit man has also been short-changed by Santa and he has a unique hobby to make up for it. No spoilers here… Technicals, setting, atmosphere and photography are good. Just no credibility in the plot. Mel Gibson played himself. Tired, cynical, ageing, washed-up, overweight, bitter etc. Walter Goggins absolutely stole the show as the assassin. He has energy and the camera loves him. I loved him in Justified with Timothy Olyphant and here he shines as well, perhaps playing the roles closest to his heart.
Sadly, although Marianne Jean-Baptiste is a good actress, there was utterly no spark or charisma between her and Mel Gibson. She looked utterly bored and indifferent. It’s as if they were acting in two different spheres. Could be…. The story is dark and murderous and there’s lots of gore. On a lighter note, the elves are hilarious! The spoiled brat is devilishly Machiavellian. 2/5
Long story short: a spoiled, precocious brat gets a lump of coal for Xmas, so he hires a hit man to take out Santa. Said hit man has also been short-changed by Santa and he has a unique hobby to make up for it. No spoilers here… Technicals, setting, atmosphere and photography are good. Just no credibility in the plot. Mel Gibson played himself. Tired, cynical, ageing, washed-up, overweight, bitter etc. Walter Goggins absolutely stole the show as the assassin. He has energy and the camera loves him. I loved him in Justified with Timothy Olyphant and here he shines as well, perhaps playing the roles closest to his heart.
Sadly, although Marianne Jean-Baptiste is a good actress, there was utterly no spark or charisma between her and Mel Gibson. She looked utterly bored and indifferent. It’s as if they were acting in two different spheres. Could be…. The story is dark and murderous and there’s lots of gore. On a lighter note, the elves are hilarious! The spoiled brat is devilishly Machiavellian. 2/5
