There’s a sprinkling of grit amid the tinsel of family-friendly festive caper Get Santa, which finds Jim Broadbent’s Santa Claus banged up in prison after crash-landing his sleigh during a pre-Christmas test drive. Of course, no one believes he’s the real Santa and it’s up to ex-con Steve (Rafe Spall), a former getaway driver who failed to get away, to save Christmas by springing him from jail with the aid of his nine-year-old son (Kit Connor). What ensues is silly and sometimes naff, with Santa mistaking diminutive jailbird Warwick Davis for an elf and trying to learn how to act tough from fellow convict Stephen Graham, as well as farting reindeer and other slapstick stuff. But it’s infectiously enjoyable and the stalwart cast make up for the modest special effects.
Certificate U. Runtime 103 mins. Director Christopher Smith.
Get Santa is available on Blu-ray & DVD from Warner Home Video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn-Pz9uGSkU
