Movie: Get Santa

 Firstly, this a bona-fide kids film so I couldn’t get past the very lovely portrait of prison life to the impressionable young. In fact, the film is just for kids; it doesn’t have the jokes only adults get that so many good recent children’s films offer such as Frozen, Paddington and The Muppets.

“Who test drives a new sleigh on Christmas Eve?!”

It turns out, Santa was test driving his new sleigh and crashed it. So, now as you may have seen from the trailers, Santa is in trouble and ends up in prison on Christmas Eve. Amazing how fast these courts sometimes work.Anyway, he goes to the same prison wing that Steve has just been released from, having served time for being a getaway driver. It’s Christmas, and he wants to stay out of trouble and spend time with his son Tom, who just happens to find the Santa in his shed after the crash and is determined to get his dad to help him save Christmas.And so they start on the adventure, breaking every bail condition there is all in the name of being a good (no longer absent) parent.There are some delightful moments, especially when the penny drops and hard man prisoners realise they are sharing their space with the actual Santa. The improbable probation officer is a bit much, much of it is pretty childish and the ending is poor.Still, great performances, especially Jim Broadbent perfectly cast as Santa! Worth a Christmas watch, although Paddington is streets ahead.6½/10Smile factor 7/10