CHRISTMAS 2022: Violent Night (2022)

Subversive Christmas cinema continues to evolve. Killer Santa movies are a dime a dozen. Action movies setting their chaos around the holidays has long since been enshrined in the hall of cinematic clichés, thanks to a certain ever-debatable seasonal classic. Raunchy Yuletide comedies were having a moment for a while, though they’ve fallen a little out of favor recently. None of these premises are especially novel on their own… But a combination of all three? Now that’ll get some butts in seats. One imagines this was the thought process that got “Violent Night,” an action flick putting the literal, mythical Santa Claus in place of John McClane, the greenlight. The script would come from the team behind the likable "Sonic the Hedgehog" movies while Tommy Wirkola, an expert in snowbound carnage, was in the director's chair. I want to say that creative team piqued my interest but the truth is the premise of "Die Hard Starring Santa" would've been irresistibly trashy regardless of who made it. 

After a thousand years of delivering gifts, Santa Claus is feeling a little blue. The increasingly materialistic, cynical world has him considering hanging up his jingle bells for good. On what might be his final Christmas, he stops at the mansion of rich industrialist family, the Lightstones. That's when a group of vicious mercenaries, led by a villain calling himself Mr. Scrooge, set their plan to steal three hundred million dollars in intractable bills into action. The gunfire scares off Santa's reindeer, stranding him in the besieged home. That's when Santa gets in contact with Trudy, the youngest Lightstone who only wants her mom and dad to get back together. The two communicate as the not-so-jolly old elf embraces his violent past to save the family from the ruthless robbers. 

“Violent Night” comes to us from 87North Productions, the company founded by David Leitch.to expand the action empire he started with “John Wick.” Of course, Leitch also directed the second “Deadpool” movie. Tonally, this Santa slaughter flick is much closer to the comedic superhero saga than Keanu Reeves shooting a hundred guys in the face. “Violent Night” has a similar tendency to be too impressed with its own outrageousness at times. One of the first things that happens here is Santa Claus puking on someone's face. The extended members of the Lightstones family are all exaggerated terrible people who speak mostly in obnoxiously overwritten, profane dialogue. Some of the characters, such as the Mark Wahlberg-like fiancée or a crazed henchman played by Brendan Fletcher, are utterly cartoonish. Considering the premise here, I guess it was inevitable that “Violent Night” would go over-the-top but the movie is definitely trying too hard to be edgy at times, instead of just letting the ridiculousness of its concept play out on its own.

“Violent Night's” glib violence, colorful vulgarities, and in-your-face characters stand in stark contrast to the relationship at the center of the story. You see, Trudy Lightstone is an adorable little moppet. Her love of Christmas and belief in Santa are utterly sincere. It's her precious earnestness that thaws Santa's cynicism and makes him love Christmas again. “Violent Night” plays this story arc totally straight, with nary a wink. While I suppose the movie could be applauded for committing to its status as a heartwarming Christmas movie and an ultra-violent action movie, the two tones jive badly in my eyes. It's really hard to take any of the movie's sentimental sense seriously at all when the rest of it is so utterly sarcastic. 

Regardless of whatever bumpy tonal issues occur throughout “Violent Night,” the film is at its most entertaining when embracing its intended goals as a gleefully over-the-top action movie. The creative team definitely had the most fun when juxtaposing wholesome Christmas decorations and winter traditions with the most violent executions they could conceived. Tensile, Christmas lights, a tree topper, and a nutcracker are utilized as weapons. “Home Alone” is reprised as a grisly gore-comedy. Once Santa picks up ice skates and activates the snowblower, “Violent Night” truly lives up to its title. While the action theatrics aren't quite up to the heights of 87North productions like “Atomic Blonde” or “Nobody,” they are pretty damn cool. There's some theatrical flips, brutal collisions, and some balletic fisticuffs. Once the snowmobile chases and explosions kick in, Wirkola's handle on the action is especially sturdy. 

For such a particular take on Santa Claus, a very specific type of actor was required. David Harbour strikes the right balance. He's believably holly jolly in some regards, even if this Santa is clearly grouchier and more intoxicated than most. He's also a creditable action lead, a burly looking guy that is physically imposing in a fight. Harbour's comedic chops are fine too and he manages to get a few laughs. As the villainous Mr. Scrooge, John Leguizamo happily hams it up and makes a fitting foil. Leah Brady is adorable as Trudy, precocious but not syrupy. Many of the supporting cast members go way over the top. Beverly D'Angelo as the Lightstone matriarch is especially cartoony, with Cam Gigandet's buffoonish character and much the henchmen being similarly ridiculous. (Though I kind of like the Dolph Lundgren-like Andre Eriksen.) 

By the end, “Violent Night's” mixture of gory action and crude yuletide comedy had won me over. Once the movie focuses on the premise of “Die Hard starring Santa Claus,” it really finds its hyper-violent groove. The movie finds a compelling reason for why this Santa is such a capable fighter, one that hints at a wider mythology. The film has done pretty well at the box office, and 87North has shown an eagerness to turn their surprise hits into franchises, so a “Another Violent Night” doesn't seem totally improbable. Whether we see this hard-boiled Santa again, “Violent Night” is an amusingly ridiculous Christmas gift for action aficionados and fans of off-beat holiday spectacle. [7/10]