As the years go on, we seem to be flooded more and more with Christmas movies every year. Yes, it's a staple that Hallmark Channel movies are released weekly, but it also seems that all of the streaming services have gotten on the bandwagon. Disney+ has released a few, but I'm here to share my thoughts on Dashing Through the Snow. I have thought nothing of this film over the last couple of months but decided to give it a try. While it's not very good overall, this movie's heart is in the right place. Here's where I found some mild enjoyment in this aggressively mediocre holiday flick.
Eddie Garrick (Ludacris) is a social worker who always works on Christmas. Not this year though, as his daughter Charlotte (Madison Skye Validum) is left with him on Christmas Eve by his ex-wife Allison (Teyonah Parris). Having a traumatic childhood involving Santa Claus, Eddie's Christmas spirit has been absent his whole life. Well, when the real Santa appears in front of him and his daughter, the movie becomes a night on the town with Nick (Lil Rel Howrey). Along the way, Eddie just may start believing again and may even have a chance at earning his family back in the meantime.
The premise itself screams that it has all the right intentions. The main problem is that many other films, especially holiday films have tackled stories like this numerous times. Ludacris is fine as the lead, Lil Rel Howrey is quite amusing and easily the best part about the movie, and Ludacris' chemistry with Validum as his daughter was believable. It has all the hallmarks of a Christmas movie involving Santa and is very much the ending you expect it to have. I rolled my eyes countless times watching Dashing Through the Snow, but I will say that it was sweet enough that it held a smile on my face most of the time. So did I like it or dislike it? I'm honestly not even sure, and I have taken the time to think about it.
For families, I think there are far worse new options out there this year, but for adults, it's a lot like many classics that you already love. It looks very clean and well-decorated, as all Disney films do, but it does get bogged down in the final act by some CGI that clearly says this film was made for television. With a bigger budget and some risks taken in the story, this had the potential of being much better. It sadly just feels like a replica, and not a great one. Dashing Through the Snow is now streaming on Disney+ and it's a harmless watch. It's probably not one that I will revisit, but it was passable.
