Annie Claus Is Coming to Town

This is your nothing but your run of the mill predictable Santa claus movie. Even though it had good actors there wasn't any shooting at the edge off your seat or keep you guessing type of movie.

This film is a huge part of my childhood Christmas! I don't care if they make a film with the best story line with all my fave actors, actresses, and it has all my fave songs it, this will remain my fave Christmas film! I love this film! I ten out of ten recommend it to anyone who loves Christmas! I'm not someone who loves romances, to be honest I hate romance films, I think they are too cheesy and it bothers me, but I love every single minute of this film!

Every now and then, the Hallmark Channel comes up with a different plot for a Christmas movie. And, most of those are quite good. "Annie Claus Is Coming to Town" is such a film.

Although it follows a familiar theme about the eventual replacement for the current Santa Claus, the plot is unique enough to make this a fine comedy romance for Christmas viewing. Most of the cast are good, and Maria Thayer is superb as Annie Claus. When she rents her room at the Candy Cane Motel, she tells Lucy her last name is spelled with a K.

Thayer's Annie is a constantly joyful person - it wouldn't be right to say she is "chronically" joyful. It's her nature, coming from where she does. And, her joyfulness is infectious. That's something that would likely be overdone, or come across as corny or sappy by many another actor. But Thayer makes it seem real, pleasing and refreshing.

This is a more modern film that most family members should enjoy over the Christmas holidays. The film has some funny and clever lines, and gets in a couple gentle digs about living in the Los Angeles area. Here are my favorites.

Martha Claus, "All right, Annie. Are you ready to see where sabbatical will be taking you?" Annie, "Oh, I'm so excited, mother. It could be anywhere. Paris. Prague. Pittsburgh."

Lucy, "Well, we're pretty comfortable around here living in fear of each other. We tend to not make eye contact if we can help it." Annie, "When I pass someone without a smile, I like to offer mine."

Lucy, to her daughter, "Don't you ever run after a man, hear me?" Mia, "Okay."

Daddy (Santa) lets his daughter leave The North Pole to go live on her. Welcome to Los Angeles where it's not so easy to have a wonderful yuletide feeling. Annie gets a job, transforms a business and falls in love, all of which adds up to a mountain of sugar-coated Christmasy schmaltz in its purest form. What's here is average at best but on the plus side it does have Christmas at its very core which makes it one of the better Christmastime made-for-TV movies. Plus the lead actress (Maria Thayer) is so cute to watch for 85 minutes!

5.7 / 10 stars

--Zoooma, a Kat Pirate Screener

From the first moment of this movie, it was clear that there is no such thing as realism. So accept it for what it is and enjoy.

Having said that, there are still some flaws in this film, but Maria Thayer as Annie is such a delight that it makes up for it. Annie is the Princess of Christmas being Santa's daughter and Thayer does a good job spreading Christmas to everyone. Sadly she is naïve to the world and easily falls prey to Dean, the shark trying to lead her astray. Still her joy infects not just the people around her, but the audience as well. Thayer and Sam Page are good together, but for most of the movie that is muted because she thinks her love is Dean, so their relationship can't really take off. Almost all of the characters other than Thayer and Page are either exaggerated or flat. Santa is almost robotic.

The plot is mostly predictable and some of the effects are weak.

If you sit back this movie can be an enjoyable Christmas sleigh ride.