Mr. St. Nick

Another redo to St. Nick. Now there's a new Father Christmas every century. No, really. And as the 20th Century makes way for the 21st, the outgoing Santa XX prepares to turn the toy making/delivery business to his son, Santa XXI. No, really. Like many other movies about Santa's family, the heir doesn't want the job for some reason.

Santa Jr. (or 21st) prefers to dance the Conga in Miami Beach, and chase girls. He's a millionaire, and finds a girl to get hitched with that his parents immediately recognize is a gold digger. Bet you didn't expect that to happen. There's also a cute but feisty new cook working for him. "The magic of Santa" starts to transfer to the new St. Nick, setting up more silliness. Pretty routine stuff, headed exactly where you expect it to go. Not really for smaller kids; some of this will confuse them. But has its moments for Mom and Dad if they're looking for a harmless comedy. The cast is pleasant and make things fun; the story is innocent and good natured. A good movie for a stay in night.

At first I thought this would be a Santa Clause rip-off, but after seeing it, I would recommend it to anyone.

Despite the plot similarities, this movie stood on its own merits. The casting was perfectly done, and the actors did very well in their roles. Charles Durning and Katherine Helmond made a nice pair as the outgoing Santa and Mrs. Claus. Who better to play the role of a "young" Santa struggling with identity and relationship issues than the actor who played Frasier all of those years. No good story is complete without a good villain, and Elaine Hendrix -- who played the gold-digging fiancée in "The Parent Trap" -- again played the part to perfection.

I especially liked the subtext of how the power and love of the holiday spirit can overcome the cruel, corrupt world surrounding us.

Give it a look...with the family!

my kids loved it but i thought it could use some work i didn't like the part how Santa Claus only was for 100 year because in other movies and books he is meant to live forever and my kids asked why it was different in that movie and i had to make up excuses otherwise it was a great movie

This is a 2002 made-for-Hallmark Christmas movie. Starting from that fact, this (for me) was a totally enjoyable film which I never knew existed until today. I work from home and often put on Christmas films and music for background noise. But when I noticed this one I actually watched. It's not inspired, nor is it an instant classic. Yes, the plot is contrived, but so are the plots of the vast majority of Christmas films.

Criticizing the casting in something like this seems overkill to me. The quality of this film is far superior to the shoestring-budget, no name, mass produced seasonal romances now overrunning the streaming services. This film is a cut above.

Kelsey Grammar plays Nicholas 21 which means that he's in line for the throne of Santa Claus. His father Nicholas 20 (played by Charles Durning) is losing his jollies and his powers that made him Santa Claus. For him, it's a job that he loves with a passion. For Junior, he's postponed taking over for years. Finally, the time has come for him to take his father's place in the family business. Katherine Helmond is fantastic as the mother and wife, Queen Carlotta. Brian Bedford plays, Jasper, who is Nick Jr.'s confidante and knows all about the family secrets. Anyway, Nick 21 must fine Mrs. Claus but he gets caught up with a blonde weather girl who is really shallow and vain. Of course, this film is meant to be about Christmas, sharing, generosity, and miracles. It's not the best film but it's decent enough for the family and for kids.