Written by Ricky Flitt And Peter Farrelly
Directed by Bobby Farrelly
Satan (to Liam): "You lucked out big time. I'm way better than Santa."
There was a time when Jack Black was a guaranteed draw for the box office but alas for him, those days seem long past him. Maybe twenty years ago, this sort of movie might have been a surprise hit but these days, it's one that's better suited to streaming.
I'll admit the premise for it amused me. You've got a nice but unpopular dyslexic kid named Liam Turner (Robert Timothy Smith). His parents, Bill (Hayes MacArthur) and Molly (Brianne Howey) are fighting to the point where it looked like divorce was on the cards for them and he's not exactly the most popular at his school.
I mean he's got one friend in Gibby (Jaden Carson Becker) but he's also got a crush on Emma (Kai Cech) and her boyfriend Aidan (Gavin Munn) along with Mr Charles (P.J. Byrne) enjoy humililiating him. Oh and it probably doesn't help that Liam also still believed in Santa Claus.
Now this was the concept somewhat paid off. Being dyslexic, Liam inadvertently sent his letter to Satan (Jack Black) who amused by being by a child decided to "corrupt" Liam as best he could. Getting Emma to like him, a Post Malone concert and straightening Gibby's teeth. Surely those were enough to get Liam to make his last wish.
Apparently not. Liam wisely realised that his soul couldn't be claimed as long as he didn't make that last wish and when he wasn't having to deal with Satan tempting him and an annoying shrink (Keegan-Michael Key), there was the breakdown of his parents marriage. That and the reveal of a dead sibling.
By the end of the movie, we got the twist of Satan being a lower level demon with Lucifer (Ben Stiller) unable to claim Liam's soul. That should've been the end of that but Liam only went and wished for the one thing that did reunite his family, so he's done for.
- Post Malone actually did appear in the movie but was credited as Austin Post. Ben Stiller also played Jack Frost.
- Genies stole the three wishes from Satan, let it be known.
- Standout music: It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas, Congratulations and O Come All Ye Faithful.
- Chronology: Christmas 2024 or likely 2023 had this movie released a year earlier and not been a victim of the strikes from last year.
Personally, while I definitely think Dear Santa would've bombed in theatres and definitely isn't a career boost for Jack Black, it's a surprisingly decent enough movie. You won't love it but you won't hate it either.
Rating: 5 out of 10
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