The Age of Commercialism

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

This movie involves Santa and his family, Santa magic, and Christmas spirit. It is a bit preachy, or at least Kristen Claus is, about faith and love and peace and trust, etc. There is a definite evil antagonist, Rudolpha, Kristen's sister. She isn't merely greedy, but mean.Kristen, and this movie, are syrupy sweet, overly optimistic, and pathetically naïve. Since this is obviously a movie aimed at kids, these traits may be somewhat acceptable, but I found it overdone and annoying.The acting is not good, except possibly for the kids. Again, some of the overdone acting may be for a kid audience. Special effects and production were also below par. Outdoor sets had absolutely no feel of being outdoors.The story wasn't bad for Christmas fantasy, even if the Santa's child saves Christmas is not a new idea. Some of the other plot devices are equally unoriginal, but as a whole, the story works as long as you don't look too close at any specific detail or expect reality.

After Santa Claus has noticed how many children have become naughty, he decides that he will not deliver presents to any children this year. But his daughter, Kristin Claus, thinks there is one more chance for a Christmas. Kristin took on the challenge of trying to deliver all the presents (just as her dad, Santa, would) in the Mortal World. She made a deal with people in the North Pole that she would change a family on "Santa's Naughty List" to be on the "Nice List". She uses her magic to go to the Morgan house, a family of a single father and two spoiled children, and try to change them to nice. But the children are tricked by Rudolfa, Kristin's sister, who wants to turn Christmas into a joking holiday. Kristin was mistaken as a nanny for the children and played along with the role. The children begin to resent Kristin, and Kyle even told their dad that Kristin was dangerous. Kyle tries to engage Brittany into it. They treated Kristin badly and she left the Morgan house when no one was at home. Bill Morgan became work-obsessed since his wife died. On a work-trip he carried along the children and their uncle and took a rest stop at a diner. They met Kristin there (she used her magic to meet them there) and Bill convinced her to look after the children on the trip. The family (and Kristen) take an unexpected detour. Rudolfa uses her magic to make a fake detour sign and sends the family in the middle of nowhere. She also sent an elf dressed as a deer into the middle of the road, causing them to swerve into a ditch. They spend the night at a nearby old, abandoned house, where Kristin confronts Bill about his own selfish ways. The kids continue to act selfish and bratty, but Bill and Kristin don't put up with it. Brittany soon realizes that she is behaving bratty and makes the family breakfast-in-bed from some food supplies she found in the house. A fire breaks out, and Kyle, the family's son almost dies. Kristin gives her immortality to save him, but she now cannot remember her past.The film is okay at best. Most adults might get a little bored however I loved the message this film sends. There is a little lesson in this film for not only kids but adults as well. If you see this being advertised watch it. Its cute for a one time showing.

In this movie we meet Kristen (Kathy Ireland) who is the daughter of Santa Claus. And when Kristen, her father, and other magical creatures begin the Christmas season with the reading of the naughty and nice list things don't go well. After seeing that there are more people on the naughty list than on the nice list Santa loses hope in mankind, so he decides to quit. Kristen makes a deal that if she can get one of the families back on the nice list then it will prove that there is hope for mankind and Santa won't quit, but she has to do this before midnight on Christmas Eve so she has to work fast. She soon comes into the lives of the Morgans. As the father is a workaholic, his son is always in trouble, his passed-wife's brother has no job so hes staying with them, while his daughter is more like an adult than a kid. So now Kristen's got her work cut out for her. As she starts getting closer to success her older sister Rudolfa (Mary Donnelly-Haskell) is trying to stop her so she can take control of Christmas and ruin it forever. Soon Kristen starts to realize that everything isn't as easy as she thought it was in the beginning and will soon learn the one part of the Christmas Spirit that she never knew.This is a fun movie to watch with your family especially on Christmas. It can truly get you into the Christmas Spirit.

I've been a fan of John Dye, since his performance in Touched By An Angel on TV and when Once Upon A Christmas first premiered on family channel it looked like a charming Christmas movie. Kathy Ireland's role as the younger daughter of Santa Claus was touching and sweet. What can one expect from two talented stars this movie is about the power of having faith again in the Christmas spirit and at an hour and 30 minutes it's enjoyable without being overdone.Christmas is about to be canceled because there's a majority of children out there who have been more naughty then nice and Santa Claus (Campbell) is deciding to go away on vacation putting his oldest daughter Rudolfa (Haskell) in charge. However his younger daughter Kristen (Ireland) doesn't like that plan one bit, she makes a deal with dad that if one family's name is returned to the "nice list" then Christmas will go on as planned.But the task is more challenging than ever because the family chosen is the Morgan clan Kyle (Kirk) & his sister Brittany (Prout) are two spoiled brats because their father widower & workaholic Bill (Dye) is always too busy. Then there's Uncle Johnny (Yorke) who is goodhearted but not the ideal guardian. Once she becomes the nanny the two siblings try everything in their power to get rid of her. During a vacation mostly to do with work the car breaks down and they're stranded at an old house in the middle of nowhere. They try to make the most out of this holiday soon everything begins to change not just in the kids but in Bill whose fallen in love Kristen.When Rudolfa's plans to stop Christmas goes out of control Kristen will make the ultimate decision for the family she loves.filled with heartwarming moments and romance Once Upon A Christmas is the ideal holiday movie.