Dear Santa is here, and I remember when a Farrelly Brothers comedy used to be a big event. From Dumb & Dumber, There’s Something About Mary, and Kingpin. These guys made some of the best comedies the world has ever seen. Yet, the latter two films had to find an audience with small but steady box office receipts or achieve home video glory to secure their place in history.
Their later comedies were underwhelming, with several misfires. In particular, the team now reunites with Jack Black, who starred in their film Shallow Hal—a movie with a good message but shorter on laughs than expected. Their latest attempt, Dear Santa, aims for a family-friendly version of Bad Santa, but it replaces the dark edge with loads of overdone bathroom humor.
Paramount+’s Dear Santa’s Review and Synopsis
The premise is, at the very least, original. The story follows an 11-year-old boy, Liam (Robert Timothy Smith), who writes a letter to Santa. Now, there is nothing new about that. Parents encourage all kids to write good old Saint Nick their holiday gift requests. However, in Liam’s case, he misspells “Santa” as “Satan,” and things go wrong from there.
That’s because the king of the demons, Asmodeus (Jack Black), arrives, thrilled by the invite. This version of Satan embraces the naughty list, getting Liam into all sorts of trouble and teaching him invaluable lessons along the way. Satan offers young Liam three holiday wishes in the hopes of stealing the poor kid’s soul.
Paramount+’s Dear Santa is One of the Year’s Worst Films
The wishes follow the standard holiday fare playbook. The kid wishes for an all-access pass to a Post Malone concert. The reason? He’s trying to impress his crush, Emma (Kai Cech), for whom he is head over heels. Of course, Malone makes an appearance to keep Paramount+ streaming endlessly. This isn’t great storytelling or a plot point, but a manufactured scene designed to appeal to a younger demographic and keep subscriber numbers high.
Then, any sense of “smart” comedic moments from Bobby Farrelly (Champions), whose brother Peter co-wrote the script with Ricky Blitt (Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher), is replaced with jokes about flatulence that go beyond what is considered sophomoric. This leads to a moment that doesn’t push the envelope but is just plain wrong: having Liam’s best friend pretend to have cancer, which is a puzzling turnoff.
Is Paramount+’s Dear Santa Worth Watching?
For me, Jack Black has always been an overrated performer. Frankly, he’s better in smaller supporting roles. However, he does carry the film on his shoulders with an interesting character choice that is much more manic and deviant than you’d expect. Still, Dear Santa is not worth watching, despite Jack Black’s efforts here.
The fact of the matter is that most of the notable heart from previous Farrelly Brothers films is gone, replaced with a healthy dose of frat-ish humor that misfires more than most. At times, jokes in their past films would miss the mark but still make you laugh. Here, the majority of Dear Santa’s attempts flop and land with a thud, not to mention with cringe-worthy execution.
You can stream Dear Santa now and only on Paramount+!
Dear Santa Review — Jack Black Stars in Farrelly Comedy That is a Holiday Misfire
The fact of the matter is that most of the notable heart from previous Farrelly brothers’ films is gone, replaced with a healthy dose of frat-ish humor that misfires more than most. At times, jokes in their past films would miss the mark but still make you laugh. Here, the majority of Dear Santa’s attempts flop and land with a thud, not to mention with cringe-worthy execution.
