The Christmas Chronicles 2 (2020) Review

🎅 “Santa’s Back… But So Are Those CGI Elves” 🎄

Let’s start by showing y’all the trailers, shall we? 🎬

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📖 Studio & Style
Just like the first film, The Christmas Chronicles 2 is a Netflix original with the same glossy, digital-heavy look. Once again, it leans on CGI and overproduced set pieces instead of natural holiday magic. The animation on the elves hasn’t improved one bit — if anything, the sequel doubles down on them.


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📜 Non-Spoiler Plot Overview
The sequel shifts gears: instead of another road-trip misadventure, this one takes place mostly in the North Pole. Kate Pierce (Darby Camp), now a teenager, is struggling with her mom’s new relationship. She ends up whisked to Santa’s village with her new stepbrother Jack, where they encounter Belsnickel (Julian Dennison), a former elf turned bratty villain. His plan? Take revenge on Santa by stealing the Christmas Star that powers the North Pole.

Santa (Kurt Russell) and Mrs. Claus (Goldie Hawn, given more screentime here) must team up with the kids to stop Belsnickel, save Christmas, and prove once again that family is the “true meaning of the season.”


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🧛 Character Rundown

Santa Claus (Kurt Russell) – Still rocking the “cool Santa” persona, though the novelty wears thinner this time around. His charisma is there, but the script forces him into dad-joke territory more often than it should.

Mrs. Claus (Goldie Hawn) – She gets a bigger role here, showing off her cookie-baking, magic-healing powers. Unfortunately, she’s written as more of a plot device than a character.

Kate Pierce (Darby Camp) – Now a teenager, she’s angsty, snappy, and dealing with blended-family drama. Instead of feeling like growth from the first film, it makes her harder to root for.

Jack (Jahzir Bruno) – Kate’s new stepbrother, who tags along as comic relief. He’s basically just “the anxious kid,” terrified of everything.

Belsnickel (Julian Dennison) – The villain, a former elf who got bitter and turned human. Think bratty teenager with a grudge. He’s less menacing and more whiny, which undercuts the tension.

The Elves (CGI abominations) – Somehow worse than the first film. Now they get entire chaotic sequences, complete with rabid snarls, Nerf-style weapons, and slapstick brawls. Still nightmare fuel.



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⏱️ Pacing / Episode Flow
This time the pacing drags more noticeably. The North Pole setting gives it a repetitive, claustrophobic feel — the story just cycles between “Belsnickel does mischief” and “Santa rallies the troops” over and over until the finale. There’s less adventure, more filler.


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✅ Pros

Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn together have charm, even if the writing’s weak.

The Christmas village set design is colorful and cozy (when CGI isn’t overwhelming it).

A few fun nods to Christmas mythology, like the Christmas Star.


❌ Cons

The elf CGI is unbearable.

The villain (Belsnickel) is more annoying than threatening.

Kate’s angst and Jack’s whining make the kid dynamic frustrating.

Pacing feels bloated, with fewer memorable set pieces.



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💭 Final Thoughts
The Christmas Chronicles 2 doubles down on the first film’s flaws instead of fixing them. The North Pole focus shrinks the sense of adventure, the elves are pushed harder (to disastrous effect), and the villain is flat-out irritating. Kurt Russell does his best to keep it afloat, and Goldie Hawn’s inclusion adds some warmth, but the heart of the film is buried under noisy CGI chaos and forgettable subplots.

⭐ Rating: 5/10


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⚠️ Spoiler Warning ⚠️
Beyond this point lies Belsnickel’s tantrums, Christmas star drama, and more elf nightmares.


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💀 Spoilers
The movie opens with Kate sulking because her mom is dating Bob, who has a son named Jack. Kate doesn’t like change, so naturally, she’s miserable. She wishes she could just go “home” to the way things used to be.

Belsnickel tricks her into traveling to the North Pole, dragging Jack with her. Once there, he unveils his plan: steal the Christmas Star, which keeps the North Pole powered and hidden, to ruin Santa’s legacy.

Santa and Mrs. Claus show Kate and Jack around the North Pole, which is meant to be awe-inspiring but ends up looking like a digital theme park ride. Jack gets a subplot about conquering his fears (by fighting off gremlin-like elves with magic cookies). Kate gets to witness Santa and Mrs. Claus bicker and bond, which is supposed to mirror her blended-family struggles.

Belsnickel succeeds in breaking the Christmas Star, plunging the village into chaos. The elves go rabid (literally snarling and attacking each other), forcing Santa and the kids to work together to rebuild the star. There’s a long, bloated sequence involving reindeer, time portals, and a detour to 1990s Boston, where Kate meets her late father as a child — a scene meant to tug at heartstrings but that feels shoehorned in.

Eventually, Santa defeats Belsnickel not by violence, but by reminding him of his place as an elf — a once-good being who just lost his way. The star is repaired, Christmas is saved, and Kate learns to accept her mom’s new boyfriend and blended family.

The movie ends with a big singalong and Santa winking at the camera. Again.