Santa Claus is comin’ to town in Violent Night and he’s gonna find out who’s naughty or nice. For the naughty ones…they’re getting way worse than a lump of coal. David Harbour is one badass St. Nick and can swing the hell out of a hammer in this action/comedy gloriously decorated in Christmas mayhem that needs to be enjoyed with a rowdy crowd. Showing love to Home Alone and Die Hard, director Tommy Wirkola (Dead Snow, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters) is having a holly jolly time presenting a version of Santa that’s no holds barred. Unabashedly brutal, nonstop hilarious, and surprisingly saccharine, Violent Night is a wild sleigh ride on a night where Christmas could die!
The movie opens on Christmas Eve with Kris Kringle (Harbour) drunk at a bar and not really feeling the Christmas spirit. As the world becomes more selfish and greedy, everyone’s belief in him is diminishing and his role is becoming more and more obsolete. Believing is what this season is all about and Santa is no exception. He needs it now more than ever from others and for himself. That gift comes when he goes down a chimney belonging to an affluent family estate where the dysfunctional Lightstones have been taken hostage by a crew of mercenaries headed by Mr. Scrooge (a baleful John Leguizamo).
At first, Santa simply wants to get out and be on his merry way because he obviously has a busy night ahead of him. But when he connects with the only Lightstones granddaughter, Trudy (an enchanting Leah Brady), he begins to believe again after realizing how strongly she believes in him. With his breath reeking of cookies and liquor, he pauses on delivering presents and starts delivering ass whoopins.
Violent Night has a crazy kind of Christmas magic (which this Santa still doesn’t quite understand), spreading holiday cheer in a bash’em, smash’em style that’s a riot to watch. There’s as much violence and explosions as there is wonderful Christmas music and decorations. Wirkola as well as the writers, Pat Casey and Josh Miller, are well aware of the movie they’re making and carry out everything the trailer advertises. The thrilling fight scenes and inventive kills earn it every bit of its R rating.
There’s no arguing this wouldn’t be nearly as enjoyable if not for Harbour. We’re able to accept all of the typical action tropes because his burly, bearded, tatted up, man-bun wearing Father Christmas is absurdly awesome. He has a Viking past that explains the damage he can do and there’s a ton of it. Violent Night does what the Hellboy reboot could not: turn Harbour into an action star. We also get those feelings we first felt when meeting Jim Hopper in Netflix’s Stranger Things, showcasing his Santa sack of warmth and protection. The evidence is in his sweet friendship with Trudy that symbolizes what Christmas should be about, especially for children and the innocence behind it.
Here’s a new Christmas classic for those who like them vicious, funny, grisly, unfeigned, and stark raving mad. So jump in bed and cover your head, ’cause Santa Claus comes to fight!
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association and the Southeastern Film Critics Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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