Fat Man (2020).
1. (The Plot)
Billy Wenan is a rich brat who uses his money and resources to get ahead - like momentarily kidnapping a rival classmate in order to win the first prize at the science fair. When he gets a lump of coal from Santa Claus, Billy has two options - be good and learn from his past wrongs, or hire a hitman to kill jolly ol’ Chris Cringle. Jonathan Miller, who has his own beef with Santa takes on the job and thus begins the hunt for Saint Nick.
Meanwhile, up at the North Pole, Santa’s got some problems of his own. He’s financed by the government for presents made and delivered, but with kids making more and more bad decisions, his paycheck is getting smaller by the year. Agitated and down on his luck, Chris Cringle is the last person that should be fucked with.
‘Tis the season to get even.
2. (The Good)
Walton Goggins is great in everything and this film is no exception. His role in this is straight out of a comic book - a toy store owner who is obsessed with toys, yet moonlights as a “yes man” for anyone willing to pay him. His dialogue is mostly stupid but still enjoyable because of how Goggins delivers the line. Talking to himself while trying to pick out a hunting outfit was particularly funny. America’s favorite anti-semite, Mel Gibson, plays Santa straight here - he’s not going for laughs. He even shows off his acting chops in a scene in which he tells his elves that their early months of the year are going to be a bit different around the workshop.
I enjoyed the world that the Nelms Brothers crafted here. It’s one that’s sort of grounded in reality, but not without it’s fantastical magical elements that I suppose a Santa story needs to get by. Small touches like the elves diet (which consists of nearly straight sugar) and the explanation of how Santa Claus gets paid were nice.
As for the technical aspects, I liked that their script didn’t hold the audience’s hand. We’re dropped into this world, and if you missed one line, you might be confused as to how Santa gets paid, or why Jonathan Miller has a vendetta against Santa. The cinematography is quite good as well, particularly the scene in which Santa and Mr. Miller meet face to face for the first time amongst a blanket of fresh, North Pole snow.
3. (The Bad)
The tone here is really weird, to say the least. It’s billed as an ‘darkly comedic action film’, but it’s more of a quirky drama. The action doesn’t pop off until the last twenty minutes, so it’s tough to call it an action film. The comedic elements are more along the lines of “Hey, that’s sort of unusual.”, so for some people with a certain sense of humor, this will definitely fall flat. That being said, it is amusing seeing Walton Goggins study cartoons of Santa Claus to try to figure out where he lives. They could have gone full “80’s” and had wacky one-liners here and there but the Nelms Brothers kept their script a bit more grounded.
The character of Billy is very one-note as well, I did not enjoy seeing him on screen. I hope that Chase Hurstfield isn’t typecast as the typical “little shit” (as Miller has him in his phone) because he’s been that in two movies now (Good Boys is the other). I also didn’t feel like Mel Gibson and Marianne Jean-Baptiste (who plays Mrs. Claus) had any chemistry.
4. (The Ugly)
I bet Mel Gibson is the first person to direct a movie about Jesus and then play Santa Claus.
5. (Final Thoughts)
After one viewing, I don’t know whether I loved or hated this film, which I suppose is a good thing…? It’s a bit of a slow burn, but once the climax kicks in, I was pretty entertained. I could see this becoming a once every few years kind of watch. It’s certainly different than most of the saccharine Christmas movies that studios pump out every year. If you like Mel Gibson or Goggins, I’d recommend seeing it just for the novelty that a movie this strange got made in the first place.
Oh, and I think it has a strong Christmas message for today’s misguided youth: Be good or I’ll fucking kill you.
