The history of Santa Claus in cinema is a long and storied one. From Miracle on 34th Street to Bad Santa, pretty much every possible incarnation of Saint Nick has been covered on film. Out now in a snazzy 4K restoration, Santa Claus: The Movie is likely one of the most traditional and endearing portrayals out there.

David Huddleston plays Santa Claus with a fitting level of joviality, albeit with a very different backstory. Yes, Santa Claus: The Movie reveals the eponymous character’s origin, something rarely explored in popular culture. From his origins as a Middle Ages woodcutter to the immortal embodiment of Christmas, the first half film in particular takes interesting swings with its narrative. This was where the film was at its most intriguing, even if the transition from homemade toy maker to master could’ve been explored in more depth.

In a film that definitely feels like two distinct halves spliced together, the latter section of Santa Claus: The Movie is a surprisingly sharp pastiche of capitalism and consumer culture, something that’s only become more glaringly apparent in the decades since the film released. Through the lens of an elf gone rogue at the hands of a toy mogul, it explores how profit and money drive everything, even to the potential detriment of the people buying into these brands. John Lithgow is particularly slimy as B.Z., the businessman quite literally sucking through magic out of Christmas.

But in a film named after old jolly Saint Nick, Santa takes a considerably subdued role in that second half. It’s only once the big finale rolls around that Santa leaves his grotto outside of annual present deliveries, with so much of that final hour focusing on the goings-on of rogue elves, slightly annoying children, and the hubbub of New York.

Despite how disjointed the plot can feel, watching Santa Claus: The Movie almost four decades later is testament to how well it has held up. The vast practical sets look fantastic, especially the cosy elves’ workshops and snow-ridden locales in the North Pole. Larger montages, while too common, are also stuffed with hundreds of extras all choreographed to convey the hustle and bustle of pre-Christmas present making, a level of spectacle rarely seen in the age of digital crowds in cinema.

It’s a mightily impressive 4K restoration too, with a pre-film message revealing over 150 hours of work went into scrubbing up the original image quality frame-by-frame. You can really tell, because colours pop and facial details look incredibly refined. If you’re going to watch Santa Claus: The Movie, this 4K restoration is the way to go.

If you’re stocking up on Christmas films as the season creeps in, you can’t really go wrong with Santa Claus: The Movie. While it rarely breaks the mould, I was impressed by its witty anti-capitalist message and bold swing to show Santa’s origin, looking clean in 4K while doing so.

★★★

The 4K restoration of Santa Claus: The Movie is out in cinemas on November 24, 2023 and is out on 4K UHD Blu-Ray now.