Santa is dead. That’s the holly, jolly premise of Noelle, a Disney+ original movie debuting for the service’s pre-Thanksgiving launch.
There’s no explanation of how Santa died, but without the big guy around, his reluctant son, Nick (Bill Hader), must take up the velvet cap and coat to deliver presents on Christmas Eve. It’s a format tackled by countless other movies, but with an added twist here.
What follows is a comedy of errors somewhere between Elf and Enchanted.
At Nick’s side are his sister, Noelle (Anna Kendrick), his mother, Mrs. Claus (Julie Hagerty), and the Claus family’s personal elf, Polly (Shirley MacLaine). There’s also Cousin Gabe (Billy Eichner), who works in the IT department, an adorable reindeer-in-training named Snowcone, and a gaggle of nosey North Polians eager to see replacement Santa pull off the big delivery.
When Nick flees from the mounting pressure, it’s Noelle who must save Christmas. Tasked with finding her brother, the dutiful Kringle battles her way through a Phoenix, Arizona strip mall where, it turns out, Nick is bailing on his family duties to teach yoga classes.
What follows is a comedy of errors somewhere between Elf and Enchanted. Noelle tries out public transportation, hires a private detective, eats a tube of sunscreen, and surprises strangers with her liberal use of words like “jolly” and “naughty,” while persuading her brother to come home.
She also visits a homeless shelter, explores the emotional turmoil of divorce, and assists in what was probably some very expensive brand representation for Petco along the way. (Think the hot UPS guy from Legally Blonde, but y’know, for Petco.)
It is complete and utter chaos.
In the background of that mess, all hell is breaking loose at Santa’s workshop.
Cousin Gabe is attempting to optimize holiday magic with a naughty-or-nice algorithm that has determined all but a few thousand of the world’s children deserve coal. He is letting the world know about the results via a mass “We regret to inform you” e-mail, and plans to deliver what few presents there are via drone and Amazon Prime.
It is — and I mean this most sincerely — complete and utter chaos.
Like a kid struggling to fit their Christmas wish list into a 30-second spiel, Noelle can’t seem to take a breath for even one moment of its runtime. When we’re not enduring yet another joke about iPads, Noelle is spouting off one more holiday lesson as the plot barrels towards one more topical theme. (Gender roles, capitalism, Big Tech, you name it: if a 2019 movie could try it, Noelle probably does.)
SEE ALSO: 'Lady and the Tramp' isn't great, but it's good enoughThat's not to say this Christmas rompis all bad. Kendrick is committed to her cheery role, delivering its saccharine and slapstick elements with equal enthusiasm, and pretty much everyone else in the cast is good enough. It's all just a lot.
From A Charlie Brown Christmas to Home Alone, many seasonal classics are charming because they're so simple. In Noelle's many efforts to strike a chord, the genuine joy of the holidays gets lost. Despite a passionate fifth act monologue from Kendrick, the overarching message of the movie isn't clear and its most notable elements fall short of being memorable.
If you’re looking to placate some rowdy children or cranky grandparents this holiday season, then Noelle will hit the spot. But if you’re looking for a new Christmas tradition, Santa's sister can't deliver — at least, not in the ways we'd wished for.
Noelleis now streaming on Disney+.
Topics Disney+
‘We Got Your Back(pack)’ Concert Video PremiereMeal DriveJANM Will Keep Focus on Fighting for JusticeStop AAPI Hate: Schools Must Ensure WellStop Asian Hate Zoom EventChiura Obata Memorial Highway Resolution PassedHonoring Their MemoryA National Buddhist Memorial for Asian American Ancestors‘Crazy Talented Asians,’ Nisei Week EditionLong Beach Virtual Ondo Fearnley vs. Zverev 2025 livestream: Watch Australian Open for free Best TV deal: Save $200 on Amazon Fire TV 55 Best Amazon Pharmacy deal: Try Amazon Pharmacy and get a free $15 gift card What to expect at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked Best Lego deal: Preorder the Twilight Cullen House Lego set CES 2025: How to buy (and save $390 on) the Dreame X50 Ultra robot vacuum Best fitness tracker deals: Apple Watch Series 10, Fitbit Inspire 3, and more Fans aren't happy that NFL Redzone isn't ad John Turturro shares fascinating Stanley Kubrick story on 'Severance' podcast NordicTrack T Series: Get it for $120 off at Amazon
0.2829s , 14406.0390625 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【video sex hard perdiendo la virginidad con su primo】Enter to watch online.'Noelle' delivers relentless Christmas chaos for Disney+: Review,