Finding Santa is a children’s animated holiday film about a boy living in an orphanage who loses his faith in Santa.
Julius (voiced by Herman Knop) is a special kid, told he was discovered on the doorstep of an orphanage on Christmas day, found by Alfred (Dennis Storhøi), the headmaster. From that day on, he’s been known as the Christmas kid, though as the years have gone by, a few of the bigger boys have taken to picking on Julius, bullying him for his enthusiastic love of the holiday. Then, when Julius finds that Alfred has actually been playing Santa for the kids his whole life, he gives up on Christmas. However, when he suddenly enters a strange new fantasy world, it’s up to him to save Christmas altogether.
From director Jacob Ley, this English-language Swedish film follows a fairly standard holiday arc with the Christmas spirit ‘lost’ and its return left in the hands of a child. However, Ley and his animation team go to great lengths in delivering a colorful and unique looking adventure with plenty of style and imagination that surely will engage the youngsters it aims for.
The message is clear from the start, and while we know where it’s headed, there’s enough minor twists and turns in the making that keep in interesting as Julius falls into the secret box of Christmas figures he keeps in the back shed, finding himself in a land of wonder and enchantment now under the dark cloud of Krampus (Rasmus Bjerg), a creature who once supplied the coal for Santa now setting about on a reign of revenge, declaring himself the new evil Santa. Now, along with a big talking marzipan pig (Lars Hjortshøj) and a fluttering golden angel (Maria Lucia Rosenberg) at his side, Julius is the only hope in restoring what’s right.
Balancing a tightrope of joyful holiday glee and the menace of evil threatening to destroy it, Finding Santa is never too scary, with Krampus a bad elf gone worse, looking to ruin Christmas for everyone. Meanwhile, Santa has been boxed up in his now present making machine, leaving Julius to take on the role.
Pleasant and energetic, with fun characters and loads of creativity, this is very accessible for young viewers, easily fitting into the already crowded stack of Holiday movies juggling for attention. Recommended.