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That is the lamentation of Chris Cringle (Mel Gibson) as he's about to wrap another holiday season. You see, Cringle is literally Santa Claus in this modernized adaptation of Christmas stories, with Gibson playing the burned out and jaded "fat man in a red suit" as he struggles to keep his operation alive. Meanwhile, a spiteful kid sends a bitter hitman (Walton Goggins) to kill Santa Claus after only getting coal on Christmas.
I had read some things about Fatman, but didn't really know the extent of its story. I have to say, though, that I really enjoyed its mixture of black comedy and action, and how filmmakers Eshom and Ian Nelms find ways to play with stereotypical Holiday tropes. This includes Chris/Santa struggling with production and budgets while negotiating a contract with the government, while also questioning his own purpose.
Say what you will about Gibson, but I do think he's one of the best at portraying raw emotion, regret, heartbreak, and anger. Here he brings all of that to his character, while his wife Ruth (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) provides him with the necessary balance. Finally, Goggins is a treasure. He has us accustomed to that, but I really felt he was having a lot of fun with this. Finally, Chance Hurstfield delivers a small but wicked performance as the malicious kid that kickstarts things.
If anything, I'd say the whole government/military subplot wasn't as well integrated, or maybe even necessary, but it does help putting some pieces in the game board for the last act, which is full of nifty bangs and cool explosions. Make no mistake; Fatman has a lot of comedic aspects, but the main humor comes from seeing the many ways the Nelms mix the serious action with the fun aspects. The end result is a deliciously odd and entertaining film that I can see myself revisiting next season.
Grade:
FATMAN
(2020, Nelms & Nelms)
(2020, Nelms & Nelms)
"I’m a silly, fat man in a red suit. I mean, you think it’s cute, but this is what people actually think of me. Christmas is a farce. I am a joke. There hasn’t been any real spirit of the season anymore. Not for years."
That is the lamentation of Chris Cringle (Mel Gibson) as he's about to wrap another holiday season. You see, Cringle is literally Santa Claus in this modernized adaptation of Christmas stories, with Gibson playing the burned out and jaded "fat man in a red suit" as he struggles to keep his operation alive. Meanwhile, a spiteful kid sends a bitter hitman (Walton Goggins) to kill Santa Claus after only getting coal on Christmas.
I had read some things about Fatman, but didn't really know the extent of its story. I have to say, though, that I really enjoyed its mixture of black comedy and action, and how filmmakers Eshom and Ian Nelms find ways to play with stereotypical Holiday tropes. This includes Chris/Santa struggling with production and budgets while negotiating a contract with the government, while also questioning his own purpose.
Say what you will about Gibson, but I do think he's one of the best at portraying raw emotion, regret, heartbreak, and anger. Here he brings all of that to his character, while his wife Ruth (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) provides him with the necessary balance. Finally, Goggins is a treasure. He has us accustomed to that, but I really felt he was having a lot of fun with this. Finally, Chance Hurstfield delivers a small but wicked performance as the malicious kid that kickstarts things.
If anything, I'd say the whole government/military subplot wasn't as well integrated, or maybe even necessary, but it does help putting some pieces in the game board for the last act, which is full of nifty bangs and cool explosions. Make no mistake; Fatman has a lot of comedic aspects, but the main humor comes from seeing the many ways the Nelms mix the serious action with the fun aspects. The end result is a deliciously odd and entertaining film that I can see myself revisiting next season.
Grade: