Fatman (2020)

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What a curiosity this movie was for me when it was released. I didn't love it, nor did I hate it; it was a bit awkward in some parts, but there was enough here that I wish I'd gotten to see it on the big screen. Upon my initial viewing, it all just boiled down to how bizarrely fitting it was that the film got released in 2020, at the height of COVID. Here we have a dark comedy Christmas action film that hasn't aged well, but there was undoubtedly a part of me at the time that appreciated the inner rage it brought to the surface.

Let's face it, back in 2020, we were all pretty angry about our worldwide situation, and it didn't take much to set us off, so there was a little something to having a dark non-horror Christmas movie to turn to as an outlet, seeing as Christmas 2020 wasn't exactly your usual magical family get-together. It was confusing back then, because while part of me was enjoying it, the other part was asking if I really should. I had a distinct feeling that the film took itself too seriously, especially with someone like Mel Gibson in the lead, who genuinely defines what it means to have to separate art from artist.

Here, Mel plays a somewhat crotchety Chris Cringle, who runs a shop on a farm near North Peak, Alaska. He's happily married to Mrs. Claus, or Ruth (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), as she's named here. Ruth comes across as the typical Mrs. Claus: baking cookies, knitting, and having a sweet disposition. She comes across as the typically sweet grandmother type, putting love into everything she does. It's an interesting contrast. This year, the couple find themselves on the financial decline because of naughty children, suggesting that if you're looking for a magical Santa, you're out of luck for this particular Christmas flick.

The US government shows interest in Chris's business and sends Captain Jacobs (Robert Bockstael) to propose a contract to produce jet fighter components for the military. Realizing they really need it, the couple go through with things, and this is what becomes of Santa's workshop - a place to construct components for the military; I mean, how depressing is that? The elves, however, take it in stride instead of having the film pull the "feel sorry for them" routine. The elves are there to work for whatever Santa needs, loyal, and are meant to deliver the goods to millions of happy children by any means necessary.

Children in the year this takes place, however, are seen to have become pretty terrible. This includes spoiled rich brat, Billy Wenan (Chance Hurstfield), who loses a "Best of Show" diorama contest and essentially threatens the winner with the darkest of things. This, along with many other things, earns him a lump of coal on Christmas morning. He then swears revenge by putting a hit out on Santa, using his personal hitman, Jonathan Miller (Walton Goggins). The film's central plot revolves around this portion of the story, and it's one of those situations that's meant to be comedic, but it's almost just too dark.

I found this to be a cool concept, but its execution is lacklustre. Taking the plot of this, it could have been a hilarious action/comedy if given to the right person. But this comes from brothers Ian and Eshom Nelms, who are clearly very much on the Indie movie scene. Instead of taking the concept of a wronged kid taking revenge on Santa and having a lot of fun with it, the film takes itself too seriously. Even as Santa Claus, Mel's gotta be a scruffy-lookin', gritty badass. While this came across as okay and kinda fun with this film, David Harbour would knock it out of the park a couple of years later with 'Violent Night', a far superior film.

If you want a cheery Christmas this year and want to leave all the drama behind, I recommend avoiding this one. There's nothing really cheery, funny, or pleasantly dramatic in this one, and no real Christmassy takeaway at the end. By the time you finish watching, you are confused about what to think and want to turn to other Christmas movies. I'll give this movie its core concept and the originality behind it, but I wish it had been put in someone else's directorial hands. In the end, this one's forgettable and belongs in the year 2020.

2/5

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