Fatman (2020)

Written and Directed by Ian and Eshom Nelms

Mel Gibson, Walton Goggins, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Chance Hurstfield, Eric Woolfe, Deborah Grover.

In a fictionalised version of our world, Santa/Chris Cringle (Gibson) is known to exist and works with the United States government to give out presents to all the good children, and coal to all the naughty children.

Chris is tough, muscled, and almost world warn hardened – far from the white bearded, red suited soft Santa that we know and love. He is growing tired of the endless list of ‘naughty’ things kids do now.

When rich kid Billy (Hurstfield), who has been up to no good, gets a piece of coal for Christmas, he enlists an un named hit-man (Goggins) to execute Santa. It just so happens this ‘Skinny Man” has some unfinished business with Santa too.

While the conception is great, the execution (pun intended) is dreadful.

The primary plot point consists of the Government deciding not to give Chris his yearly allowance to cover costs, instead they hire him to make devices for the Army. The entire premise of a hit man hired to kill Santa is almost a secondary storyline.

The primary action sequence takes place in the last 15-20 minutes of the film. While the film itself is only 90 minutes, it is a slog to get through, and is only helped by the performances of the cast. Jean-Baptiste as Ruth Clause is delightful, and Hurstfield does a great job as the little snot.

There is also a fun score, with snippets of Christmas songs intertwined in them.

Despite the ups mentioned, the downs far outweigh it. The whole middle part of the film is the worst part of it.

I would give this one a miss.

1.5/5