This is definitely not the Santa Claus that we remember from our childhood, and he’s not bound to be the jolly old elf that everyone heard about so many years in a row. He’s also not bound to be the same version that Tim Allen brought to life since it would sound as though Santa has been living up in the wilds for a while and is fed up with the way he’s been treated throughout the years. Sadly, it’s hard to blame him since Christmas has been commercialized in a big way and it’s become less about the holiday in a lot of ways and more about what people want to get for each other, meaning how quickly they can get to the stores and how much they can spend. There are plenty of folks that still harbor enough goodwill to really understand and comprehend the meaning behind the holiday and why it’s important from a moral and ethical standpoint, but when it comes to the legend of Santa Claus, someone that spread goodwill and cheer throughout numerous households and regions, the feeling is that things have become driven by the almighty dollar. That could be just one reason that Mel Gibson’s character finally sounds like he’s ready to say to hell with it. But it also appears that his own faith is going to be tested after he gives the wrong kid a lump of coal for Christmas. Unfortunately, that kid apparently has the means and the attitude to put a hit out on Santa and doesn’t hesitate to do so.
It kind of loses that warm and tingly feeling pretty quick, doesn’t it? But all the same, Fatman looks like a movie that might be worth watching even if people still feel a certain way about Mel Gibson. One thing about not liking an actor, a politician, or just about anyone that’s in the public eye, is that it’s okay not to like them, but paying money to listen or watch them isn’t necessarily supporting them, it’s admitting that you haven’t decided to be cold enough to shut out every possible experience you could be taking in life. It’s self-defeating in a big way since it’s hampering the experiences that a person might otherwise enjoy if they took the time to chill out and just enjoy the world around them rather than sniping at certain parts of it because the media says to. Fatman looks like a darkly humorous movie since we’ve already seen Walton Goggins play truly deranged characters and even diabolical characters that are deadly and quite psychotic. So when his character is hired by the coal recipient it’s evident that he’s going to be taking out pretty much anyone that gets in his way in order to get to Santa.
In the meantime it’s obvious that Santa is having a crisis since he’s simply tired of no one believing in him, or worse, taking potshots at him since there’s one point in the trailer that details how he was shot at by an over-zealous hunter. It sounds like a hard enough life to deal with, but the fact is that it sounds like the US government is seeking help from Santa as well, which means that he’s going to be placed directly in the line of fire for the assassin. All of this obviously sounds way over the top since the story of Santa Claus has been told in numerous ways over the years, but apart from a horror movie where Santa is the bad guy, this one definitely sounds like it’s bound to be one of those that might make a person’s holiday no matter that it’s bound to get a bit violent. But likely it will be great for all those that are a little tired of the cutesy movies that Hallmark and other networks push so often since the Christmas season is usually a time when people act the way they want to all year just to go back to old habits by the start of the year. Every now and then a movie needs to come along that breaks up the holiday spirit a little bit while at the same time reminding everyone why it’s so important. Fatman looks like the type of movie that will slap people in the face and then wonder they’re so upset about it, but it also looks like the type of movie that people might get a huge kick out of since it’s not going to be apologetic in any way.
Every now and then things need to be shaken up a bit when it comes to the holidays if only to remind people why they’re still important. This movie looks poised to do just that, and personally, I can’t wait. But for now, let’s get through Halloween and Thanksgiving. Then we can worry about Christmas.
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