Review: Fatman

A spoiled, rich, young sociopath (Chance Hurstfield) has an unhealthy obsession with wanting Santa Claus dead after supposedly receiving a lump of coal. The brat even goes to the lengths of hiring an ice-cold hit man (Walton Goggins) to carry out a hit on jolly ‘ol St. Nick. He also wants a classmate rubbed out for beating him in a school science comp, I might add. Meanwhile, times are tough for Chris Cringle, AKA Santa Claus (Mel Gibson) and his wife (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), with subsidy cuts to his toy-making operation out of Alaska due to a spike in ‘naughty’ children. He reluctantly accepts a contract for he and his elves to build ‘toys’ for the U.S. military. Welcome to the least conventional Christmas movie you’ve seen since “Die Hard”.

 

Although the first half is more enjoyable than the action/thriller theatrics of the second half, this 2020 oddity from writer-director-brothers Eshom & Ian Nelms (“Small Town Crime”) still ends up with a soft recommendation from me. I’m actually a bit surprised I liked it even that much, as this darkly comedic yet at times rather sincere fable seems like a lumpy mixture on paper. For the most part though, it actually worked for me and even the action climax has some merit, too. It’s certainly an original film, wherever you land on it.

 

While he’s not fat enough for the role, a grizzled Mel Gibson’s decision to not play things directly for laughs comes off rather well. I don’t think the light-hearted Gibson of “Maverick” and “What Women Want” exists anymore (or would be well accepted anyway), but this is somewhat closer than his latter-day Charlie Bronson stuff or “Dragged Across Concrete”. Even better is a scene-stealing Walton Goggins as a dangerous assassin. He’s a hoot. I was less pleased with the affected performance by young Chance Hurstfield, which is a shame because the character is interestingly twisted and disturbed. He’s the biggest reason for most of the film’s darkest moments. Otherwise, I was surprised to have enjoyed this one.

 

An interestingly offbeat and very watchable film, if far from a great one. It’s such a weird and dark mixture at times you’d swear it would have to be European. So bear in mind, it’s the kind of thing many of you might actually hate. It’s just one of those films that will work for a specialised audience. For me it worked – mildly. Still, that’s a heck of a lot more enjoyment than I was expecting. Until Gibson makes something truly worthwhile once again (as an actor at least), films like this, “Blood Father”, and “Get the Gringo” will do I guess. At least it’s better than “Dragged Across Concrete” and “Force of Nature”.

 

Rating: B-