This family-oriented follow-up offers more Belgium-set holiday festivities, and the film does well to focus more on interpersonal relations and less on fantasy. Of course, considering the premise of The Claus Family 2 -- that a grandfather, who is actually Santa, is training his grandson to take over the family business -- there are still plenty of effects-driven scenes of characters transporting via snow globe to the North Pole and tiny human elves with rocket-powered backpacks working the toy warehouse.
But the sequel smartly shifts the focus to Jules (up-and-comer Mo Bakker) and his path to defining the role of Santa for himself, moving beyond just delivering toys to trying to make a difference in at least one child's life. The fact that his endeavor isn't entirely successful (it's effective, but not in the way he and the child hope) balances the make-believe elements with a nice touch of reality. The sequel's candlelit holiday ambiance is warm, and the elves are funnier this time around.
Read the full review at Common Sense Media.
Images courtesy of Netflix.
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