Review: "The Claus Family 2"

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.