I watched Violent Night and I liked it. 3/5
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Violent Night is a 2022 American Christmas action comedy film directed by Tommy Wirkola and written by Pat Casey and Josh Miller. The film stars David Harbour as Santa Claus, who must fight off a group of mercenaries who break into a wealthy family’s compound on Christmas Eve.
The film is a wild ride from start to finish, with over-the-top action sequences, hilarious one-liners, and a surprisingly heartwarming story at its core. Harbour is perfectly cast as Santa, bringing a gruff but lovable charm to the role. The supporting cast is also excellent, with John Leguizamo, Cam Gigandet, and Beverly D’Angelo all giving memorable performances.
However, despite its many strengths, Violent Night is not a perfect film. It suffers from some pacing issues, the ending is a bit too predictable, and the film’s violence is so over-the-top that it can be difficult to take seriously at times.
The film’s first act is slow and meandering. It takes a long time for the mercenaries to arrive at the family’s compound, and the filmmakers spend too much time introducing the characters and their motivations. As a result, the audience may start to lose interest in the film before the action even starts.
The film’s pacing improves in the second act, as the mercenaries finally arrive at the compound and the action begins. However, the pacing starts to suffer again in the third act. The filmmakers try to cram too much into the final act, including a final boss battle, a heartwarming subplot about a young girl who has lost faith in Christmas, and a redemption arc for Santa Claus. As a result, the film feels rushed and disjointed.
The film’s ending is also quite predictable. There are no surprises, and the filmmakers don’t even try to subvert the audience’s expectations. The final boss battle is also predictable, as the filmmakers telegraph the outcome of the battle early on.
The film’s violence is so over-the-top that it can be difficult to take seriously at times. Some of the kills are creative and entertaining, but others are just too ridiculous. For example, in one scene, Santa Claus kills a mercenary by stuffing a Christmas tree down his throat. In another scene, he kills a mercenary by impaling him with a candy cane. While these kills may be amusing to some viewers, they may also alienate other viewers who are looking for a more serious action film.
Despite its flaws, Violent Night is still an enjoyable film for fans of action, comedy, and Christmas movies. However, viewers should temper their expectations. The film is not perfect, but it is still a fun and over-the-top ride.
Overall, I give Violent Night a 3 out of 5 stars. It is a fun and entertaining film, but it is also flawed. If the filmmakers had tightened up the pacing, fixed the ending, and toned down the violence a bit, the film could have been better.