History YMMV / SantaClausTheMovie

* TookTheBadFilmSeriously: This is a near-EpicMovie about a character whose nature, associates, and world don't exactly cry out for the gravitas of a ''Film/{{Superman}}'' spectacular, with a story that gets sillier as it goes along. One would expect a WorldOfHam, but with the key exception of Creator/JohnLithgow as B.Z. (a case of EvilIsHammy as this film's equivalent to Creator/GeneHackman's Lex Luthor, which works in context), ''every'' actor plays it sincerely and the movie is more likable for it than it otherwise would be. Creator/DavidHuddleston as Santa Claus is the most prominent example, but Creator/DudleyMoore's endearing Patch is a lot less hammy/indulgent than one would expect from a comic actor who was the biggest name in the cast back in the day, and Creator/BurgessMeredith is a OneSceneWonder as the dignified Ancient Elf.

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: In a 2019 Random Roles video interview with the AV Club, Creator/JohnLithgow said that this movie "is half of what I'm known for in England", where he ''still'' is approached by fans who grew up with it (thanks primarily to TV airings).

** A lot of this movie's faults comes from its misguided attempts to emulate the formula invented by ''Film/SupermanTheMovie''. Decades later, renowned Franchise/{{Superman}} writer Creator/GrantMorrison would create a [[ComicBook/{{Klaus}} version of Santa]] who is partly a SupermanSubstitute. The character's later stories would even shift the setting from an ambiguous medieval era to the modern day.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: Even by the somewhat nonsensical standards of the movie's second half, The Patchmobile Launch is patently bizarre. From the silly launch sequence, to B.Z. and staff cheering Patch ENTIRELY too long for the segment, to Patch yelling "YAHOO!" as he launches (in a voice completely different than Creator/DudleyMoore's, and utterly out of character for the low key inventor elf)... it's just a very, very surreal sequence to observe.

* CriticalBacklash: Critics who don't like this movie tend to be ''really'' hard on it, with at least two retrospective tomes even ranking it as one of the worst Christmas movies '''ever'''. Viewers familiar with any of the Christmas movies ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' or Podcast/RiffTrax has tackled, or the gobs upon gobs of low-budget StrictlyFormula productions themed to the holiday created for TV and the DirectToVideo market, may well wonder what makes this well-acted, truly lavish production so awful by comparison. Sure, the second half is on the silly side plotwise and the villain is over the top, but is that so unusual for a Christmas movie aimed at kids? The tonal dissonance of a character like Santa Claus getting a sincere, superhero movie-style treatment is probably a big factor in this trope being invoked.
** In fact; Many critics agree that the first half was actually well done. The folks from Website/TheAgonyBooth who reviewed it even stated that if the movie stopped there, it would've been a classic. The movie should have been split into two movies for it to work.

* HilariousInHindsight: Meta example: In 1985, the ProductPlacement for UsefulNotes/McDonalds and Coca-Cola was criticized as excessive, to the point it's discussed in the DVDCommentary (the director arguing that it adds some real world detailing to Joe and Cornelia's first scenes). Three years later, ''Film/MacAndMe'' would show the world just how far ProductPlacement for [=McDonald's=] and Coke (among other products) could be taken...

* WhatAnIdiot: Why would B.Z. be stupid enough to deliberately make teddy bears stuffed with sawdust and nails when regular old cotton/polyester filling is actually cheaper? Does he want to bring himself to ''financial ruin'' or something?
** There's also the matter of setting the price point on his candy canes so ludicrously high that most children wouldn't be able to afford them. Unlike the standard CorruptCorporateExecutive MO (doing evil in the process of making lots of money), B.Z. seems to be in it solely ForTheEvulz at the expense of actually turning a profit!
** On the side of the good guys, ''no one'' thought to test the mass-produced toys before sending them out. The {{Novelization}}'s explanation is that up to this point all of Patch's inventions over the centuries had worked exactly as intended, so 1) he was overconfident in his own abilities, 2) all the toys ''looked'' as perfect as the traditional handmade ones, and 3) everybody trusted that Patch wouldn't come up with anything defective, but it's not wholly satisfying.

* TookTheBadFilmSeriously: This is a near-EpicMovie about a character whose nature, associates, and world don't exactly cry out for the gravitas of a ''Film/{{Superman}}'' spectacular, with a story that gets sillier as it goes along. One would expect a WorldOfHam, but with the key exception of Creator/JohnLithgow as B.Z. (a case of EvilIsHammy as this film's equivalent to Creator/GeneHackman's Lex Luthor, which works in context), ''every'' actor plays it sincerely and the movie is more likable for it than it otherwise would be. David Huddleston as Santa Claus is the most prominent example, but Creator/DudleyMoore's endearing Patch is a lot less hammy/indulgent than one would expect from a comic actor who was the biggest name in the cast back in the day, and Creator/BurgessMeredith is a OneSceneWonder as the dignified Ancient Elf.

* HilariousInHindsight: Meta example: In 1985, the ProductPlacement for [=McDonald's=] and Coca-Cola was criticized as excessive, to the point it's discussed in the DVD commentary (the director arguing that it adds some real world detailing to Joe and Cornelia's first scenes). Three years later, ''Film/MacAndMe'' would show the world just how far ProductPlacement for [=McDonald's=] and Coke (among other products) could be taken...

* {{Moe}}: Cornelia.

* TearJerker: The scene where Patch is removed as Santa's number two, then decides to leave the North Pole. Already well-acted, it's made just that little bit worse in that Patch isn't fired, he just decides to face the music and resign. It's implied that he was ''about'' to be fired and resigns to spare the good-hearted Santa the pain of having to do it.

* TearJerker: The scene where Patch is removed as Santa's number two, then decides to leave the North Pole. Already well-acted, it's made just that little bit worse in that Patch isn't fired (though he was probably about to be), he just decides to face the music and resign.

* TearJerker: The scene where Patch is removed as Santa's number two, then decides to leave the North Pole. Already well-acted, it's made just that little bit worse in that Patch isn't fired, he just decides to face the music and resign.

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: In a 2019 Random Roles video interview with the AV Club, Creator/JohnLithgow admitted that this movie "is half of what I'm known for in England", where he ''still'' is approached by fans who grew up with it (thanks primarily to TV airings).

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: If there's a reason why it's a CultClassic rather than a "mainstream" classic is because critics saw the approach of copying the exact same narrative structure that was used in the Salkinds' previous ''Film/SupermanTheMovie'' almost to a "T" (including having an Expy of Lex Luthor appear as the BigBad by the mid-point of the film) applied for a '''Santa Claus''' movie and they collectively went "...''what''?"

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: The ''other'' [[Film/{{Lifeforce}} expensive 1985]] BoxOfficeBomb to be graced by a Creator/HenryMancini score.

* HilariousInHindsight / HarsherInHindsight: The subplot about B.Z. and his toys took on a whole new level of relevance with TurnOfTheMillennium stories about lead-based paint, etc. in toys that come from China.

* SceneryPorn: Much of the North Pole/Santa's workshop is practically dripping with atmosphere, making the contrast between its warmth and life and the cold, empty factory of B.Z. that much more powerful.

* TookTheBadFilmSeriously: This is a near-EpicMovie about a character whose nature, associates, and world don't exactly cry out for the gravitas of a ''Superman'' spectacular, with a story that gets sillier as it goes along. One would expect a WorldOfHam, but with the key exception of John Lithgow as B.Z. (a case of EvilIsHammy as this film's equivalent to Gene Hackman's Lex Luthor, which works in context), ''every'' actor plays it sincerely and the movie is more likable for it than it otherwise would be. David Huddleston as Santa Claus is the most prominent example, but Creator/DudleyMoore's endearing Patch is a lot less hammy/indulgent than one would expect from a comic actor who was the biggest name in the cast back in the day, and Burgess Meredith is a OneSceneWonder as the dignified Ancient Elf.

* WhatTheHellCastingAgency: Averted with David Huddleston as Santa.

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: If there's a reason why it's a CultClassic rather than a "mainstream" classic is because critics saw the approach of copying the exact same narrative structure that was used in the Salkinds' previous ''Film/SupermanTheMovie'' almost to a "T" (including having an Expy of Lex Luthor appear as the BigBad by the mid-point of the film) used for a ''Santa Claus'' movie and they collectively went "...''what''?"

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: If there's a reason why it's a CultClassic rather than a "mainstream" classic is because critics saw the approach of copying the exact same narrative structure that was used in the Salkinds' ''Film/SupermanTheMovie'' almost to a "T" (including having an Expy of Lex Luthor appear as the BigBad by the mid-point of the film) used for a ''Santa Claus'' movie and they collectively went "...''what''?"

* CriticalBacklash: Critics who don't like this movie tend to be ''really'' hard on it, with at least two retrospective tomes even ranking it as one of the worst Christmas movies '''ever'''. Viewers familiar with any of the Christmas movies ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' or Podcast/RiffTrax has tackled, or the gobs upon gobs of low-budget StrictlyFormula productions themed to the holiday created for TV and the DirectToVideo market, may well wonder what makes this well-acted, truly lavish production so awful by comparison. Sure, the second half is on the silly side plotwise and the villain is over the top, but is that so unusual for a Christmas movie aimed at kids?

* CriticalBacklash: Critics who don't like this movie are ''really'' hard on it, even ranking it as one of the worst Christmas movies ever -- but especially for those familiar with any of the Christmas movies Podcast/RiffTrax has tackled, it's not that bad at all.

* AwesomeMusic: The ''other'' [[Film/{{Lifeforce}} expensive 1985]] BoxOfficeBomb to be graced by a Creator/HenryMancini score.

* SignatureScene: Santa Claus and his reindeer flying over the Rockefeller Ice Rink and the city's Christmas Tree. It has become a stock scene for anything involving Santa Claus, especially in New York adverts, such as the Radio City Music Hall annual Christmas show ad.