Noelle: Disney's Elf Attempt
Disney's first original live-action movie, Noelle, stars Anna Kendrick and Bill Hader in a wholesome Christmas story. It takes place in a world where the title of Santa Claus is passed down to generations of men in the Kringle family. Nick (Bill Hader) is next in line for the role but he doesn't want the responsibility. In contrast, his sister Noelle (Anna Kendrick) hopes to play a bigger role but her father believes it is a man's job and persuades her to support Nick.
Nick is stressed out going through his training of landing sleighs and determining if children are naughty or nice. Noelle suggests he takes a vacation to refresh and he decides to and doesn't come back. The role of Santa then goes to their cousin Gabe who wants to turn the Christmas routine into a tech-heavy operation. The North Pole is now in a mess and Noelle is set to go out and find her brother in Phoenix.
The script expects to get its laughs from replacing phrases with seasonal terminology. As Noelle stumbles into the real world she is faced with confusion by normal things. The film also heavily draws upon Elf with Noelle's psychical comedy of pointing out fake Santas and licking sunscreen from the palms of her hands. The film fails to replicate the successful formula of Elf. The production design looks cheap and generic that doesn't add any substance to this family Christmas story.
Noelle gets help from a private detective and his son to find Nick. She has constant run-ins with people who don't believe the magic of Christmas and these interactions help show her generous side. On this adventure, she learns she has the gifts that go along with the job of being Santa. The bigger problem of the story is that she needs to find Nick fast and get him home because Gabe has decided only 2,837 children in the world are nice. Christmas needs to be saved and Noelle is the one to do it if she can convince the council of elves to allow a girl to take on the Santa role.
Overall the film is predictable and disappointing. There are elements that should make this a successful comedy but it results in no laugh in its material. It has a charming cast but doesn't contain anything to make it feel warm or memorable in any way. Out of all the Christmas movies, this is one that can be skipped during the holidays.