Yes, we're in the middle of October and this is a review of a Christmas special. But you can't walk through a retail store without knowing Christmas is coming fast and furious. So what's the deal with Gotta Catch Santa Claus featuring William Shatner in the title role?
Take a few parts of the game Mousetrap, a bit of the skepticism of A Christmas Carol, and the kids of Scooby-Doo and you have a few of the ingredients that went into this entertaining holiday program. As I watched with my girls, ages 4 and 8, I know they enjoyed it and I have to admit that I did too.
What's it about? Santa Claus of course! Twelve-year-old Trevor is a believer. His good friend Veronica is a skeptic however and chooses to only believe what she can see. So when Veronica challenges Trevor to get proof that Santa is real, Trevor of course accepts and sets out to not only prove that Santa exists, but to capture him and hold a press conference.
Santa himself is of course preparing for his yearly round-the-world, record-breaking journey from the North Pole delivering toys to good little girls and boys. Mrs. Claus, updated from the dowdy older matriarch to a thin, health-conscious and supportive wife, tries to keep the big guy's sweet tooth in check. The elves are also helping with the preparations, making sure that everything goes smoothly.
And then, as if Trevor and Veronica weren't enough trouble, Santa has to deal with the bad guy of the film, LeFreeze. LeFreeze is a frozen giant with a grudge. Santa wronged him sometime in the past and now LeFreeze wants to exact his revenge. LeFreeze is aided by his three snowman henchmen ready to help their boss.
Clocking in at about 66 minutes, this isn't the longest holiday animated feature I've ever seen but it was long enough to keep the kids entertained and present a solid beginning, middle, and end. A couple of the musical numbers were a bit much for me, but again, the kids seemed to enjoy them.
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