Fatman

Saban Films | Release Date: November 13, 2020

6.2	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 70 Ratings

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theirrelephantsDec 27, 2021

I liked this movie, but if you asked me why, I couldn't really tell you. The plot was just sort of there, and not really that interesting. It bordered on being a childish disney villain-esque sort of scenario, but this is not a movie forI liked this movie, but if you asked me why, I couldn't really tell you. The plot was just sort of there, and not really that interesting. It bordered on being a childish disney villain-esque sort of scenario, but this is not a movie for children. The elves were funny, so was mel gibson.

It's fun to watch, but I'd only recommend it if you had absolutely nothing else on your list.

My only real complaint is the wife. Aside from making her black for no reason (and ugly, what was with that haircut?) she had no reason to be in the film either.… Expand

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MarkTakayamaSep 13, 2021

This is another mediocre movie by Mel Gibson. He did a great job, but the story was kind of weak. It might be a good movie for kids. After they watched it, they will behave very well.

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GunnerMcDaggetAug 31, 2021

I don't know why this movie exists. It's generally boring with terrible writing and no real direction. It's one of those movies where you hope the ending will redeem it. And the ending is just slightly OK.

Not worth the time.

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JLuis_001Dec 22, 2020

Interesting twist to a ''Santa'' story but it feels to dumb. I mean, I know it's not supposed to be taken seriously but still.

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SoulWarfareDec 12, 2020

Fatman is a film with such a ridiculous premise that you wonder how it was even made. The premise is that " Chris Cringle, also known as Santa Claus, is forced into a partnership with the U.S. military to save his declining business. MakingFatman is a film with such a ridiculous premise that you wonder how it was even made. The premise is that " Chris Cringle, also known as Santa Claus, is forced into a partnership with the U.S. military to save his declining business. Making matters worse, Chris gets locked into a deadly battle of wits against a highly-skilled assassin, hired by a precocious 12-year-old, after receiving a lump of coal in his stocking". I was very intrigued by this movie and the fact that Mel Gibson himself is playing Santa Clause. So was the movie a jolly good time or giant lump of coal?

Firstly, the idea and concept of this movie are great. It's ridiculous but it's different and a unique take on the legend himself. The director/writer (Eshom Nelms) manages to somehow bring this legend and make him grounded in reality (sort of). Seeing Chris's/Santa's struggle with declining income due to lack of nice kids and having to not make toys but help the military is intriguing. You're watching this movie hoping to see how Chris/Santa overcomes this dilemma and you want to see him be fulfilled by the end. There is also the massive tension with the impending Hitman getting closer to discovering Santa's location that adds some thrills to the movie. The third act is also a blast to watch.

Mel Gibson as the titular character is great casting as well. Mel doesn't phone it in and gives a genuinely strong performance. One moment that sticks in my mind is the part where Santa has to tell the elves that they have to work with the Military. Through Mel's eyes and his bodywork, he convincingly shows the audience how heartbreaking this is for Santa and its surprisingly quite moving. Marianne Jean-Baptiste as Ruth Cringle/Mrs Clause is also really good and her interactions with Chris Cringle/Santa (Mel Gibson) is where the heart of this movie is. The chemistry between the two is heartwarming and makes for an enjoyable watch when the two are together. Chris is grumpy and frustrated the world but Ruth gives him the words and encouragement he needs which is what keeps him together. Walton Goggins as Jonathan Miller the Hitman is good casting as well. He is quirky yet scary and Walton gives a good performance in conveying that. However, the movie does have some pacing issues and can feel quite slow at times. There are a lot of scenes that are just people walking that I feel could have been cut. Likewise, there are a couple of scenes involving the Hitman shopping which I don't think needed to be in the movie and slowed the pacing. Some scenes add to world-building but not the main narrative such as how elves work or how Santa is stronger than normal people. Nonetheless, the scenes don't amount to anything as Santa doesn't ever use his super strength or how the elves operate doesn't matter as they aren't that important to the main story. The 100-minute runtime could have been shortened by at least 10 minutes in my opinion.

The movie also has a fair amount of tone clashes. When the movie begins with the kid, it feels like a family comedy. When it goes to the hitman the movie feels like a dark comedy and after getting the call to kill Santa it feels like a thriller. When it comes to Santa it is character-driven drama and then the third act is an action movie. The movie will constantly change perspective from Santa to the Hitman and occasionally to the kid leading to some jarring tone changes. It doesn't always mesh well and can be a bit annoying when it goes to the kid as those parts aren't as enjoyable as the other stuff.

Overall, the movie is surprisingly enjoyable. Despite the absurd premise, the movie delivers a relatively entertaining movie with some potent and heartwarming scenes. It may not be a full-on action movie that marketing might lead you to believe but it is certainly a good time.… Expand

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RincemacDec 26, 2020

Not the worst somewhat "Christmas" themed Santa movie you'll ever see, certainly not the best. But a solid performance from the main actors on what was likely a low production budget outweighs the at times long-drawn and somewhat convolutedNot the worst somewhat "Christmas" themed Santa movie you'll ever see, certainly not the best. But a solid performance from the main actors on what was likely a low production budget outweighs the at times long-drawn and somewhat convoluted 97 Minutes with a pretty fulminant finale.

I do have to admit I like Mel Gibson, and I do separate the actor Mel Gibson from why so many seem to "hate" him and would like to disavow him and even his more than solid past works.

So, cancel culture aside, I do think he delivered a very solid performance as "Fatman", named "Chris Cringle" in this far-flung idea that, somehow, Santa does exist, has a government contract to fulfil his annual toy quota and to "keep up the spirit of Christmas" while he's working his Elfs in his Sweatshop.

Walton Goggins as an adquately "villainized" character is up and about to get a contract from a very, very naughty child prodigy who's putting a hit out on old Santa for all the wrong reasons.

To see how this plays out will be a somewhat boring affair likely for younger viewewers (let's call them Gen Z, shall we?) brought up on 5-20 second cut segments entertainment also thanks to TikTok and whatnot. This has long cuts. Loooong Cuts. Sprawling expositions. Unnecessary drawn-out segments are in there as well that add nothing to story but are interesting aspects of the characters portrayed.

These failings are offset by as many lovable as unlovable characters who are all given adquate background set in a pretty interesting story. The only downside is that for the one big bogeyman, "Mr. Slim" (played Walton Goggins), this fails to set up his motivation. While giving him ample room to establish again and again he's a primo A-Hole and AAA Antagonist, we only get a slight glimpse into what might have brought about his miserable choice of profession through a very short scene I found a) too late and b) highly clichéd.

Plus, prepare to wait a long time for the "Action" part here, as the movie draws out to full length before we get to that. But it'll be worth it I think if you're into slower-going drama/action and it definitely has some strong characters and ideas worked into it.

Nevertheless, give this a berth if you're expecting an Action Fest (it's not) or a 10/10 story - it's more a 5/10 cinematography, 7/10 Story and 1/10 Action!

Worth a look for a boring Sunday afternoon.… Expand

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Craftnight405May 9, 2023

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Der reiche und böse Junge Billy Wenan bekommt dieses Jahr nur ein Stück Kohle vom Weihnachtsmann, weil er sich schlecht benommen hat. Daraufhin schickt er den Auftragsmörder Jonathan Miller (Walton Goggins) der keine guten Erfahrungen mit dem Weihnachtsmann gemacht hat. Währenddessen hat der Weihnachtsmann Chris Cringle (Mel Gibson) selber Probleme, da die Kinder immer böser werden und die Weihnachtsstimmung immer weniger wird, haben er und seine Frau nicht mehr genug Geld um zu überleben. Das führt dazu, dass sie Maßnahmen tätigen müssen, die ihm nicht gefallen.

Mel Gibson spielt Santa super und ist einer der wenigen Charaktere, die sympathisch sind und ein wenig Charakter haben. Der Junge Billy ist richtig, schmierig und ekelhaft und man wünscht ihm nur das Schlechteste. Jonathan Miller ist der typische Bösewicht in solchen Filmen und ist nur mit reinen Klischees behaftet. Er ist böse auf Santa, weil dieser ihm keine Geschenke gegeben hat, richtig neues macht der Film nicht. Während das Konzept und auch der Anfang des Filmes interessant aussah, musste man früh feststellen, dass der Film nichts einhält, was er verspricht. Schwarzer Humor wie behauptet ist nicht wirklich vorhanden, wenn nur ganz kurz das gesagt wird, dass es Kinderarbeit gibt und diese mehr gefördert wird als Arbeit für Erwachsene. Der Film versucht das Konzept Weihnachtsmann realistisch darzustellen, in dem der Weihnachtsmann einen roten LKW fährt und kein Schlitten, außerdem hat er Geldsorgen und auch er hat mit Bürokratie zu kämpfen. Der Film wird, solange er geht, immer schwächer und schwächer und auch leider langweiliger. Erst am Ende treffen der Killer und Chris aufeinander und kämpfen gegeneinander. Der Kampf ist nicht wirklich interessant gemacht. Die Story mit den Elfen ist nicht interessant und ist langweilig. Ein Problem ist es auch, dass viele Sachen am Ende richtig unrealistisch sind, was der Film ja eigentlich nicht sein möchte. So schafft es ein Killer eine US-Army im Alleingang zu besiegen. Am Ende dachte ich, dass der Film wenigstens konsequent bleibt und Chris wirklich stirbt. Doch auch das haben sie sich nicht getraut und haben am Ende nur noch den bösen Jungen bestraft.

Fatman ist eine reine Enttäuschung und zeigt einmal wieder, wie stark man ein gutes Konzept verkacken kann. Mel Gibson ist ein guter Cast gewesen und rettet den Film ein bisschen. Solche Art von Filmen gibt es schon viele und dieser gehört definitiv zu einer der schlechtesten. Wenn man im Vergleich sich Violent Night anschaut, sieht man einen starken Qualitätsunterschied. Dort passt nämlich der Humor und der Film wird nie langweilig. Also wenn man so eine Art von Film zur Weihnachtszeit sich anschauen möchte, sollte man Violent Night oder Kevin allein Zuhause sich anschauen.

4/10… Expand

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