One of the strangest things about "Santa Claus" the movie starring Dudley Moore is not that it was made by the same production team behind "Superman", but the fact that despite being an expensive flop on it's original release in 1985 it has gained somewhat of a cult following. I would take a bet that it is in most people's top-ten Christmas movie lists with many suggesting it is as much a part of Christmas as tinsel. But even though it is an annual favourite and undoubtedly gets you in a festive mood with its heart warming magical feel, "Santa Claus" is in fact technically a poor movie, which proves that even bad movies can be enjoyable.

Several centuries ago, whilst out delivering toys to the children in the surrounding villages, toy maker Klaus (David Huddleston - Blazing Saddles) and his wife Anya (Judy Cornwell) get caught in a terrible snow storm and look likely to die when some elves magical whisk them of to their home at the North Pole. Klaus discovers that the elves are an industrious bunch making hundreds of toys and more importantly he has been chosen to become Santa Claus and thanks to some elf magic deliver toys to all the good children around the world. Hundreds of year's later and enthusiastic elf, Patch (Dudley Moore - Arthur), decides to run away from the North Pole and ends up being duped into helping evil toymaker B.Z. (John Lithgow - Footloose) as he tries to take over Christmas. It's now up to Santa to rescue his little helper and preserve the spirit of Christmas.

Part of the trouble with "Santa Claus" is that it is a movie of two distinct halves with the first half setting up a nice magical movie only for the second half to ruin it by being a little throw away. When you watch the first half of the movie, the introduction to Santa Claus, the history and of course his toy workshop full of happy elves beavering away is all fun and very special. You can't but help enjoy this build up and even though it is full of terrible puns it often brings a smile to your face. But then when the second half gets introduced the movie loses all that magic and becomes a bit of a nonsense. Now I know it needed to introduce a storyline with some form of immediacy about it but the story of Patch going walk abouts or the overall feel of it is wrong. It doesn't gel with the first half of the movie and turns "Santa Claus" into what it was most likely intended, a vehicle for Dudley Moore.

Now I know that "Santa Claus" is a relatively old movie, especially when you consider it inline with technical advancements in movie making, but even so the few special effects which appear in the movie are to say the least laughable. Yes I am on about those anamatronic reindeer which may appear cute for younger audiences are really quite poor whether viewed close up or from afar. It really does cheapen the movie having such shoddy special effects and I can only say that thanks to the great set designs, especially Santa's workshop, the special effects can be ignored.

As for the performances well David Huddleston does make for a very fine Santa and probably one of my favourites when it comes to the various versions which have appeared in Christmas movies over the years. He gives Santa that nice, kind feel yet someone who expects respect and it works well. Judy Cornwell is lovely as a warm motherly Mrs. Claus although I have to be disappointed that she didn't get more screen time as between Huddleston and Cornwell they add so much magic to the movie.

But as already mentioned "Santa Claus" was primarily a vehicle for Dudley Moore and like the movie it is a tale of two halves for the comic talent. The first half where he is in the mix with all the other elves he does really well and is likeable but yet when the movie changes track and he pretty much takes centre stage there is something missing from his performance and starts to become annoying. Was Moore the right choice for the movie, despite the issues I think he was and put most of the blame on the second storyline for his performance failing to really work.

Alongside Huddleston, Cornwell and Moore you have the likes of John Lithgow who camps it up perfectly as the evil B.Z. and amongst the other cast there are a few familiar faces such as Melvyn Hayes, Don Estelle and Burgess Meredith as the white bearded ancient elf.

Now the thing is despite all the criticism of the jarring storylines and the terrible special effects "Santa Claus" the movie definitely delivers that Christmassy feel and has that bit of Santa magic about it. As an adult it is easy to see the faults and yes they do spoil a movie which I loved as a child but then this is a movie for children first and adults second. As a children's Christmas movie and even a family Christmas movie it works because it is innocent and delivers a wholesome, heart warming message that makes it feel such a wonderful movie.

What this all boils down to is that "Santa Claus" the movie is not a great movie, it has too many issues even if it is primarily aimed at children. But even so it has that special feel that makes up for it faults and it is no surprise that with a wonderful performance from David Huddleston and a heart warming message it has become engrained into our hearts during the build up to Christmas day.