While it’s moderately enjoyable as it is, Fatman feels as if two ideas were jammed together in spite of both of them being strong enough to stand on their own.
Christmas movies usually fall into one of two categories: excessively schmaltzy or excessively predictable. Fatman, a 2020 film written and directed by Eshom and Ian Nelms, is neither. In fact, what could have been its biggest strength ends up being its biggest weakness.
Fatman is set in a world where Chris Cringle (aka Santa Claus, played by Mel Gibson) is portrayed as a down-and-almost-out sad sack. Chris’ business is subsidized by the U.S. for each successful delivery of a present. Coal deliveries, however, do not count towards his payment. Lately, he’s been delivering more coal than presents due to rising bad behavior on the part of children around the world. To prevent his business from going under, Chris mulls over an offer from the U.S. military to use his elves to build parts for a fighter jet in exchange for a big check.
Meanwhile, 12-year-old Billy Weiman (Chance Hurstfield,) a spoiled rich kid angered by coal under his tree, hires a hit man (Walton Goggins) to hunt down and kill Chris in retaliation. The hitman, who harbors his own grudge against Santa, gladly takes the job. There’s only one catch: he has to find him first.
Unlike the brazenly cynical Bad Santa, which leaned into its meanness with a despicable glee, Fatman can’t seem to figure out a balance between the comedic and dark material. Rather than embracing a unique vision of the Santa Claus legend, the Nelms Brothers don’t commit fully to their set-up. Seeing a cranky, down-on-his luck Chris Cringle getting support from his loving wife, Ruth (Mariann Jean-Baptiste,) made me want to see more of them and less of the revenge-bent assassin.
That’s not to say that Walton Goggins’ hit man — credited as Skinny Man — isn’t a fascinating character in his own right. His beloved pet hamster and effortless sociopathy make for an unusual and compelling combination. Goggins goes full-on slimeball for the role and it works quite well. But his story and the Santa plot-line could have been (and probably should have been) two separate movies.
Mel Gibson delivers a fine performance as the desperate Chris Cringle. As much as his off-screen shortcomings have affected his public perception, he’s still more than capable of carrying a film. In this case, Fatman could have used more of him and his character’s backstory.
While it’s moderately enjoyable as it is, Fatman feels as if two ideas were jammed together in spite of both of them being strong enough to stand on their own. As a result, both suffer, and the resulting product feels disappointing. If you’re looking for a different kind of Christmas movie, Fatman might satisfy but chances are you’ll walk away with the feeling that it’s not equal to the sum of its parts.
3.0 out of 5.0 stars
