In this second installment of Christmas Chronicles we are reunited with the grooviest Santa in the business and his fleet of quirky elves. Kurt Russell dons the red leather coat one more time to save Christmas with the Misses and its just as wonderfully campy as the first go round.

In the first Christmas Chronicles Kurt Russell breaks stereotypes with his Claus redefined approach to this iconic holiday figure. This one is a little cranky, a little bit rock and roll and has a strict no ho-ho-ho policy. Despite all of that he infuses a grieving family with holiday joy and gets every packaged delivered on time.

This time around its not just Christmas that is at risk, it’s the whole of the North Pole. A disgruntled former elf, Belsnickel (Julian Dennison), is looking for a way to get even with Santa and he found his in with a homesick Kate (Darby Camp). With a little bit of trickery and magic, Belsnickel transports Kate to the North Pole and uses her status as a True Believer to enter the protective bubble of the Pole himself. Once there he wreaks havoc on Santa’s Village with the help of his menacing old friend, the Yule Cat. Now it’s Santa who needs Kate’s help to save Christmas.

Sequels are inevitably compared to the original and often judged more harshly. While this sequel may not be an immediate holiday classic, in the end, it’s a perfectly respectable Christmas treat for the whole family. The plots winds and wanders a bit more than the original but all that winding and wandering gives space for some touching back story and some very cool sleigh chases. The film’s blend of live action and animation is a creative choice that works and lends flexibility to the range of antics the elves get into during one particular segment when they all run amok during the climax of the movie.

Christmas Chronicles 2 is just fun. Its got just the right amount of Christmas cheese with a hefty dash of sentiment and a holiday musical number that gets a whole airport grooving. Kurt Russell really is the coolest Santa around with his silver fox hair and beard combo and his old west swagger. His straight talking, no nonsense demeanor only enhances his mischievous moments and makes his magical Santa moments just that much more special. And, of course there can be no other misses for him but the endearing Goldie Hawn. Hawn lights up the screen with her trademark warmth and sense of fun. She is the perfect misses to his mister.

Be sure to add Christmas Chronicles 2 to your Christmas viewing list. You won’t be sorry!