The status of Christmas is absolutely not in jeopardy The Action Pack saves Christmas (now on Netflix), because what do you expect from an animated series for preschoolers with a title like this, Nuclear Xmasageddon? This absolutely EPIC 27-minute vacation-themed Netflix spin-off promotional package The series finds the titular fearless tot foursome who join forces with the one and only Santa, His Damn Self, to repel a full-blown assault on the sanctity of the holiday. And of course it’s not about IF it sparkles at all, but HOW it sparkles. For toddlers, that is.
The essentials: The Action Pack is ready for the holidays! They decorate the Christmas tree, light the menorah and prepare for an exchange of gifts. Character Inventory: You have Treena (Sydney Thomas) controlling and manipulating plants. Watts (Oscar Reyez) controls and manipulates electricity. Clay (Nevin Kar) controls and manipulates the plasma in his body, allowing him to stretch and create force fields. Wren (Julieta Cortes) controls and manipulates everything one needs to control and manipulate in order to bestow oneself with a variety of animal characteristics – DNA or whatever, one assumes. And Mr. Ernesto (Giancarlo Sabogal) controls and manipulates the Action Pack himself since he is the adult in the room. Oh, and there’s also Plunky, a robotic dog who controls and manipulates audiences’ laughter hearts, most effectively when the audience is four years old or younger.
Suddenly, a conflict arises: local villain Teddy Von Taker (Jason Maybaum) flies through town, eliciting joy from the locals with a device I like to call the MEH-ilizer. It literally takes people’s color away – they’re almost black and white! — and makes them lethargic and bored, like they’re watching Emily in Paris in an endless loop. Is it worth noting that Teddy Von Taker has a young Republican side parting, wears a prep school blazer, and has the general oily air of a trust fund snot? ABSOLUTELY.
And then, who should appear other than Super Santa Claus, with a strong stature and a Viking braid in his beard! No bowl of jelly on it This Claus, nosirree – this counts calories and goes to the gym, bro. And alongside him is none other than his loyal reindeer sidekick Striker, who I assume is Prancer’s more violent brother. But Teddy Von Taker is not intimidated. He’s unleashing his Minion penguins and teddy bears and “Taker Tots” – big, anthropomorphic Tater Tots, of course – and just won’t go down without a fight.
Which movies will it remind you of?: promotional package is as close as possible PJ Masks without causing a copyright lawsuit from Disney.
Notable performance: The Netflix lawyers who inevitably put in countless hours to ensure this promotional package is as close as possible PJ Masks without causing a copyright lawsuit from Disney.
Memorable dialogue: Santa Clause reminds young viewers that Christmas isn’t just about materialism: “Some of the best gifts are something that you are yourself do for somebody.”
gender and skin: none.
Our opinion: Santa’s transformation into a beefcake superhero: Blatant blasphemy or welcome innovation? THE DEBATE CONTINUES. In the meantime, The Action Pack saves Christmas is a harmless distraction for viewers young enough not to know or care that the content they’re staring at is shamelessly derived from several other hugely successful multimedia properties, e.g. PJ Masks and Paw Patrol. Several other highly successful multimedia properties that parents generally find annoying in their general loudness and repetition, yet are generally acceptable in their simple moral message.
Look deeper and you’ll see the gross calculation going into the promotional package Feature as it sticks to the same basic storytelling and character dynamics of every stinky preschooler-friendly series out there. (Related: Another Unforgettable Netflix Venture, Chico Bon-Bon: Monkey with a tool beltwho previously enjoyed a few “seasons” and a holiday special Not becomes a crossover hit.) The animation is blocky and bright and colorful and the audio is dull, and when your toddler grabs the remote and navigates to it, they’re not hurt — or particularly inspired.
Our appeal: The Action Pack saves Christmas awakens in me a great and powerful ambivalence. STREAM IT, I guess, when all other vacation options have been exhausted. Or not. Keep in mind that, by and large, none of this matters!
John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Read more about his work below johnserbaatlarge.com.