--- title: "Get Santa: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/get-santa/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/get-santa" critics_score: 64 critics_reviews: 12 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Get Santa (2014): what the critics said Critics' score 64 from 12 reviews: 5 positive, 5 mixed, 2 negative. The reviews lean towards qualified goodwill for Get Santa, with praise clustering around the cast rather than the plotting. Jim Broadbent’s warm, committed Santa wins approval even from critics who dislike the film, while Rafe Spall earns praise for the tenderness and dry wit of his father trying to reconnect with his son. Several critics welcome the rougher comic edge, finding that the crime-caper elements keep the Christmas sentiment from becoming too sugary. Reservations centre on unreliable jokes, uneven pacing and cheap-looking visual effects. Some find the middle sluggish; others tire of the extended action or frantic delivery. The spread is wide: HeyUGuys finds an accomplished family film whose performances and familiar London setting make the fantasy convincing, while Empire finds too little cheer beneath the reindeer flatulence. Eye for Film is similarly dismissive of the muddled storytelling, though it shares the broader admiration for Broadbent. ## Radio Times — Stella Papamichael Rating 4/5. Papamichael gives the film a positive assessment as a Christmas tale with a rougher edge but plenty of goodwill. She praises Rafe Spall’s touching, dry-witted performance as an ex-con trying to reconnect with his son. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-4f75lr/get-santa/) ## The Guardian — Mark Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 7 December 2014. Kermode finds the film a moderately likable, sweet-natured Christmas comedy, though not a classic. He particularly praises Jim Broadbent’s performance and the film’s spirited comic energy. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/dec/07/get-santa-review-jim-broadbent-rafe-spall) ## Variety — Charles Gant Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 17 December 2014. Gant finds the comedy amiable and well suited to family holiday viewing, despite a plot that bogs down midway. He praises Jim Broadbent’s committed performance as Santa, while noting that the visual effects look under-resourced. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/film-review-get-santa-1201375759/) ## The Independent — Geoffrey Macnab Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 4 December 2014. The review finds that Christopher Smith gives the Christmas film some welcome grit, though the humor is often feeble. It praises Jim Broadbent’s warmly playful performance as Santa and the action and grotesquerie that temper the sentimentality. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/get-santa-film-review-christopher-smith-adds-some-grit-to-the-typical-christmas-film-9904545.html) ## Screen Daily — Mark Adams Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 28 November 2014. The critic's verdict is unavailable because the article text is behind a paywall. No specific praise or complaint is visible in the accessible page. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/get-santa/5080471.article) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Leslie Felperin Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 5 December 2014. Felperin finds the film uneven but ultimately enjoyable, with enough charm to offset its weaker stretches. She praises the cast and especially the funny prison scenes, while criticizing the drawn-out escape and chase sequences. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/get-santa-film-review-754371/) ## Time Out — Trevor Johnston Rating 3/5. 1 December 2014. The page's three-out-of-five rating suggests a middling verdict. The available metadata gives the premise but does not reveal what Johnston praised or criticized. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/get-santa) ## Empire — Nick de Semlyen Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 5 December 2014. The review finds the film short on cheer, despite Jim Broadbent’s twinkly performance. It criticizes the cheap-looking effects and copious reindeer farting. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/get-santa-review/) ## HeyUGuys — Stefan Pape Fi1m's normalised score 95/100 (inferred from the text). 1 December 2014. Pape calls the film an enchanting, accomplished Christmas movie that works for children and parents alike. He particularly praises the sincere performances and the way the familiar London setting makes Santa’s adventure feel believable. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/get-santa-review/) ## Digital Spy — Stella Papamichael Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 4 December 2014. The critic calls it a warm, witty family caper and ultimately a Christmas classic. Broadbent’s performance as Santa is singled out as a delight, especially as he wins over the cynical prison inmates. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a613148/get-santa-review-jim-broadbent-is-santa-in-the-slammer/) ## Den of Geek — Mark Harrison Rating 3/5. 9 December 2014. The review finds Get Santa a very good crime caper for kids, though its jokes often miss and its pacing is frantic. It praises the live-action production and care put into the sets, script, and real reindeer. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/get-santa-review/) ## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 17 December 2014. The review finds the film muddled and dull, despite its festive potential. It praises Jim Broadbent for saving the film with a convincing performance as Santa. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/get-santa-2014-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/get-santa.md