THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL is a live-action musical that re-tells the classic Dickens story with all our Muppet favorites and actor Michael Caine as Scrooge. Of course, the story is a biblical allegory depicting a depraved man who repents of his selfishness and proceeds to show kindness to everyone. THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL is fun for the whole family with finger-snapping musical numbers, and breathtaking costumes and scenery.

The new animated DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL is a magnificent adaptation of the classic Charles Dickens story about Ebenezer Scrooge, an old black-hearted miser, who changes his sinful ways when three spirits take him on a nightmarish, frightening, life-changing journey through scenes of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet-To-Come. A CHRISTMAS CAROL brilliantly captures this masterful tale, with redemptive references to Jesus Christ and the Bible. Even so, A CHRISTMAS CAROL is too frightening for young children and susceptible adults.

THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE, based on C. S. Lewis’s popular Christian fable, tells the story of four English children, who enter the land of Narnia, where they meet Aslan, the son of the Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea, who rescues the land from the evil White Witch. Despite some minor changes from the book, THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE retains most of its Christian focus and is tremendously exciting, thrilling and redemptive.

MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET, a beautifully crafted and well-acted remake of the 1947 classic, relates the arrival of a department store Santa who believes he is the genuine article and who turns a child’s perspective from skepticism and fatalism toward hope and imagination. The film stresses the importance of family and that intangibles like love, hope and trust are more important than money. The only flaw in this warm-hearted movie is the tendentious courtroom argument about Santa Claus which examines reality versus fantasy and harmless game playing versus harmful deception.

Based loosely on the famous ballet, Disney’s THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS is about a teenage girl named Clara who must go into another world to return a stolen key to help the people of that world. THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS has a strong Christian, redemptive, biblical, moral worldview with very little questionable content, though younger children may get scared.

In HOME ALONE 2: LOST IN NEW YORK, Kevin McCallister (Macauley Culkin) separates from his vacation-bound family for a wild adventure that involves defending his favorite toy store against crooks. The movie tries to outdo its predecessor with an added dose of slapstick violence, at the expense of original’s most endearing qualities. Of course, HOME ALONE 2 affirms man’s need for fellowship; however, the Christmas sentiments–such as good will and friendship–regrettably melt into a muddled humanism. For many, it was not the Kevin-vs-crooks showdown that made the original a success, but the storyline that affirmed Christian values, such as family, responsibility, repentance, and reconciliation.

It’s late Christmas Eve and up on the roof there arose such a clatter that Scott Calvin and his son Charlie awake just in time to be swept up in a magical fantasy aboard Santa’s sleigh in THE SANTA CLAUSE. Tim Allen is a divorced dad trying to salvage his relationship with his young son when he experiences an abrupt career change involving a big red suit and weight gain. If you explain to your children the difference between fantasy and the Truth, then they can enjoy this truly delightful adventure fantasy which is definitely an uplifting experience.

Ted Baehr’s discernment point: THE SANTA CLAUSE is fun, lightweight fare which does not teach magical thinking or New Age beliefs. However, Christians do not want their children confusing the Truth of Jesus Christ with the myth of Santa Claus, nor do we want Christmas held hostage by pagan mythology. Therefore, although this movie is innocuous, it is important to explain to our children the difference between fantasy, which can teach some good moral lessons, and the Truth, which sets them free from the bondage to the corruption of our age — including the inherited corruption of sin, the penultimate disease afflicting mankind. Helping our children understand the Truth, will give the discernment they need to see and enjoy THE SANTA CLAUSE without conforming to the mindset of the fallen world.
THE SANTA CLAUSE poses the question: Is there anything really wrong with little children enjoying a movie about Santa Claus? No more so than them enjoying a book about talking animals (THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA), if parents have taught them the deeper Truth of Jesus Christ.