Christmas-themed films have turn into so ubiquitous it’s onerous to keep away from the sensation that filmmakers have come to think about them as annuities for his or her retirement accounts. So it’s no surprise that the Farrelly brothers have waded into the territory for the primary time, with their new comedy directed by Bobby Farrelly making its debut on Paramount+. And whereas Pricey Santa doesn’t precisely qualify for entry within the filmmakers’ pantheon beside the likes of There’s One thing About Mary and Dumb and Dumber, it ought to fulfill its purpose of being trotted out yearly for vacation consumption alongside the turkey and the eggnog.

Contemplating that the phrases “Santa” and “Devil” include precisely the identical letters, it’s superb that it’s taken this lengthy for somebody to give you the concept for a film about an 11-year-old with dyslexia who writes a letter to Santa, solely to seek out it answered by Devil because of inadvertent letter placement.

Jack Black, in his first collaboration with the Farrellys since 2001’s Shallow Corridor, performs Devil, who exhibits up one evening within the bed room of Liam (Robert Timothy Smith, an actual discover) after the bespectacled tween has written what he thought was a letter to Santa. Devil, sporting horns and a burgundy leather-and-fur outfit and asserting that he’s there “within the naughty flesh,” doesn’t hassle at first to tell Liam of the reality however as a substitute gives him three needs, within the devilish hope of stealing the little boy’s soul.

Liam’s first want is for the romantic attentions of Emma (Kai Cech), his classmate with whom he’s besotted. Devil immediately grants it and it isn’t lengthy earlier than Liam is escorting Emma to a Submit Malone live performance, full with VIP seats and backstage go. This plot aspect gives the chance for an prolonged sequence that includes the celebrity rapper-singer taking part in himself, which ought to assist the movie enchantment to its desired teen demographic.

As with every deal involving Devil, issues shortly develop sophisticated, right here within the type of subplots involving Liam’s pal Gibby (Jaden Carson Baker) having to faux to be a most cancers affected person and Liam’s involved mother and father (Brianne Howey, Hayes MacArthur) having him see a baby psychologist. (The shrink is performed by the all the time humorous however sadly underutilized Keegan-Michael Key.)

It ought to hardly come as a revelation that Black’s hardworking comedic efforts are the movie’s saving grace. Adopting a deep growl that makes him sound like late-period Jack Nicholson, the actor is clearly having a ball along with his colourful position, and the enjoyable proves infectious. He makes the various dangerous jokes bearable and the respectable ones even funnier along with his sometimes manic, completely timed supply.

And to be honest, there are just a few respectable ones within the screenplay co-written by Peter Farrelly and Ricky Blitt (Household Man, Loudermilk), even when it inevitably contains rest room humor within the type of Devil casting a gastrointestinal misery spell on Liam’s obnoxious English instructor (P.J. Byrne). “Each time a grown man sharts himself, a demon earns its horns,” a smug Devil informs Liam. There are a number of humorous popular culture references that ought to please adults whereas befuddling the audience, together with a reference to One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Devil asserting that he’s staying on the “Redrum Motor Lodge.”

“You possibly can most likely guess my room quantity,” he provides.

Culminating in a maudlin ending that appears a bit a lot even for a movie of this sort, Pricey Santa is the kind of forgettable vacation fare — very like the present theatrical misfire Purple One — that can most likely nonetheless stay on ceaselessly on streaming providers. And if no much less a determine than Charles Dickens might resort to making a Christmas story for some fast money (look it up), why shouldn’t the film studios?