‘Noelle’: Anna Kendrick approaches Disney + movie with customary humor but predictable plot drags things down
Christmas is not far away and the ever-increasing festive spirit is prompting entertainment networks to release their share of holiday-themed scoops. Disney + on Tuesday released its latest offering ‘Noelle’ as a part of its Christmas line-up, which sees Anna Kendrick in the lead with Marc Lawrence at the helms.
What was originally taken up as a theatrical release for Disney with the initial title ‘Nicole’, was renamed to its current title when its debut was moved to the channel’s nestling streaming platform.
Although Kendrick is the one living and breathing her character throughout the film, ‘Noelle’ boasts a solid cast, comprising Bill Hader (Noelle’s brother), Julie Haggerty (mother), Billy Eichner (evil cousin) and Shirley MacLaine (Noelle’s elf nanny).
However, one cannot entirely count on its ensemble cast if expecting something miraculous from the film, as only the lead actress is seen approaching it with her customary humor. Kendrick representation in ‘Noelle’ holds a lot of resemblance to her real-life persona, when considering the quirks and twists her role as Santa’s beloved child Noelle Kringle showcases.
Noelle Kringle makes for the quintessential Santa, not because of her family lineage, but only because as Kringle’s daughter, she naturally has it in her DNA. Meanwhile, her brother Nick is forced to take up the role and become the twenty-third Santa of the family, despite expressing profound unwillingness at every given chance. He is considered suitable to take the responsibility of thousands of years of inheritance, simply because of his gender.
The plot is dragged down by its obviousness, when Nick goes missing, with Christmas only a few days away. Needless to say, the rest of the story focuses on Noelle’s frantic search for her brother by sleighing to the Phoenix mall in a desert all the way from the North Pole. Just when we begin to cringe at the thought of Noelle like the rest of the family being convinced that her brother makes for a perfect Santa, and disregarding the passion and affection she holds for the festival, the CGI contributes further to the disappointment.
Needless to say (by now you would have figured it out for yourself), Noelle successfully returns home with Nick, thus concluding on a happy note. Although the feel-good factor ‘Noelle’ offers comes across as comforting, serving the purpose of the majority of its young audiences, it does in a few instances fail to strike the right chord with adult viewers.
‘Noelle’ is currently available to watch on Disney +.
