DVD: The Search for Santa Paws

Disney Studios DVD and Blu-Ray

Rated G

A prequel to the film “Santa Paws”, released to DVD last year. In “The Search for Santa Paws” Santa’s best friend Santa Paws remembers when their friendship began, and how he saved Santa when he was lost in New York City. Santa was searching for a remnant of Christmas spirit when he is involved in a hit-and-run and loses his memory. It is up to his friend Santa Paws to lead the search and rescue for Santa, helped by a trio of ethnic street dogs, his reindeer Comet (voice by Diedrich Bader) and a wise cracking cab driver.

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 “The Search for Santa Paws” is a  Santa Tale with plenty of magic and several nods to other Christmas movies; “A Miracle on 34^th Street”, “Annie”, “Home Alone 2” and “The Year Without a Santa Claus”. Touching on refreshingly traditional Christmas themes; the film includes mistreated orphans, a mysterious Santa Claus who has a special appeal to children, and talking animals who save Santa. The children and animals work together against the wicked Foster Home owner who refuses to celebrate Christmas or allow any joy into her Foster Home, to bring back Santa’s memory and preserve his immortality.

John Ducey is convincing as Mr. Huckle a man who is cynical about Christmas and wants to sell the toy store he inherited from his father. It takes his lovely wife Mrs. Huckle (Bonnie Somerville) to convince him to open the toy store one last time, and to hire an amazingly realistic Santa to draw customers.

 The film is whimsical and touching, and not just for little children, my teens were sleepy in their chairs till Kaitlyn Maher (America’s Got Talent) made a dazzling appearance as Quinn, the littlest orphan who plots with her best friend Will (The Game Plan’s Madison Pettis) to save Santa. This plot twist and the adorable orphans made the teenaged girls sit up and cheer at the triumphant conclusion which affirms the values of love and family through the use of Christmas magic.

Some reference to ‘magic crystals’ with spiritual power centered in the North Pole may be confusing to children, so some parental supervision is recommended. Disturbing scenes where orphans are mistreated and Santa’s health is failing.

For age 6 and up.