Christmas films are aplenty, and though this does not reach the heights of posterior works like Klaus there is some interesting animation going on. The movie combines a rather child-book like style with more caricaturish designs, making this feel like an odd mixture of a stereotypical Disney film and a Nickelodeon cartoon.

Plotwise, it is alright. The idea of a child successor to Santa Claus is reasonably novel, and there are some genuinely funny gags, like the circus Santa Claus being called and leaving his fellow perfomer to fall. The protagonist is rather likeable, the portrayal of having to deal with such a massive burden as a kid being reasonably realistic. It also maks an attempt at ethnic representation with the Inuit boy Tim Tim, though the way he was exploited to deliver mail at the beginning was a little messed up.

Overall, a harmless Christimas classic.