It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

Let's assume that even Santa Claus was born some day in the past. That he was a small boy that grew up to be the mythical figure of legends and bedtime stories. What would he have been like, as a boy, as a man starting the Christmas tradition of giving gifts, as an old, bearded man driving reindeer sled? Well, if that has aroused your interest, then this is the movie for you.Filmed mainly in Finnish Lapland, it's a beautiful film to behold. The rural, medieval fishing village offers a breathtaking setting for young Nikolas' beginnings and the bleak winter grandeur of Lapland practically screams Christmas at you. The music is also the very best Finland has to offer and as a whole you can find no fault in the production values or the technical aspects.The acting is also topnotch. I especially love Kari Väänänen as Iisakki, the aging carpenter who takes Nikolas under his wing and makes him the toymaker the world knows him as. Such a perfect blend of curmudgeon and grumpy warmheartedness. The rest of the actors are equally talented and they really sell the whole premise.With the sole exception of Hannu-Pekka Björkman, playing the role of adult Nikolas, that of Santa Claus. He's a good actor, don't get me wrong, and it's really the script's fault instead of his, but his take on Santa Claus is way over the top. And yes, it's a more realistic take on Santa's origins, but did they really need to make him so unhinged. The only reason this Santa wasn't locked in a looney bin was that they hadn't been invented yet. And no, that doesn't ruin the film and it's really just a pet peeve of mine, but I prefer my Santas to be a lot more dignified than this.As a whole Christmas Story has potential to become a classic. It practically is one already in Finland where it is shown every Christmas Eve as the main movie of the night. That's how good it is.

I have been donning the red suit and beard for over 30 years and I have to say,this is the most refreshing Santa movie I have ever seen. It does a superb job in "humanizing" the character and showing what led to his uncompromising goodness and kindness to others. There are many different versions of where the Santa we know originated from, and this film does not try to convince you that this version is true. Rather, it allows you to sit back and just enjoy a different "spin" on the origin of the man in red. It even gives very believable explanations for some of the myths and legends. The Christmas Season is all about love, and I believe that is true no matter where you are from. This movie has true heart and displays the love "Santa" has for all. I would highly recommend this movie for families as it is nothing but pure Christmas joy.

In most parts of Europe, St. Nicholas comes on the 6th of December, together with Knecht Ruprecht/Krampus/Schmutzli and equipped with a huge bag in order to throw the children therein who did not obey their parents during the year past. For the other children, the strange couple has nuts, oranges, apples, perhaps chocolate. But before St. Nicholas decides what to do with the children, they must recite a little poem, may it be self-made or learned by heart.In the Northern Part of Europe, originating from England and in the whole USA, also originating from England, however, St. Nicholas appears on Christmas Day bringing the children their gifts. (In Europe the Christkind itself bring the parcels on the 24th of December ... .) According to what the children, when they become older, learn, is that St. Nicholas of Myra has been a historical figure, who lived in the 3./4. centuries. However, when you look how many Patrocinia of a Nicholas there are in the Christian world, then it is clear that we cannot speak about one single person. That St. Nicholas of Myra has not been thrown out of the lists of Saints during the 2. Vatican Council (like St. George, St. Michael, St. Christoph ...) is a wonder of itself.Now, Lappland comes with a quite new, a modern and alternative interpretation: Little Nicholas became an orphan when his parents had a lethal accident on their way to seek the doctor for helping their little daughter. Since the place where Nicholas lived was a very poor fishermen's village, no family could afford to take the little boy to them. There, the priest had an idea: Each of the families should give him shelter, nourish him and care for him during one year. And always at Christmas time, in remembrance to the day when his parents died, he should change families. And so it happened. Until the boy had reached an age of about twelve years and already proved great talent in wood-carving. Then, the old and strange Isaac offered him to stay with him and learn to become a wood-craftsman. So, Nicholas grew up with the grumpy but goodhearted old man and lived with him until Isaac had do be picked up by his family because of his high age. And every year, Nicholas would carve his little wooden animals for all the children - steadily enlarging his area of distribution. And nobody know who the "Christmas-Man" was, until a nosy little girl found out Nicholas' secret. Not long after, it must have happened that God decided to take Nicholas amongst the Saints and give him his deserved place in heaven. While his closest friends stood sad on the frozen surface of the lake in which Nicholas parents and sister died, the little girl called her parents: Look up, there! And in the Heaven, St. Nicholas drove with a long carriage pulled by rein-deers through the skies, wishing every child and every parent Marry Christmas. --- An absolute highlight!

This movie has a lot more depth than most Santa movies from the big US of A. This becomes a major commercial problem for the movie since many people like to see shallow movies that are "heart warming" even though it smells fake long way, and prefer to place their dollars in such movies instead. This is not the issue with Joulutarina. The movie has dark sides, let's face it all tales have dark sides, the matter is if you present them or not. This is a REAL movie. Heartwarming, beautiful scenery and good acting.If you want to see the real thing - go watch this movie.By the way, the kids (8 and 12) absolutely ADORED it. I've lost count on how many times they have seen this already.SEE IT!