I actually really enjoyed this movie. Anna Kendrick is charming as always and Bill Hader is just awesome! The movie reminded me a little of Elf (which is my favorite Christmas movie). I'm sure I'll be watching Noelle every Christmas now.

Noëlle is the first "live-action"original movie launched on Disney+. True to the Walt Disney Company's considerably successful formula for delivering quality entertainment (such as The Mandalorian), Noëlle delivers all of the familiar Disney ingredients: It's family friendly, wholesome, and features a very recognizable cast including Anna Kendrick as Noëlle Kringle, Julie Haggerty as Mrs. Kringle, Bill Hader as Nick Kringle, Billy Eichner as Gabriel Kringle, and Shirley MacLaine as Elf Polly. Plus, who on planet Earth could resist falling immediately in love with Noëlle's little flying reindeer pal, "Snow Cone?" (I hate to admit it but, Yeah, OK, he's almost as adorable as The Mandalorian's Baby Yoda!)

It's often quite easy for kids and adults alike to get stuck in the weeds with the complex "hows and whys" that typically accompany a film about the world's most beloved legendary character. He has many names: Pere Noel, Sinterklaas, Father Christmas, Babbo Natale, Swiety Mikotaj, Ded Moroz, Weihnachtsmann, Noel Baba, Papa Noel, Saint Nicholas and Kris Kringle. But in the Western world, he's known simply as the "chubby and plump, right jolly old elf," Santa Claus.

The writing skillfully invites you to kick back, enjoy the ride, and don't sweat the details. I would characterize Noëlle as the kind of movie you can easily watch without having to think too much. It isn't pretentious in that it appears very comfortable entertaining audiences of all ages with the subtle theme of how certain holiday traditions evolve and change. Indeed, it's the kind of charming film where even the most bitter and cynical Scrooge-type of viewer will invariably crack a smile or two long before the third act. When a movie "works" it can resonate on several levels, and that's the brilliance of Noëlle. You're "fully on board" whether you like it or not - Noëlle takes no prisoners.

No spoilers here as usual but I will reveal that many of Noëlle's crisp exterior scenes were beautifully filmed in the Desert Ridge Marketplace, located in Scottsdale, Arizona. (NOTE TO SELF: Santa hangs out there from late November through December).