This old cult classic can at times feel like a film from the future and it is more relevant today than it has ever been!
After the mind boggling perfection that is the opening scene which I have uncontrollably erased from my mind, it delves into the subject of "civilization". A martian father figure is deeply concerned about his children's TV addiction, summons an ancient God as a last resort to save his children from the cruel claws of domineering TV advertisement strategists. The martians watch the Earth from above, an Earth that is magical and full of life in contrast to the dull and over-civilized Mars. It reminds me of Christopher Ryan's book "Civilized to Death", and is most likely an allegory for today's people who yearn to return to the way things were in the past.
The villain, whose moniker is "the black moustache man", represents the toxic masculinity that is opposed to magical things, like Santa, and children. Meanwhile Santa has a white moustache, a true battle of wills represented by such a duality! The black moustache man complains about the excess amount of soy in the atmosphere of Mars softening up all the martian men and plans to kill Santa who is apparently conspiring against his traditional values.
Meanwhile Santa is depicted as an alternative version of "The Mask", always laughing and mocking around, playing stupid and naive while he appears to have the power of a God. In fact he is so powerful that he seems to not take reality seriously at all, a bit too overpowered I'd say. I wanted to see him sneak up behind the bad guys and show them his true powers. And as expected, in the final battle against the black moustache man, Santa is utterly dominant, humiliating, shocking and overwhelming. After a painfully unhinged battle that must have been a fever dream of mine, magic and happiness conquers the dull civility of toxic masculinity.
And all comes full circle crashing down.
After the mind boggling perfection that is the opening scene which I have uncontrollably erased from my mind, it delves into the subject of "civilization". A martian father figure is deeply concerned about his children's TV addiction, summons an ancient God as a last resort to save his children from the cruel claws of domineering TV advertisement strategists. The martians watch the Earth from above, an Earth that is magical and full of life in contrast to the dull and over-civilized Mars. It reminds me of Christopher Ryan's book "Civilized to Death", and is most likely an allegory for today's people who yearn to return to the way things were in the past.
The villain, whose moniker is "the black moustache man", represents the toxic masculinity that is opposed to magical things, like Santa, and children. Meanwhile Santa has a white moustache, a true battle of wills represented by such a duality! The black moustache man complains about the excess amount of soy in the atmosphere of Mars softening up all the martian men and plans to kill Santa who is apparently conspiring against his traditional values.
Meanwhile Santa is depicted as an alternative version of "The Mask", always laughing and mocking around, playing stupid and naive while he appears to have the power of a God. In fact he is so powerful that he seems to not take reality seriously at all, a bit too overpowered I'd say. I wanted to see him sneak up behind the bad guys and show them his true powers. And as expected, in the final battle against the black moustache man, Santa is utterly dominant, humiliating, shocking and overwhelming. After a painfully unhinged battle that must have been a fever dream of mine, magic and happiness conquers the dull civility of toxic masculinity.
And all comes full circle crashing down.