general media Favorite Incarnation of Santa Claus in Media

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 42,203]

Woo! Holiday themed question! Santa Claus, a character that is near and dear to the holidays. Sure, our parents lie to us about him actually existing and all that, but I guess it still is fun when we do believe that.

 

With such a huge character of fiction for the holidays, there have been tons of representations of what he could be like in all sorts of media. Movies, TV shows, books, anything really.

 

So that is the question, what is your favorite version of Santa Claus in any piece of media? There is a lot to choose from with this.

 

Personally, I was always very fond of him in The Polar Express. He seemed so mysterious and grand, yet joyous and wonderful.

[cmarston1 5,965]

I really enjoy the eccentric, Russian, Sword Fighting North from Dreamworks' Rise of the Guardians.

You don't see a lot of Santas like him everyday.

[Raritas 6,820]

Mine has to be Robot Santa from Futurama... Something about a Santa that instead of handing out presents hands out fear and destruction to those who are naughty is just so against the theme of Christmas that it's hilarious

[Concerned Bystander 2,905]

Richard Attenborough in Miracle on 34th Street was pretty good.

[Ganondorf8 11,745]

I have to go with the iteration that was present in "Santa Claus: The Movie" released way back in 1985. Sure, it may not be the best movie in the world, but it's one I remember fondly when I was growing up.

[Adachi 772]

I like the Santa from "The Year Without a Santa Claus". 

 

[StormBlaze 994]

North from Rise of the Guardians. 

Even though its Alec Baldwin doing the voice (meh) North's design and personality is awesome! He's the most badass Santa ever and still caring and sweet, he'd be such a riot irl. 

[Wind Chaser 4,768]

I definitely give Rise of the Guardians points for originality, but I think that among the best are both versions of Miracle on 34th Street, and Santa Claus: The Movie, where David Huddleston's performance rises above the over-the-top cheesiness of the rest of the movie, portraying an extremely dedicated Santa who really conveys the weight and importance of his role.

 

Also, if he counts, Jack Skellington did a hell of a job in his one turn as Santa Claus, and though it didn't turn out for the best, at least knew how to find joy and optimism in it. Thus, he's become quite an icon in his own right.

 

I do have to second how The Polar Express built him up with tests of faith and kept him as a distant and mysterious yet all-knowing and benevolent figure, and I'll say that this film has the best depiction of the North Pole ever put to film, really getting down the scale of what Christmas and Santa Claus should be. It manages to be firmly rooted in the industrial era and the golden age of railroads, but whimsical enough to be its own thing and doesn't get lost too much in its technology. The only downsides I'll give it are the very strange elves and that Santa Claus wasn't on the screen for long, but the buildup is very much sufficient.

Edited December 12, 2016 by Fifty Grinches

[Steel Accord 6,660]

Santa in the Polar Express both the book and the film. They kept him out of the action but ever present in spirit. Kind of like a reverse Sauron or indeed, like God. One only sees Him when he accepts Him. That and he had a lot of weight (rimshot) to his character. He was kind, soft-spoken, fatherly. Exactly the Santa I grew up with.

 

In contrast and kind of odd seeing as I didn't really grow up with him nor do I like the actor playing him (at all) but I was really taken with Nicolas St. North as depicted in Rise of the Guardians. See I've loved many a Christmas special, some even revolving around Santa but even in those I was never really in love with him as a character. In that movie, I did.

 

For one thing, I've always liked the idea of Santa Claus actively fighting evil when he's not bringing gifts to us all as a reward for our good behavior. In the film not only does he do that but he feels like a big kid at heart who's just as enthused by toys and Christmas as I am, but when Jack needs it he's a surprisingly effective mentor, cutting right to Jack's center as one who understands youth better than anyone. It's that combination of being both child-like in spirit but sage in his wisdom that makes him among my favorite renditions of Santa Claus. That and . . . well being something of a sword fan myself, seeing Santa packing a pair of badass sabers was too cool to pass up.

 

Of course I'd be remiss not to mention the actual St. Nicolas, good Catholic boy that I am. To whom we owe even the existence of Santa Claus as a figure in our modern mythology. That and Odin the Allfather shared some of his traits with the Jolly old elf . . . no really.

Edited December 12, 2016 by Steel Accord

[TBD 17,276]

I like Mr. Hankey the Christmas poo. 

 

The song is so catchy. And who needs to wait for Santa in x-mas eve who probably will be stuck in a traffic, when you can have Mr. Hankey out of ...right at this moment? Talk about in Nick of time for x-mas.

Edited December 12, 2016 by Satrox

[Celtore 2,770]

I like the Santa from Earnest Saves Christmas. Not a good movie, but I loved how much heart the actor put in his role, how kind and grandfatherly he was while being able to be serious enough to fulfil his responsibilities. Just the sort of thing I picture.

[Discordian 6,021]

 

Thunder Claus. In the anime "Is This A Zombie" one of the characters is from another world so when they hear about Santa Claus they take things the totally wrong way and imagine this demonic version of the fat man.

 

Most metal Santa ever tho.

[Color Song 65]

I liked the concept of the coat being the thing that gave the current Santa the powers, the Santa Clause gets my vote. It's not an awful movie, and Tim Allen plays an interesting character, more relatable than the constantly-jolly-no-matter-what old fat man that is usually  presented.

This isn't *really* related, but remember the first Dumbledore in the Harry Potter movies? He didn't play a Santa Claus that I'm aware of, but he would have been amazing at it.