Today’s Christmas film is Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale from director Jalmari Helander, and comes from Finland, the birthplace of the original Santa.

Rare Exports is the charming action/adventure tale of what happens to a small Finnish village when the real Santa – (not the portly alcoholic Santa Coca-Cola rebooted in the 1930’s)- is set free from his icy mountain prison on the border of Russia and Finnland.

The story follows a young boy Pietari and his father Rauno (played by real-life father and son Onni an Jorma Tommila), along with a group of Finnish hunters, as they are forced to hunt Santas in an attempt to rescue the local children.

the real santa is one scary dude…

It’s a mix of action, adventure and genuine scares that’s reminiscent of something like Goonies but with solidly Finnish dark comedy in the mix.   It has a subtle but artful character-based visual presentation similar in excecution to director Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amelie, City of Lost Children) or Tim Burton that lends itself well to the fairy-tale style.  There’s a mix of interesting and quirky characters like Pietari arming up for Christmas in butt-protecting armor to the seriously creepy Santas themselves.

Overall, Rare Exports is perfect for those looking for a movie that has all the hallmarks of the Christmas spirit – family, sacrifice, reindeers and redemption… and of course Santa; but in a more palatable style with dark comedy, action, adventure and scares.

Mini review from my wife: Thoroughly enjoyable, but just a little too scary for kids!

… modern Santa may not be too different afterall (source: creepysantaphotos.com)

Check out the trailer below or pick up the movie here!

On the first day of Christmas, my true love made me see: The Ice Harvest

On the second day of Christmas, my true love made me see: Scrooged

On the third day of Christmas, my true love made me see: Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang

On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love made me see: Batman Returns