Review Summary: Sweet family fun, but doesn't do much more than that.
Noelle is one of those rare cases for a movie studio. It was originally scheduled to debut in theaters. But after it was finished filming, Disney took a double take and decided to put it on their streaming service instead. Ouch. For movie stars like Anna Kendrick and Bill Hader, I'm sure this wasn't (at first) what they were thinking they signed up for. But, the movie's here now (it finished filming nearly two years ago).
Yet, while it may not have strong production qualities, I do think Noelle could have worked as a matinee flick for kids. Because its' a sweet, rather inoffensive story. And that's definitely something to appreciate. The filmmakers here approached the material with a childlike wonder per se, and they were smart to keep the script fun and family-friendly. And the overall simplistic feel of the project does hearken back at times to the Tim Allen Santa Clause movies.
However, the first 10-15 minutes are pretty clunky. None of the actors seem to really sell their characters early, and even Anna Kendrick doesn't look like she's having fun. However, once Noelle starts going after her brother, the movie begins to work. Kendrick grows into her pointy elf shoes, and sells the unique twist on the "fish out of water" concept (in a vein not too far from Will Ferrell's performance in Elf). It also helps when Noelle begins to develop Santa-like qualities, and this leads to a few very genuine moments later on.
As her brother, Hader is a great casting choice. But, he's not in the movie enough to really make much of an impression. We get he's a yoga fanatic, yet I really wish we could have taken more time to get to know him. Shirley MacLaine gets more screentime than he does, and she makes for a nice presence here as Noelle's childhood nanny, Elf Polly. The North Pole and costume designs are very colorful and sprightly. The visual effects on the reindeer are fine, but not spectacular. The digitally-created Snowcone is very cute, and will definitely result in some stuffed toy sales in Disney stores.
The pacing remains solid throughout, with the film jumping right in to the main conflict and having a few decent reveals and payoffs along the way. Noelle's friendship with a divorced attorney and his son are sweet, but don't offer anything new. At the same time, however, the recurring characters with the biggest emotional impact were a girl (who is deaf) and her mother. Noelle's attempts to sign with her are both touching and unique for a kids' movie. The movie needed more of these unique moments. The humor also misses more than it hits.
In the end, despite its different and seemingly groundbreaking ideas, Noelle comes off as a bit too safe and a tad generic. Of course, that won't matter to kids who will enjoy the cute, silly antics. And as a movie aimed at them, its' perfectly fine. But as for everyone older than that, I just wish it had more to offer.
My Score: 6.7/10
Content Concerns for Family Viewing:
Rating: G (which is sadly rare nowadays)
Recommended age range: ages 5 and up.
Language: Two times, Noelle spits out "oh my g**". Someone says "freakin'" once in an argument.
Adult Content: None, unless you count a somewhat tight elf suit worn by Noelle at one point.
Violence: Noelle and Nick crash down a chimney a few times and crash their sled into a few places. The sled also falls from the sky a couple of times too. Snowcone crashes into things as well in a few moments. Noelle kicks a man offstage once.
Drugs/Alcohol: A desperately thirsty Noelle unknowingly picks up a tropical alcoholic beverage at one point. She drinks it, and spits it out (disgusted).
Other: Nick does mislead Noelle and stays way longer than the weekend suggested by her. He also acts a bit too cowardly at times. Noelle, out of frustration, blows a sacred candle out at a yoga ritual (religious symbols are seen in this scene, and Nick does yoga in a handful of scenes too). People react a bit too harsh towards Noelle encouraging Nick to leave the North Pole. A stray comment about someone washing her "partridge in a pear tree underwear". We see Noelle leave a restroom at a house one time with toilet paper stuck to her foot going up the chimney with her.
