We had some good times…
…until you ruined everything.
You were the first humans I ever trusted…
And the last.
Speck.
Don't sneak up on someone like that.
What took you so long?
She better be, for your sake.
There's only five days left until Christmas.
Let me go!
What are you doing with my camera?
But, wow, I come from a long line of True Believers.
Ugh.
An honest-to-God True Believer.
Well… I'm about to change all of that.
Track her down.
She's perfect.
- Ho ho ho! - Santa!
Merry Christmas.
Ah! Whoo!
Lamest Christmas ever.
- Really? - Yeah.
What kind of person would wanna spend the best holiday of the year
sitting on the hot beach with fruity umbrella drinks?
Gonna go with just about everybody.
Well, not me.
Not when I could be at home baking cookies
and building snowmen with real snow.
And worst of all, all my friends are having parties
and shopping, sledding.
I'm missing everything.
Kate, there's nothing you can do about it, okay?
So you might as well just relax and try to have fun.
Think I liked you better when you were a car thief.
I liked you better when you weren't such a buzzkill.
Ugh, how embarrassing.
- Hey, come on! - Hey!
Ah!
Oh, so that's what this is about. Bob.
No, this is not about Bob. I could care less about Bob.
He just brought us here so he could kiss up to Mom.
Give him a break, Kate. It means he really likes her.
It's too soon. They've only been dating for ten months.
And they've known each other a lot longer than that.
Besides… he makes Mom happy.
Yeah, well, he's not Dad.
Cómo estás, party people?
What are we looking at?
Hey!
Ugh! Now, there's something you can't unsee.
Am I right?
What are the odds my dad proposes on this trip?
Or maybe she does.
I mean, your mom is a pretty progressive woman.
Teddy! I heard they have snorkeling. You wanna go?
Yeah, one sec.
- You two want to come? - Nope.
Yeah. Thanks for asking, Teddy, but I've got horrible anxiety,
asthma, and about 11 different allergies.
All right. Um, well, suit yourselves.
Hey, cheer up, Grinch.
For a True Believer, you're forgetting the number one rule.
"Better not pout."
- Hey, Kate! Wait up! - Another chocolate smoothie, please.
Make that two. Can you prepare mine lactose-free?
- Okay. - Thank you.
- So what should we do? - "We"?
Oh, I'm gonna hang out by myself, but why don't you try the waterslide?
- Looks pretty fun. - And risk breaking my nose?
- It's one of my best features. - Hey, guys.
They're having a caroling party on the beach. You wanna join?
- Yeah. - No, thanks.
Come on, Kate. I heard you love singing Christmas carols.
Kate has a great singing voice. She was lead vocalist in the school choir.
In fifth grade.
Really? So was I.
- Really? - Yeah.
You know, nothing raises the Christmas Spirit like music.
- Come on. Music? - Yeah.
Did I… Did I do something wrong?
No, it's just…
That was her dad's favorite song.
- I'm so sorry. I didn't know. - No, of course not. How could you?
She's just being a teenager.
Santa, I know it's probably too late to write a letter,
and the Wi-Fi here stinks,
but if you're listening, I want to amend my Christmas wish.
I mean, the electric scooter would be really cool,
but I need something more important than that right now.
I need to get out of this place.
Mom's basically ditching us for this new guy and his scaredy-cat son.
It's so depressing.
And in a few weeks, it's gonna be like Dad never even existed.
So, please, Santa, help out a True Believer…
Or I swear…
I'm gonna run away.
So, you want to run away, eh?
I think we can make that happen.
Guys, listen. I got some good news.
I woke up this morning with a little magic under the door.
We got some surprises, compliments of the hotel.
What?
First up,
how would you like to mix it up with manta rays
and tussle with turtles on a snorkel adventure for two?
Whoa, sounds dope. I know somebody who would love to go snorkeling.
But that's not all.
Two lucky people get an opportunity to have an overnight stay at Tulum
with a private tour of the Mayan ruins.
Are you serious?
Pack your overnight bags and bring a sense of adventure.
An overnight in Tulum? That sounds amazing.
I'm just sayin'.
Listen, the kids are gonna have the time of their life
because, while your family is off the resort,
why not stuff your bellies with free ice cream
and choose from dozens of fun-filled activities
at the Kids Club at a slumber party?
Slumber party?
Kate, we're gonna have so much fun.
Wait, but I'm too old for Kids Club, right?
Um…
Actually, Kate, you just made the cut.
You're good.
Lucky you.
Wait. This isn't some trick just to get us out of the way
so you can propose to Mom, is it?
Kate! Sorry.
Okay, first, you make us spend Christmas on the freaking equator,
and now you don't even wanna spend it together?
Okay. Excuse us.
Come on.
Why are you acting so rude to Bob?
He's treating us to this incredible trip. You should try not to forget that.
And you should try not to forget Dad.
Look, just because I care for Bob,
and… and I do.
I… I care about him very much…
That doesn't mean I love your father any less.
Yeah, well, I just don't see how that's possible.
All right.
Look, I'm just gonna tell Bob we can't go to Tulum.
We'll just… We'll stay here with you guys.
Um, no. Um, actually, um, you should go.
But I can't. I'm not…
I'm not gonna just leave you here like this.
It's okay, Mom.
I was being a brat. I don't know what came over me.
You and Bob deserve to have some fun.
And I know how much you've been dying to see those Mayan ruins.
Really? You honestly feel that way?
I do.
And I promise, you won't have to worry about me for the rest of the trip.
Yeah, hi.
I was wondering if you had any more room on today's flight back to Boston.
Yeah, I was thinking about ending my trip early.
I can change it at the airport?
Great. Thanks.
All right, we'll be back by late afternoon tomorrow.
I know I was talking a big game this morning, Dad,
but I'm starting to have second thoughts about this.
You sure you need to be away for a whole day?
Uh… Look, man, all right?
I know it's been rough ever since your mom died.
But we have to keep moving. We have to keep moving ahead.
Plus, I think a little independence might be good for you.
I just wish we could be independent in closer proximity.
You got this. Bring it in.
You got this, all right?
- Good? - Yeah, he's good.
Everybody going to Tulum, I need your tickets, please.
Oh, all right. You guys, take care.
- Teddy... - I know, Mom. No alcohol.
Yes, and I was hoping you could check in on them, please?
Yeah, I… I got it covered. Okay?
- Okay, uh, love you. - Love you.
- All right. Have fun. - Okay, guys. See you soon.
You know, you really don't have to check in on us.
- Yeah, I wasn't planning on it. - Teddy!
See you tomorrow.
Hey, um, Kate! Where are you going? Kids Club is this way.
Right. Um, yeah.
I'm gonna go to the bathroom,
but why don't you go ahead and head over there,
and I'll meet you in a few?
I'll wait for you.
Go to the Kids Club, Jack. That is a direct babysitter's order.
You're only three years older than me.
But I believe in a chain of command,
so I'll save you a spot at the slime-making station.
Hello. Are you waiting for the airport shuttle?
Yeah.
Driver just popped a tire, so I'm taking people over in the meantime.
Okay, cool.
I'm gonna take a little shortcut. Should get us there in half the time.
Sounds great.
So, I take it by the early checkout, your vacation isn't going so well.
Ugh, it's complicated. My mom and...
Say no more.
My family was a real drag, too.
Ran away from that nightmare a couple years ago.
Right around your age.
I just thought it was best for everybody if I wasn't even here.
They can have their new little family without me.
Kate!
Are you running away?
You're supposed to be watching me.
Look, Jack, don't take this personally or anything…
What is that?
Looks like a wor...
Have a nice trip.
Ah.
I don't think we're in Mexico anymore.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure there aren't any glaciers
in a 10,000-mile radius of the Yucatán Peninsula.
This looks like the North Pole!
He heard me.
I knew I should've brought my puffy jacket.
We're gonna freeze to death out here.
Don't worry, Jack. It's gonna be okay.
He'll come for us… I hope.
Who will come for us?
Dasher!
Ha! Ha!
Thought you'd given up on reindeer.
Let's see if you can handle this!
Help!
Hello?
Somebody, please, help!
Oh.
Wait a minute.
Eh, I guess this is your lucky day, Yule Cat!
Oh, my.
All right! Stay with me now, ladies! Back in we go!
We're through! Good work, ladies.
It's good to be back inside the borealis, my old friend.
As you can see, Santa fell right into my trap.
The old man's time is coming to an end.
And mine is just beginning.
Stop that.
Oh, dear.
Hmm?
What in the world?
- What's happening? - Outside the veil, the ice pack.
Nearly frozen.
Oh, dear.
- Jojo, start up some hot chocolate. - Uh-huh.
And, Hugg, put in some thistle berry, jitterbug juice,
and Cornish pixie dandruff.
Mm!
Mm-mm!
Good, good. Enjoy.
Drink.
There you go.
You're gonna be all right, Kate.
How do you know who I am?
Oh, everyone knows who you are around here.
We've all watched the tape of your little Christmas adventures
from two years ago.
Are you Mrs. Claus?
That's me.
So, does that mean…?
Santa!
Kate Pierce!
- You feeling all right? - Yeah, I feel fine, but…
Did we just crash through a kaleidoscope? There were so many different colors.
Oh, no. That was just us coming back through the Veil of Borealis.
You see, we live under its shield here.
Uh, it keeps us hidden and protected from the outside world.
But tell me, how in the name of all things sacred
did you end up in the middle of the North Pole?
- Wait, you didn't bring me here? - No, I didn't bring you here.
You're supposed to be in Cancun, if I'm not mistaken.
Drink.
There you go, sweetie. Do you feel better?
Yeah. I feel… really good.
That's some hot chocolate.
My special recipe.
You're just lucky I was out there hunting Jola the Yule Cat.
Otherwise, I never would have seen you.
But I thought this was, like, part of your plan.
You know, to grant my Christmas wish.
Um…
- The electric scooter? - No, not the...
I'm talking about the wish. You know…
…the wish.
Yes. Wow, the other wish. Mm-hmm.
Yeah. Well, I figured it was a stretch, so I took matters into my own hands,
and I was on my way to the airport when our shuttle fell into this wormhole.
Wormhole?
Hmm.
- Mina. - Yeah?
This doesn't look like Kids Club.
What is that thing?
It's okay. His name is Hugg, and he's an elf.
- An elf? - An elf.
- So, are those…? - Mm-hmm.
And are you…?
Uh-huh.
Then where's…?
Welcome to the North Pole, Jack.
- Are you really…? - I am.
Uh-uh. No way. I must be dreaming.
Oh, you're not dreaming, Jack. You're in Santa's Village.
The real one.
Nick, I bet the children would like a tour.
Of the village? A tour? Of course! Would you?
Are you kidding? I mean, that would be amazing.
Yeah.
Well, then, we'll have to get you into some warm clothes first.
Wow! Oh.
- This is so cool. - Yeah.
The village houses over a million elves.
Now, if you combine Amazon, FedEx, the postal service, and UPS
with every manufacturing company in the world,
and they quadrupled their output for an entire year,
well, you just might be getting close to what we can accomplish
here in Santa's Village in a single day.
So, where's your workshop?
Why, you're walking in it.
- Really? - Yes.
Well, we have over 300,000 shops here in the village.
And each and every one designed by Mrs. Claus.
Well…
If she designed this place,
I think it should be called "Mrs. Claus's Village."
- Me too. - Why, I… I never thought of that.
- Of course he didn't. - Uh…
Ah, I mean, I did discover it, and the elves built it,
but, I don't know,
it's been called Santa's Village for over 1,000 years,
it… it might be time for a change.
Look who's a movie star.
Come on. Let's go. I wanna show you something.
- You're gonna love it. - Aha!
Whoa!
Kate! Hello!
This is incredible.
- That's us. - That's awesome!
Katie Cat, Jack, check this out.
It's pretty cool.
You make video games?
Oh, I've been known to code a few in my time.
- Nick. - Hmm?
What should we show them next?
- Candy canes! - Kids!
Whoa!
Look up there.
Mm.
Mm!
Ah.
- Hmm? - Ah?
Mm-mm!
Wow. Look at all those candy canes.
Enough to stuff billions of stockings every year.
Mm.
Bjorn!
Ugh!
Bjorn!
Oh, now, Kate, I think you might recognize this place.
- Is that the Hall of Letters? - Uh-huh.
Wait a minute. You've been here before?
Well, I've been in there, but never out here.
How come you never told me?
There's a lot of things I haven't told you, Jack.
What is that?
That is the Christmas Star.
It powers up the entire village.
I devised a way to connect the light from the Star of Bethlehem
to the borealis, and that's what creates the veil.
And Santa is the only one who knows how to get in and out of the veil safely.
Wait. The light inside the star is from the real Star of Bethlehem?
Tiny sliver of it.
Just as bright and powerful as the day the elves gave it to me
almost 1,700 years ago.
- 1,700 years ago? - Mm-hmm.
You're that old?
Mm-hmm. You see, time stands still here in the North Pole, Jack.
That's why you don't age.
What was that?
That's the cannons.
- Cannons? - Yeah, it's okay, Jack.
The veil keeps everyone and everything
from getting into the North Pole, including snow,
so the elves have to pipe it in from the outside. Look.
Wow.
It looks like we're in a giant snow globe.
Yeah.
- What? - Come on, Jack.
Ah, Nick, look at them. They're having the time of their lives.
Yes, they are. And so are you.
Real children.
It's just been so long.
- I'll be sad to see them leave. - Mm.
Well, we can't send them home
on an empty stomach.
- Certainly not. - That would be rude.
- Oh, very unthoughtful. - We can't have that.
No. No. Well, then it's decided.
They'll come for dinner, and then you'll take them back.
Exactly what I was thinking.
And I have to prepare. Oh, I have to prepare.
- Jojo. - Uh-huh?
I need corn for popping.
Uh, three French hens,
a partridge, a pear, and figgy pudding!
Ooh, figgy pudding.
Ah.
All right.
Ah. Ooh.
Wow!
- This is dinner? - Uh-huh.
Prepared by the North Pole's executive chef, Mrs. Claus.
Well, a little something I whipped up last minute.
Okay, let's sit down.
- You're over here, Kate. - I don't know, Mrs. Claus.
My dad's really strict
about me eating my protein and vegetables before I have dessert.
Well, as he should be, but this isn't dessert.
It's not?
No, everything on this table is super healthy for you.
How is that possible?
Well, I've created some new recipes.
Recipes that make all the food you hate
look and taste like all the food you love.
Wow.
Would you like some broccoli?
This is the most delicious thing I've ever tasted!
All right!
Well, now, don't miss the lima beans and carrots.
Wow!
So…
…I've been thinking…
About how you got here.
All this business about coming through a wormhole.
It's true. It was just like on your sleigh.
Only, instead of a sleigh, it was a golf cart.
Hmm.
- Nick? - Hmm?
I have a feeling this has something to do with Kate being a True Believer.
Hmm.
Yeah. What if it means that I'm supposed to live here
with you guys in the North Pole?
Excuse me?
Come on, Santa. I already speak Elvish, I've been on the big ride,
and I could bring a fresh perspective to the whole operation.
When did this turn into a job interview?
Please, Santa.
Anything would be better than going home to my mom and her boyfriend.
I'm sitting right here, you know.
I'm sure your mother loves you very much.
More than you can ever imagine.
I don't know, Mrs. Claus.
You should've seen how fast she ditched me for those stupid Mayan ruins.
She's right about that.
And besides, our parents aren't even gonna get back to the resort
until tomorrow afternoon.
Hmm.
Come on, Santa, let us stay. Even just for a little bit?
Hmm. Um…
Mrs. Claus?
Well, it would be so nice having children here…
If only just for one night.
- Please, Santa. Let us stay. - We'll be good. I promise.
- Just for one night. Please? - Come on.
Well, I don't… I don't see the harm in it, but, uh…
- Oh, why not? Absolutely. - Yes!
Thank you, Santa.
But then first thing in the morning, it's right back to Cancun, huh?
Mrs. Claus's Village is the best place on earth!
Oh!
So, Mina, this is what you get for spying on me.
Speck, bring me the rest of my toys.
Ah. Okay.
You know what to do.
In a few hours, this entire village will be nothing but a distant memory.
Good night, sweet Jack.
Good night, Mrs. Claus.
Sleep tight.
Oh!
Sweetheart, sleep tight.
Good night, Mrs. Claus.
The Christmas Chronicles?
Jack!
I wouldn't touch those if I were you. They look pretty rare.
- Yes, they are very rare. - Oh, they're one of a kind, actually.
Would you like to hear a bedtime story?
- Man, that would be awesome! - That'd be amazing.
Oh, okay.
Well, here. Come on, follow me.
Well, have a cozy winter's nap, children.
Good night, Santa.
Sweet dreams.
- Good night, Santa Claus. - You know, you can just call him Santa.
All right, now. Here we go.
So, yeah. Okay.
Look closely, children.
Very,
very closely.
This is where it all began.
Back in 312 AD.
Santa was living in Asia Minor. Today, it's called Turkey.
Santa was known as Saint Nicholas.
He was a bishop who discovered the joy of giving.
Became something of a local hero.
And his legend spread far and wide, eventually reaching the Forest Elves.
Wait, you mean there are different kinds of elves?
Oh, of course. They're an ancient species of very magical and wild creatures.
For centuries, they were hunted for their magical powers,
and then they were captured by humans to the brink of extinction.
That's awful.
Oh, it was.
But in elf lore,
there was a prophecy
about a man who would be king of the elves,
who would, one day, lead them to safety.
Their leader, Hakan, knew that Saint Nicholas was the only one
who could channel the Star of Bethlehem's power.
From that day forward,
they no longer referred to him as Saint Nicholas.
They called him Santa Claus.
And he led the elves on a mystical journey
to an unknown land, where Christmas would truly endure.
That's here. That's the North Pole.
Yes.
Weird. That one elf,
he looks kinda familiar.
Yeah.
Hmm.
Belsnickel.
Here.
Whoa!
Okay.
Now…
Belsnickel was a precocious and brilliant elf
who was very popular here in the village.
I taught him the art of magical potion-making,
and Santa taught him the art of invention.
Ooh.
Hey. Okay.
Uh-huh.
Wow.
Oh.
We had so many good times together.
Santa and I grew to love him very, very much.
But, by the time Belsnickel became a teenager, everything changed.
The spirit of Christmas had grown around the world.
Santa had less time for Belsnickel,
so Belsnickel became resentful of Santa, and more rebellious.
Until, one day, he broke the Elves' Code.
What's the Elves' Code?
Ego, lying, viciousness,
envy, and selfishness.
And if an elf commits every single one of those transgressions,
they become cursed.
And Belsnickel, well, he broke all five.
He became a very naughty boy.
Ew!
Blech!
And he kept getting naughtier…
…and naughtier.
Mm-hmm.
- Enjoy. - Very nice. Hmm.
Oh.
Ah.
- Belsnickel! What is this? - Ah.
I build all the best toys around here. It's about time I get some of the credit.
And when he broke the final transgression,
Belsnickel was stripped of the joy of being an elf.
Belsnickel!
What are you doing?
Why would you do that?
Because you care more about children all over the world
than you care about me.
And with that, he transformed into the thing he despised the most,
a human.
Ah!
Ah! Oh!
Oh, oh! Ah!
Clouded by anger and humiliation…
- No, no, no! Wait, wait! - Belsnickel, come back!
…Belsnickel ran away from the village…
Never to return.
He was a naughty little elf… but I miss him.
Okay.
That's about enough for tonight.
We get up at the crack of dawn around here.
Good night, Mrs. Claus.
- Good night, Mrs. Claus. - Good night, children.
Good, everyone's going to sleep.
It's time.
I can't wait to see what's gonna happen
when the elves get a snootful of this stuff.
Ah, this is gonna be fun.
Now, only one small scoop into each cannon.
Mm-hmm.
Bye-bye!
Ah! Ooh! Whoa.
You take care of the reindeer.
I'll get the star.
Whoo-hoo-hoo!
Aha.
Ooh.
Jola?
Oh! Oh, Dasher?
Ooh.
- The cannons! - What? In the middle of the night?
Oh.
Oh!
That doesn't look like snow.
- Jola? - Oh!
I don't know.
Jola better not be in the stables!
- What's happening? - Something about the stables. Let's go.
Ooh!
Oh.
Oh, my goodness.
Dasher.
Easy, girl.
I know, baby. I know.
Easy, girl.
Oh.
Nick.
It's him.
The star!
Belsnickel!
Hello, Santa.
Missing something?
You've played a lot of nasty tricks in your time, Belsnickel,
but sending Jola into the stables?
Big deal.
So, he scared the reindeer, and they ran off into the forest.
He attacked Dasher!
- That wasn't supposed to happen. - Well, it did.
- Hey, is that him? - She's very badly wounded.
So… it was you.
Hello, Mrs. Claus.
My apologies for any inconvenience.
Inconvenience?
Dasher is fighting for her life!
Belsnickel, how could you?
That's Belsnickel…
From the story.
- Mm-hmm. - I knew I recognized him.
That's the guy who drove the shuttle back in Cancun.
- Yeah. - Yep.
And I gotta thank you, Kate, because, without you,
I never could have got back inside Santa's Village.
That's Mrs. Claus's Village to you!
That's… That's not official.
Well, folks, this little family reunion's been sweet,
but it's time for me to leave.
Not until that star is back on the tree.
Agreed, but not this tree.
This star's for my tree back at the South Pole.
Ooh, it's gonna be the shiz. I am starting a new village.
I can see it now. "Belsnickel's Village."
- There's gonna be another village? - You bet there is.
And I'm gonna round up my own band of elves,
and I'm gonna invent my own stuff, really cool stuff,
that will make everybody forget that the North Pole
and Santa Claus ever existed.
Oh, here we go. Pout, pout, pout!
Whatever.
I am taking the star to the South Pole so I can stop aging and buy some time
to figure out a way to break this awful curse.
What's so bad about being human?
Humans suck!
Elves rule.
And I am tired of being a human!
Belsnickel, there's only one way to break the curse,
and that's for you to come back home to the village
and embrace your family.
I know that deep down inside…
It's what you want.
Bah, humbug!
You watch your mouth, young elf!
Hi. Thank you.
How do you like my new gravity glove?
Not bad, kid.
But it's no match for real magic.
Give it up, Bels.
Not a chance.
The only thing you ever cared about was your stupid holiday.
That stupid holiday
makes billions of people feel love and happiness.
Well, I'm about to change all of that.
Change, ha!
You couldn't handle any of the little changes
that were going on around here, so you ran away.
Because you spend every hour of every year getting ready for one lousy day.
A day that brings joy to children all over the world,
and that will never change.
Oh!
Belsnickel, stop!
Nick!
Oh!
Belsnickel, what have you done?
This is…
This is bad.
Without the star,
the North Pole, the village, Christmas itself is doomed!
Like, for this year?
Like, forever.
You're right. This is bad.
But we can't let that happen.
Christmas must endure.
To the stables.
Hugg, don't you...
- Elf Bane. - Oh, dear!
What's going on?
The elves have been poisoned by Elf Bane.
It drives them insane. They become reckless, dangerous maniacs.
Belsnickel spiked the cannons!
- Inside! - Come, let's... All right.
- Go, Jack. - Okay.
Here. Come on. Hurry up.
Okay.
Oh, Dash.
Can you heal her?
I'll try my best.
I also have to find a cure for Elf Bane.
- And I need to get to Turkey. - Turkey?
I need to find Hakan and the Forest Elves.
They're the ones that can build a new star for me to reignite.
But, Nick, you've never flown with only seven reindeer.
I know, I know. And you can't work on Dasher
and find a cure for Elf Bane by yourself.
Jack will help me.
He will?
Should I stay here, too?
No, no, I need you to come with me.
Why?
Well, with only seven, I'm not even sure we can get the sleigh off the ground.
I'm gonna need all the help I can get, Kate.
Hurry back.
Work your magic, Mrs. Claus.
On, Dasher! On, uh, Dancer!
On, Comet. On, Comet!
Uh, Vixen!
Santa, what about all the presents you need to deliver?
Christmas is only three days away.
- Without Dasher, how are we... - Like I said, it's a challenge.
But, you see, they're… they're improving.
As long as their Christmas Spirit stays high, we should be okay.
I'm so sorry, Santa. If I hadn't have just...
Oh, no, no, no, no, no.
This is not your fault, Katie Cat.
Believe me, that tricky little elf was gonna find his way
into the village one way or another.
Well, what's he gonna do now?
Oh, he's probably trying to figure out some way to beat us to Turkey.
- But why? - Well, to stop me from getting a new star.
That's not gonna happen.
Because he's not taking one thing into consideration.
What's that?
He can't possibly get there as fast as we can,
no matter what he does.
You underestimate me, old man, just like you always do.
We need to find a way to get the elves back to normal.
Okay. Now…
Elf, elf flu…
Elf-bin…
Here it is, Elf Bane.
- Oh, dear. - What?
It only has one known cure.
- "Levande Root"? - It's a rare Arctic flower.
And there's only one place that it grows around here.
Okay. Now, follow this path
through the forest, and it will lead you to the Levande Root.
Okay, but you're coming with me, right?
No, I need to stay here with Dasher.
But, Mrs. Claus, isn't it kinda dangerous out there?
It can be, but that's true of any place.
You can do this, Jack.
I won't let anything happen to you.
I'll be watching you the entire time.
And I'm arming you…
With these.
You're arming me with cookies?
Well, they're not just any old cookies.
Okay, the gingerbread man cookie explodes
when you throw it,
and the snowman cookie gives you courage.
Well, you have to move fast.
We don't have a moment to lose.
Wait. Hold on.
Whoo! Yeah!
My goodness.
Ooh!
You're never gonna get past those elves.
Okay.
I just baked a whole batch of cookies!
- Cookies? - Who's hungry?
Cookie, cookie, cookie!
Cookie!
That will distract them for about 30 seconds.
- Got it. - Now… there.
Okay.
Now's your chance, Jack.
It's pretty cold out there.
What if I get frostbite?
Oh, don't worry about frostbite.
I'm an expert at reattaching fingers and toes.
Now, hurry.
Jack!
Be my hero.
My mom used to say the same thing to me.
Okay. It's hero time.
This is not what I expected Turkey to look like at all.
Ah, you're on hallowed ground here, Kate.
You're about to witness something that no one else on earth
has ever seen before.
Shh!
What was that?
- Uh, Santa? - What?
You've been shot.
What?
Hmm.
Well, don't you feel anything?
Nah, riding around in the sleigh is like a shot of novocaine
in the old butt cheek sometimes.
Wow.
You believe this guy?
Ah, ah, ah!
Ooh!
Uh-oh.
Hmm.
Why don't they recognize you?
Oh, they're just kids.
Look at 'em.
Can't be more than... What? Two, three hundred years old?
They've never seen me.
I haven't been back here in,
oh, I don't know, maybe 500 years.
Five hundred and twenty-two, to be exact, Nicholas.
Hakan.
You look well and wise.
You as well, Nicholas.
Who's your friend?
Hmm. Your Elvish is impressive.
So is your English.
Thank you.
So, what brings you both here?
- Belsnickel. - Oh. What's he done now?
Destroyed the Christmas Star.
Well, we can build a new container.
But only you, Nicholas,
can harness the power of the Star of Bethlehem.
And as you know, the ritual is very dangerous.
We have no other choice.
We must move quickly.
That is really high.
Okay. Which one did she say gives you courage,
and which one explodes?
I'm gonna go with the gingerbread man.
No, no, it's the snowman…
I think.
I hope I don't blow up.
All right, let's do this.
Thank you, Hakan.
Thank you, Santa Claus.
Now, hurry back to the North Pole.
Christmas must endure.
Right, then, Kate. No time to lose. Hold on to this.
Here, kitty, kitty.
Would you like a treat?
That's right. You better run.
There's a new sheriff in town, and his name is Jack Booker.
Looks like the reindeer are doing a lot better.
You bet. Homeward bound!
Hyah!
Holy jingle bells!
Ah, you really didn't think I was just gonna disappear, did you?
What in the world is that?
It's my new ride.
Doesn't exactly scream aerodynamic.
What do you call those?
- It's my team of jackalotes. - Jack-a-what?
Jackal and coyote hybrid. My creation. Pretty cool, huh?
They're a long way from cool.
But you are clever, Belsnickel. I'll give you that.
Just not clever enough to beat me.
Wanna bet?
Oh, no! The star!
Dive!
Hold on tight!
Come on, girls!
Whoo!
Why did we stop?
- What's going on? - I don't know.
There's something wrong with my instruments.
I gotta do something, fast.
We need to get that star back from Belsnickel!
Bon voyage!
Whoo-hoo! You feel that, everybody?
That's a world without Santa Claus.
That's my good girl. Drink it up.
Drink it up.
Good girl.
Ow!
I made it!
- Never doubted you for a moment. - That makes one of us.
You think this'll work?
If it doesn't, we lose the elves forever.
Let's go.
Where are we?
You mean, "When are we?" Look!
I think, somehow, we've gone back in time.
Back in time?
Wait a minute, Boston.
Logan International Airport, Christmas Eve.
It's not good.
Why not?
Well, during the holidays,
airports have some of the lowest Christmas Spirit in the world.
Right now, this one's at…
…7% and dropping.
Well, what happens if Christmas Spirit gets down to zero?
The reindeer won't be able to fly at all. Now, look at them. They're exhausted.
All right. Hold on tight. Okay, I'm gonna have to bring her down.
Now, this… this might get a little rough.
- Are they gonna be okay? - This is worse than I thought.
Oh.
- Oh, no. - What?
We just opened a tear in the fabric of time.
- Those wormholes won't stay open for long. - How much time do we have?
Uh, 11, 12 minutes, at the most.
Which means if we don't get Christmas Spirit up soon…
We're stuck here forever.
Bingo! There's the guilty culprit, right here.
- What is it? - Ah, some kind of time twister.
Looks like Belsnickel figured out a rudimentary form of time travel.
You gotta admire his work.
But, as usual, it's also got his signature shoddy craftsmanship.
And looks like it's out of juice.
You need to find a power source for that.
I need to get Christmas Spirit up and running again.
Attention, all passengers, TWA flight zero-seven
to Kansas City has a 30-minute delay.
See the gate agent for questions regarding connecting flights.
- Now, that's good, that's good. - Oh.
I'm sorry, ladies and gentlemen,
I have been informed that this flight has been delayed for an hour.
Sorry about this delay.
I think I found out what this thing runs on.
Triple-A batteries.
Only Belsnickel could power a time machine with triple-As.
All right, let's see what I've got here.
Yeah. There we go.
- These are expired. - What?
That's all I've got.
- The gift shop. They'll have some there. - Yeah. Good thinking. All right.
You go get 'em and then meet me right back here. All right?
All right.
Let's see what we have to play with here.
Attention on the concourse. Flight 812 with service to Las Vegas
has been delayed.
A new departure time…
Here.
Please remain in the boarding area for further information.
Three dollars, please.
Here you go. Keep the change.
- Is this some kind of joke? - Hmm?
Is this Monopolymoney?
No, that's real.
This is the worst counterfeit job I've ever seen.
- It says 2020. - Oh.
I bet they won't even be using paper money in 30 years.
- Um, right. Um, my mistake. Sorry. - Hey, you gotta pay for those batteries.
What's goin' on here, young lady?
Where are your parents?
Oh, they're… they're cool with me traveling alone.
Hmm. Can I see your boarding pass, please?
You know what? I must have dropped it over there. Uh, I'll go get it.
You know what? Hey! Why don't you come with me?
- What? No, please. - Look, kid, you got no ticket, no parents.
- For all I know, you could be a runaway. - But I'm not a… Not exactly.
You know what? Just page Santa Claus. You'll see.
Page Santa Claus.
Yeah, I'll get right on that.
Okay.
All passengers bound for New York's JFK on flight 611,
we regret to inform you that your flight has been canceled.
We will continue to keep you updated as new flights are scheduled.
Thank you for your patience.
I'm sorry, everyone. I don't have good news.
All flights have been canceled!
What? Five minutes ago, you said there'd be a 30-minute delay.
And now that flight has been canceled.
So you're telling me you didn't know five minutes ago
that it was a cancellation and not a delay?
I am telling you.
Listen, we can offer you a complimentary hotel room for the night.
I don't want a free hotel room!
I want a flight to Chicago, right now!
Time to go to work.
Now, listen, brothers and sisters.
We ain't going nowhere
with all this negativity.
All this fussin' and fightin'
ain't nothing but stupidity.
I've been listening to this noise and nonsense
all night and day.
Now, let's hear what the man with the plan has to say.
Go on, honey.
Tell them what it is we need.
Well, what we need is, uh…
Well, it's real simple.
All we need is, uh…
…the spirit of Christmas!
Perhaps I should explain a little further.
Hey, Grinch.
Don't look so down in the dumps. Christmas is tomorrow, after all.
I wouldn't be so sure of that.
Sometimes, I just don't get people.
A little snag in their plans, and suddenly, the sky is falling.
Santa will find a way to make it all work out. He always does.
For good little boys and girls.
I'm starting to wonder if I fall into the other category.
Not a chance.
I know another True Believer when I see one.
Wait, you know about True Believers?
I come from a long line of them.
That's why I know that, by this time tomorrow,
I'm gonna be in Miami.
Nothing better than spending Christmas on the beach, if you ask me.
Sounds like you'd get along with the rest of my family.
Christmas in the tropics just isn't for me.
Oh, don't get me wrong.
I love drinking hot cocoa by the fire, ice skating, all that good stuff.
But my grandparents live in Florida, and they're too old to travel.
And who knows how many more Christmases I'm gonna spend with them, you know?
That's really sweet of you.
It's like my mom always says,
"Christmas isn't about where you are but who you're with."
- What's wrong? - Nothing. It's just…
I'm such a bad person.
Hey, it's okay. You couldn't have done anything that bad.
Oh, I ran away and probably broke up my mom's engagement.
Okay, that's bad.
But this guy your mom's with, he must be pretty horrible.
No, Bob's a really great guy. And he makes her so happy.
Okay. So now I'm really confused.
It's just, it's only been a couple years since my… my dad…
And, well, if my mom marries Bob, then it means…
Your dad is really gone.
Yeah. Even though he's not here anymore,
it still feels like he's with us, you know?
And… I just really wanted to say goodbye to him.
And I guess I felt so sad about it,
I wanted everyone else to feel the same way I did.
But the truth is, now,
I'd do anything to spend Christmas with them.
Mom, Teddy, and, yeah, even Bob.
Well, we'll just have to make that happen, won't we?
- How's it going? - Almost there.
Hurry up.
Hey!
Come on.
What do you two think you're doin'?
Hey! Hey! No! Come back here!
Hey, wait!
Whoo-hoo!
Well, look at that, everybody. You're all gonna be home for Christmas!
Yes!
- That was amazing. - Did you get 'em?
What?
The batteries.
Oh, yeah.
Ah, attagirl! Way to go, Kate.
Oh, yeah, Santa. I want you to meet someone.
This is… I didn't get your name.
It's Doug.
Pierce.
That's right.
Wait. Your name is Doug Pierce?
That's me, but how did you know my…
- Is he really Santa? - Just... Wait. Okay.
You're Doug Pierce.
Are you from Lowell, Massachusetts?
Yeah, but I never told you where I was from.
So, you're my…
You're my…
Santa, is he my… my…?
I hate to cut this short, kids, but we need to get going, Kate.
Time to say goodbye.
Goodbye, Dad.
Excuse me?
I mean, Doug.
Think you need to let Doug up for some air, Katie Cat.
Thank you for everything.
Yeah, well, a Pierce always sees it through.
Yes, we do.
Spoken like a True Believer.
Kate!
Merry Christmas, Doug.
Merry Christmas, Kate.
And Merry Christmas, Santa!
Note to self.
From now on, always bring a video camera wherever you go.
Now…
There's only one way to administer this to every elf.
The cannons.
Exactly. Think you can do it?
I got this, Mrs. C.
Oh, Jack, I can't send you out there alone without protection.
More cookies?
No cookies are gonna stop thousands of maniacal elves.
Okay? So, follow me.
You're gonna need something much stronger.
Whoa!
Look at them, 100% reenergized!
All right, ladies. This is our last chance to get back.
But, Santa, when we do get back,
how're we gonna get the star from Belsnickel?
I mean, he's probably already at the South Pole.
Well, that's a very good point. Unless, of course, we set this little baby
to 15 seconds after Belsnickel sent us into the past.
Ah. Huh?
You'll see.
Bon voyage! Whoo-hoo!
You feel that, everybody? That's a world without Santa Claus.
You really didn't think I was just gonna disappear, did you?
This time, guard it with your life.
On, Comet! On, Blitzen!
Whoa!
Hey! That wasn't very nice!
Yeah!
Hyah!
Whoa!
Here we go!
Oh!
- We're back! - We made it!
All right, there's the village square.
When we get over the tree, you jump.
Jump? All the way down there?
You'll make it. I promise.
Here it comes. Get ready!
Get ready! Jump!
Huh?
Whoa!
Oh.
Uh-oh.
Uh…
Oh!
Now, coursers, on my command!
Okay, boys! Get ready to charge!
- Hyah! - Hyah!
Enough!
Oh, no!
Whoo!
Okay.
Why'd you do that?
To put an end to this nonsense
and stop the two of you from trying to destroy each other.
I was… I was… I was gonna veer off, at the very last second.
We were just playing a little game of chicken.
Exactly! Game of chicken.
Okay. All right, that's enough.
Nick, sometimes I think you actually enjoy these little dangerous escapades.
Oh, don't be silly, I… I…
Well, I… I… Eh.
Oh, Dasher! You're all better now.
Thank you for saving my life. Oh!
Bad move, Yule Cat.
Sayonara, Jola!
Dasher!
Oh, girl!
Oh!
Welcome back.
Welcome back, girl. You look great!
- She does, doesn't she? - That was a perfect antler smash!
Oh!
I knew you'd work a miracle.
Thank you.
Welcome back, girl.
Oh!
Whoa!
Oh. Huh?
Uh…
Oh, no!
Just one shot left.
You can do this.
Ah!
Thanks, Jack!
No problem, Kate!
- We did it! - Yeah!
- Attagirl, Kate! - Great job with the cannons, Jack.
You may have won the battle, but you'll never win the war.
I'll find another way to get back in the village.
I'll come back one day,
and you'll all be in for the fight of your life.
I don't really think you mean that, Belsnickel.
But if you do, I'll be ready.
But, uh, until then…
There's something I want you to have.
- A little gift. - Let me guess.
Coal? You're so predictable.
The first toy…
That we built together.
Mm-hmm.
You kept it?
Well, I kept working on it.
Helped remind me of what an amazing elf you are.
You mean, the elf I was.
He's still in there. You just need to believe it.
We had some good times.
But I'll never be that elf again.
Of course you will.
Easy for you to say.
You don't know what this feels like.
Belsnickel, you don't need to be an elf
to realize that running away doesn't solve all your problems.
And sometimes,
we need to listen to the ones that we love the most.
Because at the end of the day,
your family are the only ones in the whole world
who really understand you.
They're the only ones that will always be there for you, no matter what.
Someone really cool once told me
that Christmas isn't about where you are but who you're with.
We love you, Belsnickel.
Always have, Bels.
I've always loved you guys.
Oh!
I officially declare…
Order has been restored to the North Pole!
Now, Dasher, are you sure you're ready for this trip?
If you say so.
All right. Last sleigh to Cancun.
- All aboard. - Oh, my God.
This is probably gonna be my first and only trip in the sleigh.
- Can I sit up front, Santa? - Well, you can't drive from the back.
- What? - Yeah.
Now, this puppy's got some serious jump. You think you can handle it?
- Well, yeah! - All right. Jump in and get the reins.
There you go.
Hey, Santa?
I just wanted to say thank you.
For what?
For letting me say goodbye to my dad.
Now, Kate, that was purely coincidental.
Yeah, right.
Jump in.
Children! Children!
In case you get a little peckish on the ride.
What's in these?
Um, eggs, butter, flour, sugar.
No. What kinda magic is in them?
I mean, when I ate one in the forest, I lost all my fears.
The snowman cookie made me feel stronger.
Well, only the gingerbread man had magic ingredients.
The snowman didn't have any.
But wait.
So, that means…
The hero was always inside you.
I'll never forget you, Mrs. Claus.
Oh… you will from time to time, and that's as it should be.
Have a great journey.
- Merry Christmas, Mrs. Claus. - Merry Christmas.
- Hey, guys. - Yeah?
One last thing.
- What's that? - Stay away from strangers in golf carts.
Will do.
Nick.
Hurry back.
Hit it, Jack!
Here goes. On, Dasher! On, Dancer! On, Prancer! On, Vixen!
Goodbye, children!
All right. Now pull 'em. Come on!
That's it. That's it. Now, pull 'em back! Pull 'em!
Harder!
Not bad. Not bad at all, Jack!
All right, kids. We're here.
Ready to jump?
Jump?
All the way down there?
- Mm-hmm. - Trust me, Jack. You'll be fine.
I don't know, Kate. I fought a village of crazy elves,
but this seems kinda dangerous, if you ask me.
You'll be okay. I promise.
Hey, Santa.
Yeah?
Will we ever see you again?
Not if he can help it.
We did it again.
Yes, we did.
Uh…
Just one thing, Katie Cat.
I know, Santa. I'll be good.
Whoo-hoo!
On, Dasher!
Merry Christmas, Teddy!
You've gotta be kidding me.
Looks like you guys had a visit from our old friend.
Was it as good as last time?
Well, let me put it this way.
I met Mrs. Claus,
and I helped save Christmas with Dad when he was 13.
Are… Are you serio... No way.
Yes way.
Yeah, well, I climbed a glacier and fought off a Yule cat,
so I'm kind of a big deal at the North Pole now.
- Is that right? - Yeah.
Me and Mrs. Claus are like this.
Wow. You guys gotta tell me everything,
but Bob and Mom are actually waiting for us, so we gotta go.
Come on.
When I last saw you, you were heading to Kids Club.
How'd you get from there onto Santa's sleigh?
You know, that was a life-changing trip.
- It was. - Mm.
Mm! Ah, there's my little man.
- Dad! - Come on! What?
- I'm so happy to see you, honey! - That's my main man!
- Ah, I missed you so much! - Yeah!
I missed you, too.
Both of you.
- Really? - Ah.
Yeah.
Kate, I want you to know I really care for your mother.
And I hope that me and you can continue to bond.
I know nothing happens overnight.
One day at a time, right?
One day at a time.
You know, guys, I was thinking, maybe tonight…
Maybe we should have a caroling party.
- Wow! - Seriously?
Sure.
I… I think that's a great idea.
- I love it. I'm in. - Let's do it.
So, what song should we sing?
How about "O Christmas Tree"?
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas, Mina!
Oh, my God.