🍿 PopcornCheck
The Christmas Chronicles poster

Is The Christmas Chronicles OK for Kids?

ComedyAdventureFamilyFantasy
7+
PG⭐ 7.0 / 102018 · 1h 44m
Clay Kaytis

Where to Watch

United States

Stream

NetflixNetflix Standard with Ads
Rent or Buy on Amazon

Streaming data by JustWatch

What's In It

Based on the actual screenplay
🗡️Violence
Mild▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
3
Cartoon / Comedic
3
Action & Peril
0
Injuries & Death Shown
0
Graphic & Disturbing
  • Teddy shoves Kate against a wall, knocking over a picture, in a moment of sibling frustration played for cartoonish effect rather than real harm.
  • Gang members threaten kids over a bag of presents, creating a tense but non-graphic confrontation.
  • Elves use candy cane-themed 'naughty' guns against the gang members in a comedic, cartoonish action beat.
  • A car chase with police through Chicago streets and a sleigh crash during the flight sequence provide action-movie peril without depicted injuries or blood.
  • No characters are shown dying or seriously injured on screen; violence overall is cartoonish or action-adventure in tone, not graphic or disturbing.
💬Language
Mild▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
6
Mild Words
(damn, hell)
2
Moderate
(ass, b**ch)
0
Strong
(sh*t)
0
Extreme
(f**k)
  • The word 'hell' is used a total of four times across two separate instances.
  • 'Cr*p' is used once and 'da**' is used once.
  • A censored substitute for a stronger word appears once ('my temper' standing in for sh**), and 'freaking' is used once.
  • No f-words, c-words, or slurs are present in the script.
👻Scary Scenes
Moderate▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
2
Mildly Tense
2
Startling Moments
1
Genuinely Scary
0
Deeply Disturbing
  • Kids are startled when they first spot Santa on the roof at night, a sudden but brief scary moment.
  • The sleigh flight through the air with the kids aboard is depicted as intense, with narrow escapes.
  • A gang confrontation involving weapon threats and a police chase sequence create tense, suspenseful moments without graphic violence.
  • Elves emerging unexpectedly from a magical bag is played as a startling but ultimately whimsical moment.
  • All scary or tense moments resolve positively, with characters working together and no lasting harm shown.
💕Romance
Moderate▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
0
Crushes & Holding Hands
1
Kissing & Dating
1
Suggestive
0
Sexual Content
  • The parents kiss under mistletoe at the beginning of the film, a brief and wholesome moment.
  • Mrs. Claus appears to flirt with Santa about 'being naughty,' a mild suggestive line aimed at adult humor.
  • There is no sexual content, nudity, or depicted intimacy anywhere in the film.
🍺Substances
Very Mild▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
3
Mentioned in Passing
0
Shown Casually
0
Featured Prominently
0
Glorified or Abused
  • Kate makes a joking reference to 'Christmas beer' regarding Teddy's plans, purely as a passing joke.
  • There is a brief reference to gang members 'slinging tequila shots' in a prison context, mentioned rather than shown.
  • A character's past drug/alcohol habits are referenced as having derailed a musical career, framed negatively rather than glorified.
  • No substance use is actually depicted on screen.
⚡Stimulation
Moderate▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
0
Gently Engaging
2
Exciting
2
Intense
0
Overwhelming
  • A high-speed police chase through Chicago streets with sleigh driving delivers an intense, fast-paced sequence.
  • Flying reindeer sequences with narrow escapes provide exciting but not overwhelming energy.
  • The time-pressure finale, racing to deliver all presents before sunrise, ramps up tension and pacing.
  • A rapid montage of present deliveries across multiple cities adds to the film's energetic pace.
  • Sensory-sensitive children may find the chase and flight sequences a lot to take in, though the film balances these with quieter emotional scenes.
The Christmas Chronicles — Heads Up for Parents

Despite being a family Christmas film, it includes a genuinely tense gang confrontation where kids are threatened over presents, a high-speed police car chase, and a sleigh crash — more action-oriented peril than parents might expect from the marketing.

About The Christmas Chronicles

Two siblings, Kate and Teddy, accidentally stow away in Santa's sleigh after trying to catch him on camera, and end up on a wild Christmas Eve adventure through Chicago to help him recover his stolen sack of presents before sunrise. Along the way they get mixed up with a gang, go on a police car chase, and learn to believe in each other and in the Christmas spirit while healing from the loss of their father. It's a fast-paced, heartfelt family adventure comedy with some peril-filled action sequences.

✅
Fine for kids to watch alone
The mild language, cartoonish/action violence, and emotional themes around grief and family reconciliation are appropriate for kids 7+ to watch alone, though parents of sensitive younger children may want to be nearby during the gang confrontation and police chase scenes.

Family Takeaways from The Christmas Chronicles

What it gets right

  • ✓The film shows grief and loss (the deceased father) being processed through family togetherness, culminating in an emotional acknowledgment via an ornament at the end.
  • ✓It portrays working parents' sacrifices sympathetically, as when the mother spends Christmas Eve caring for hospital patients instead of being home.

The Christmas Chronicles Cultural & Values Guide

Cultural & Values Guide

Faith & Religion
●Christian themes

The film centers on Santa Claus, Christmas Eve, and Christmas spirit as core themes, including the mother caring for patients on Christmas Eve and the family decorating a tree on Christmas morning.

Values & Themes
●Traditional family values

The story emphasizes family reconciliation, sibling loyalty, parental sacrifice, and the family motto 'A Pierce always sees it through' as central to its resolution.

Cast:Darby CampJudah LewisKurt RussellMartin RoachLamorne Morris

Is The Christmas Chronicles Appropriate for Your Child's Age?

✗Age 5: Not recommended for 5-year-olds
✓Age 8: Generally appropriate for 8-year-olds
✓Age 10: Generally appropriate for 10-year-olds
✓Age 12: Generally appropriate for 12-year-olds
✓Age 13: Generally appropriate for 13-year-olds
✓Age 15: Generally appropriate for 15-year-olds
✓Age 17: Generally appropriate for 17-year-olds

Individual children may vary — use your judgment.

Parents also ask about The Christmas Chronicles

  • Is The Christmas Chronicles appropriate for a 7-year-old?
  • Does The Christmas Chronicles have violence?
  • Is The Christmas Chronicles OK for kids?
  • What is the age rating for The Christmas Chronicles?

You might also like

Browse more parent guides

All movies A–ZComedy moviesAdventure moviesFamily moviesFantasy moviesMovies for 7-year-olds