Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale Image
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Metascore
71 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 18 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.5 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 11 Ratings

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0 out of 10
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  • Summary: It's the eve of Christmas in northern Finland, and an 'archeological' dig has just unearthed the real Santa Claus. But this particular Santa isn’t the one you want coming to town. When the local children begin mysteriously disappearing, young Pietari and his father Rauno, a reindeer hunter b by trade, capture the mythological being and attempt to sell Santa to the misguided leader of the multinational corporation sponsoring the dig. Santa's elves, however, will stop at nothing to free their fearless leader from captivity. What ensues is a wildly humorous nightmare – a fantastically bizarre polemic on modern day morality. (Oscilloscope Laboratories) … Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Michael Rechtshaffen
    Dec 11, 2010
    90
    A fiendishly entertaining Christmas yarn rooted in Northern European legend and lore, complete with a not-so-jolly old St. Nick informed more by the Brothers Grimm than Norman Rockwell.
  2. Empire
    Reviewed by: Kim Newman
    Dec 6, 2010
    80
    If you're a bah-humbug type looking for an alternative to Santa Claus: The Movie or Miracle On 34th Street, this could be a holiday perennial. May be too strange for normal people, but weird kids will love it.
  3. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Sheri Linden
    Dec 9, 2010
    80
    What unfolds is a dark comic thriller and action-hero send-up, a strange alloy of daredevil helicopter maneuvers and night of the living elves. Captured in atmospheric widescreen camerawork, the end-of-the-world frozen landscape (actually Norway) is spectacular and spooky.
  4. Time Out New York
    Reviewed by: Joshua Rothkopf
    Dec 6, 2010
    60
    Some moments are so deliciously shivery-our heroes' breath condensing in the air like in John Carpenter's "The Thing"-that you wish the film were naughtier and less nice.

See all 18 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. Nick5414
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A fiendishly entertaining Christmas yarn rooted in Northern European legend and lore, complete with a not-so-jolly old St. Nick informed more by the Brothers Grimm than Norman Rockwell.… Expand
  2. ILHM
    9
    A group of archaeologists have uncovered the world's best kept secret hidden deep within the Korvatunturi mountains, a being of such ancient and terrifying evil that it had to be locked away for centuries in an icy tomb beneath the earth. But now, Santa has been released, and it is up three of the town's trappers and their brave young boy to stop the creature before it can wreak its bloody vengeance on all of the Earth's children! RARE EXPORTS met with immediate success upon its initial release in 2010, gathering the support of cineasts world-wide as "an instant Christmas classic." Ancient lore mixes with modern humor as director Jalmari Helander explores the darker side of the Christmas tradition. Helander tells this whimsical fairytale with a wink, allowing the twisted humor to flow naturally from his characters as they approach the feral Santa Claus with utter apprehension. Onni Tommila gives a heartfelt and endearing performance as Pietari, who passes easily through the rites of manhood as he conquers his childhood fears in order to save his friends. The only misstep falls on the rushed and gimmicky finale, which breaks away from the slow and deliberate pacing while dispelling much of the film's magic for a few cheap laughs. RARE EXPORTS is a complete departure from any other holiday-themed horror film that will surely be revisited for many years to come.… Expand
  3. thatdank
    5
    This film sounded more interesting than it really was. I went through the entire movie waiting for something even remotely interesting to happen, but it never did. The first part of the film is extremely boring, and the second half is just average. The problem here is that the origin of this evil, ancient Santa is never fully realized; hell, you never even actually see him. This movie is comparable to having intercourse and having to stop before you get a chance to climax. It's a real shame, too, because the premise was very interesing, so it's a real bummer the movie is such a bore.… Expand

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