Celebrate Christmas with ‘Noelle’

Midweek update: 2019 holiday film stars Anna Kendrick, Bill Hader

Have yourself a streaming little Christmas with “Noelle,” a Disney Plus Christmas confection from 2019 starring Anna Kendrick as Santa’s daughter. 

Kris Kringle, the jolly Santa we all recognize, has passed away and must pass the hat to his oldest male heir, Nick (Bill Hader). But Nick isn’t ready for prime Christmas time yet and is stressed out. Sister Noelle (Kendrick) suggests Nick take the weekend off – but seven days later, the reindeer return to the North Pole, sans Nick. 

Noelle is blamed for Nick’s disappearance, and techy cousin Gabriel (Billy Eichner) is appointed as temporary Santa. Noelle and her childhood nanny, Polly (Shirley MacLaine), go off in search of Nick, tracing him to Phoenix, Arizona.  

Much like Buddy in “Elf,” Noelle isn’t super-aware of how the world works outside the North Pole, leading to a few wacky shenanigans. But with the help of private investigator (and hunky single dad) Jake Hapman (Kingsley Ben-Adir), she plans to track down her brother and save Christmas. 

Suffice it to say, there are additional shenanigans and at least one reckoning about what it means to be Santa Claus. Hader and Kendrick have fun sibling chemistry, and Kendrick is spritely enough to make even the silliest situations engaging. This G-rated comedy is formulaic in places and is unlikely to make you rethink your life to any great degree, but it’s an enjoyable treat while you sip eggnog or open presents this holiday season with young kids in the room. If you’re looking to mix up your Christmas viewing, “Noelle” should make it onto the nice list. 

Speeding Bullet happenings 

Speeding Bullet Comics, 614 N. Porter Ave. in Norman, OK, welcomes two comic-book signings to the store in the month of December.

Dec. 9 signing

On Dec. 9 from 12-3 p.m., Clint Williams will sign his newest 52-page comic NO TIME Magazine. The perfect bound anthology features weird existential horror and fantasy stories created by comic artists from across the US and Yorkshire, Northern England.

Dec.16 signing

Jonathan Hughes of S.U.P.A.6 will sign at Speeding Bullet Comics from 12-3 p.m. on Dec. 16! The kids’ comic features the “Super Ultra Power Agents 6” as they protect OK City.

Check out these and other fun holiday events at Speeding Bullet Comics this winter! Spend $50 or more this December at Speeding Bullet and qualify for a “Bad-Gift Insurance” coupon!

Bad-Gift Insurance Coupons still available!

We are offering our regular customers a chance to do their Christmas and holiday shopping early with Speeding Bullet — and get themselves some presents! We (somewhat jokingly) call it “Bad Gift Insurance.”

Do your Christmas, holiday, or other shopping at Speeding Bullet, or just buy comics like you do every week. With every $50 purchase, we’ll give you a 30% off coupon that you can use on any one item you choose from Dec. 27-31.

That means you have five shopping days the week after Christmas to get what you really wanted!

Of course, if your loved ones are already shopping for you at Speeding Bullet, you win big time, because you can combine those 30% off coupons with your Speeding Bullet gift certificates — available in any denomination!

“Bad-Gift” Insurance is available through Dec. 24. You can collect as many 30% off coupons as you like, but you may only redeem one coupon per item.

Matthew Price, matthew@matthewLprice.com, has written about the comics industry for more than two decades. He is the co-owner of Speeding Bullet Comics in Norman.