Instead of a single individual,
Santa Claus is a hereditary title, handed down from father to son since the time of
Saint Nicholas. Malcolm, the 20th Santa, is heading his 70th mission, but his role has been reduced to that of a figurehead. He flies in a high-tech vessel called the S-1, operated by hundreds of elves who deliver the gifts using military precision and automated gadgets. These operations are managed by Malcolm's son Steve from a control room beneath the
North Pole, while Steve's nervous but cheerful younger brother Arthur answers the letters sent to Santa. During the mission, a child almost sees Malcolm; as the elves rescue him, a wrapped bicycle falls off the S-1's conveyor belt into the shadows. After returning to the North Pole, Malcolm unexpectedly announces that he is still not ready to retire and hand over his role to Steve. Arthur and his mother Margaret try to get the rest of the family to enjoy Christmas via a board game, but tensions run high between Steve, Malcolm, and Malcolm's ancient father Grandsanta, who believes Christmas has become too modernized. While cleaning the S-1, an elf named Bryony finds the lost present. Arthur is horrified when he recognizes the present's intended recipient as Gwen Hines, a girl from
Trelew,
Cornwall. Malcolm is at a loss how to deal with the situation; Arthur wants to take the S-1 out again to return the present, but Steve convinces Malcolm that one gift out of billions is an acceptable margin of error. After the others have left, Grandsanta hears Arthur fretting and offers to take the old
magic sleigh, "Evie", out from where he had secretly hidden it to keep it from being scrapped. Using magic
Aurora dust and a team of untrained reindeer, Grandsanta and Arthur set out to deliver the present. Bryony stows away with them; along the way, the trio causes several mishaps, lose a few of the reindeer, and accidentally arrive in Trelew,
Mexico, nearly setting off an international military incident in the process. Rerouting to Cornwall, Arthur and Bryony learn that Grandsanta does not really care about Gwen; he just wants to prove he is still relevant. The elves suggest Steve can help Arthur deliver the present from the command center, but he refuses, calling Arthur and ordering him to return home. Arthur insists that Malcolm would want them to deliver the gift, but Steve convinces a distraught Arthur that Malcolm likely has gone to bed unfazed. Arthur's party loses the sleigh, stranding themselves on an island in
Cuba. Though disappointed in his father, Arthur realizes Gwen will still believe in Santa no matter who delivers the present, and manages to retrieve the sleigh. Distraught by Steve's actions, several of the elves wake Malcolm and Margaret, who decide to set out in the S-1 to rescue Arthur and deliver the present. Steve comes along uninvited; unable to pilot the S-1 alone, Malcolm reluctantly allows Steve to take over. Like Arthur, the S-1 also initially arrives in Trelew, Mexico. While correcting the error, Steve discovers he is not good with children. Arthur, Grandsanta and Bryony lose the remaining reindeer. A
Predator jet opens fire on them over
England, destroying the sleigh as its occupants bail out. All four of the male Clauses arrive at Gwen's house before she wakes up, only for Malcolm, Grandsanta, and Steve to argue over who gets to deliver the gift. Noticing that only Arthur truly cares about Gwen, Malcolm allows him to do it. The Claus family watches from a nearby closet as Gwen delightedly opens the gift; prompted by Malcolm, Steve acknowledges that Arthur is the true worthy Santa, and forfeits his birthright to his brother. One year later, Malcolm retires to spend time with Grandsanta and Margaret, Steve becomes Arthur's Chief Operating Officer, Bryony is promoted to vice-president of Packing (Pacific Division), Grandsanta's lost reindeer eventually find their way home, and Arthur renames the S-1 "EVIE" in honor of Grandsanta's sleigh, refitting it to be pulled by five thousand reindeer. ==Cast==