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Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

As Good As It Gets

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

An elite trio of expert hunters venture into the woods to track and capture an especially rare and dangerous prey for the Christmas season. Said prey turns out to be a feral and savage species of portly old guy human beings who after they are caught are cleaned up and put through a brutal training process in order to be turned into Santa Clauses who are then shipped all over the world. Director/co-writer Jalmari Helander deftly crafts a wonderfully wicked black comedy pip that milks an extremely sick, yet fresh and original premise for maximum queasy belly laughs (the sight of a wild naked old man running through the chilly forest with darts sticking out of his body is both funny and disturbing at the same time). Tommi Korpela, Jorma Tommila, and Tazu Ovaska are completely convincing as the three ace hunters. Otso Tarkela is likewise believable as their crazed prey. Jean Noel Mustonen's sharp cinematography offers a wealth of striking images (the shots of the lush wilderness are particularly breathtaking). Kudos are also in order for the marvelously melodic and majestic music. Best of all, Jonathan Hutching's deep and commanding gravelly voiced narration rates as the yummy cherry on an already deliciously dark and demented cake. A terrifically twisted treat.

This short film has a very sick sense of humor and while I was a bit horrified but it, I also have to admit that it was very well made. However, I certainly DON'T recommend you allow younger viewers to see this film--for rather obvious reasons.The film was made in Scandinavia and features the most amazingly appropriate narration in English--the voice and style was great as was the script. As the narrator talks, you see several hunters stalking their prey--though for a long time in the film you have no idea what it is. Later, when they finally open fire, you see they are shooting at a naked "feral" Santa using tranquilizer guns. Apparently, according to this film, the Santas you see at shopping malls are actually bagged in the wild and subjected to excruciating "conditioning" (i.e, torture) to make them jolly and child-friendly! The whole thing is one long sick joke. Many will find it funny but many will also be horrified at seeing the naked Father Christmas being shot at, slapped around and beaten. Sick...but just the sort of film for grinches who dislike the holidays.By the way, this short was followed by yet another short and, finally, a full-length film called "Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale". All three films can be seen on the disc for the full-length movie.

While this is a very entertaining and humorous short film, it is also worth mentioning that it is a ad for Woodpecker Film showing their flair, know-how and expertise. This company has produced a lot of advertisements, some music videos and a like. Some of the ads are for Finnish military, drinks and food stuffs.Watch some of them at Woodpeckerfilm.fiThe movie it self is a work of genius, using Finnish landscape and popular beliefs, so to speak, as the source for the mid-movie surprise. The narrator is very convincing with the low movie trailer type voice and makes for a funny emphasis.

This movie has been doing the rounds on the internet for the last couple of years in quicktime format, many people not realising that it is a serious (or otherwise) short movie. With around a minute and a half of credits, the length proper of this is only 6 minutes.This movie is about hunting, so keep the little ones out of view and earshot while watching it. It is an absolute masterpiece, so if you have broadband, do a search now and have a watch of it. If you decide to, then read no further, because:SPOILER -- SPOILER -- SPOILER -- SPOILER -- SPOILER -- SPOILERThere is a lead-up and reveal about halfway through. The start shows preparations for a hunt, but the prey is unknown until the first shot is fired, and we see a sedative dart in... A FATHER Christmas! They are the most precious free-roaming beast in the whole of the Northern wilderness we are told, but they are very dangerous.Get a copy now and see how a wild Father Christmas is tamed and prepared for export.