Just as the festive period rolls into sight, some of us might need a kick start to get into the spirit. This could be a mince pie, or a cheeky mulled wine, or digging out those Christmas socks from the depth of your sock drawer.

For many it’s a Christmas film to get you in the mood, so it’s just as well there’s plenty to choose from, so much so that there are a couple of 24 hour channels devoted to them that pop up at this time of year.

Certainly one of the most expensive ever made has to be this effort, brought to the screen by legendary film producer Alexander Salkind, who made us believe a man can fly with Superman, so it makes perfect sense that he would do the same with Father Christmas in 1985.

It’s the middle ages, and a simple woodcutter by the name of Claus (David Huddleston) is busying himself by making wooden toys to give out to the local children. He and his wife Anya (Judy Cornwell) get into a spot of bother when they attempt to ride their sleigh to the next town to deliver toys, that sees them rescued by a bunch of elves, who transport them to a magical kingdom in the North Pole.

It’s here that they’re informed that they have now become immortal, and they will devote their lives to not just making toys and delivering them to local children, but all the children around the world.

One elf in particular, Patch (Dudley Moore) is keen to prove his worth, exploding with ideas to improve how they all operate. But his enthusiasm runs away with him, causing some very unhelpful Christmas chaos.

Considering how used to origin stories we are by now, it’s easy to forget just how original this script was for 1985, featuring as it does Santa’s origin tale. Unfortunately French director Jeannot Szwarc, who already had a history of helming pointless sequels (1978’s Jaws II and 1984’s Supergirl), struggled with delivering the perfect Christmas flick.

Part of the reason is the script, that although features an origin story, it then goes off in a rather dull direction for its second half, that features a toy making company in NYC.

The film struggles with developing its own identity, possibly due to many of the crew involved. For instance, you can’t help but notice the heavy influence of 1971’s Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, but instead of producing chocolate, the elves are busying themselves making toys. It’s not a coincidence either, when you consider the film’s cinematographer Arthur Ibbetson also shot the ’71 classic.

And then there’s the film’s baddie, who is an obvious clone of Lex Luthor from the original Superman flick; it was a role that was offered to Harrison Ford, Dustin Hoffman and Burt Reynolds, all of whom turned it down, possibly down to the similarities with Luthor. The role of B.Z eventually went to relative newcomer at the time John Lithgow.

And with the director’s experience helming Supergirl, the many flying sequences are very familiar, looking like cut and paste jobs from the Superman films.

The one area you would think they could inject some originality with is with the appearance of Dudley Moore. He had already made a name for himself in his breakout Hollywood role as Arthur in 1981, but the comedian was kept on a short leash, putting in an all too cosy performance, completely bereft of any kind of humour, making his appearance redundant overall.

It’s also a film that comes across as if it really wanted to be a musical when it grew up, with a few numbers included without any lyrics. And when one number did feature them, using a choir, you end up wishing that they hadn’t.

Salkind admitted it was by no means cheap, with a budget around $50 million, which is unfortunate, as the film bombed on its release, not even making half of if that back at the box office.

And to add further insult, the film just hasn’t aged well. Its secondary story set in New York is woeful, and simply drags the experience on longer than necessary.

One element that did actually work are the film’s animatronics, featuring a number of reindeer, that are the only thing that has stood the test of time with some impressive tech for the period.

It’s the type of film that you have to question didn’t necessarily deserve being restored, which is probably what those who were tasked with the job thought too, as it isn’t very good. There is an incredible amount of noise in the image from the off, and although you expect a fair amount of ‘snow’ in a Christmas flick, the poor visual quality only adds to the annoyance.

Simply put, Santa Claus: The Movie is a ghost of Christmas Past, which is where it belongs. If you want to get into the Christmas spirit, do yourself a favour and dive into the sock drawer instead, whilst stuffing your face with a mince pie, because it will be better than putting yourself through this.