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Family Matters wasn’t just a hit sitcom — it was a show that touched a generation. With the breakout success of the Steve Urkel character — and the extremely wacky nature of some episodes — it’s still baffling that fans never received a spinoff or cartoon when it seemed like the perfect fit.
Thankfully, the dream persisted. The show may have started on ABC back in 1989, but in 2023 the annoying neighbor returns in Urkel Saves Santa: The Movie!
The truth is, it almost didn’t happen. Originally titled Did I Do That to the Holidays? A Steve Urkel Story and set to air on Cartoon Network in 2022, it was nearly a victim of the Warner Bros. Discovery merger and lost its more unique title during the time it spent on the shelf. Urkel can’t save anyone if we can’t see him and it’s a Christmas miracle he made it.
Sadly, although there is a ton of nostalgia here and some excellent references back to the show, anyone hoping to see other characters from Family Matters is going to be disappointed. This is Steve’s adventure and the rest of the cast is filled up entirely with new neighbors and friends. Jaleel White returns to voice the character, but it won’t be the same for some. The actor is simply older and doesn’t quite have that same pitch, but his comedic timing and numerous inflections are still spot on. Some segments were supposedly altered digitally to help with this, but that may just add to the range of varied results we receive in the performance.
The plot is almost exactly what’s expected if viewers are familiar with the more eccentric elements in the show. That said, the new title is a bit misleading on who’s saving who, and the film itself has some interesting takes on the Santa lore. Steve Urkel loves the holidays, all of them that fall around this time of year, whether that is Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, or Festivus (who knew he liked Seinfeld?).
Like with almost everything Steve enjoys, he overdoes the celebrating and bothers everyone around him. Those caught in the wake of his existence still fear and loathe him, even if they may hide some slight compassion for the little geek just as the Winslow family did. After establishing his new relationships and love of going to the mall (relatable), his antics quickly get him in trouble. His attempts to make up for his mistakes? They only make things worse.
It’s a setup that brings him down but then gives inspiration from an expected, but still highly unusual source. These events also see Urkel matching wits with an Elon Musk-esque villain named Dudley which culminates in a battle of wits via a climactic chess sequence. The story is wild and the humor is on point in a lot of ways, featuring some mild social commentary and harmless political parody. I especially appreciated the use of timing and small bits that might have otherwise been cut if they didn’t fit the character so well. These include Urkel walking down the wrong escalator at first without even bringing attention to it.
The first half is unfortunately paced better and although the singing isn’t horrible, it doesn’t add much either other than giving us extra insight into Urkel’s head. The movie brings things back around in the end by shining more light onto Steve’s relationships with others, an element the show also did well when it was at its best. His interactions with Robin are wonderful and we want to see good things happen for her. A small attachment, but it is there.
The voice acting is solid and there is quite a range here with a handful of familiar names helping bring this community to life. Names like Wayne Knight, Thomas Lennon, Kym Whitley, Jay Pharoah, and Master Shake himself, Dana Snyder, are all present. Each cast member complements each other and match White’s dedication to his character.
I enjoyed the animation, even if I was skeptical of the direction. Pastels are bright and fluid, with the characters seemingly more alive. They appear enlarged, featuring a plethora of round lines that pop off the screen almost like exaggerated memories flooding back in. The art changes several times, but it is almost always vibrant and the expressions we see from Steve are superb. If I have one complaint in this area it’s that some of the song and dream sequences appear more muted and monochrome than his everyday life, but maybe that’s how Urkel would see it too.
We have to talk about the opening and how it got someone like myself – a superfan – excited for this. When the Warner Bros. Animation name comes up it looks like an old VHS tape in the VCR, straight out of Urkel’s own home movies collection or like we rented this from Blockbuster, complete with PLAY and the button at the top. The opening credits are brief but are also an obvious nod to the show down to the fonts and establishing shots. Little touches like these helped this new feature feel even more special and as if it were made for people who remember these characters fondly. It isn’t long before we see Urkelbot (who provides a laugh track at one point) and eventually, there’s a Stefan Urquelle cameo and an animated version of the Winslow house that inspired a slight swell of nostalgic glee.
I hate to just describe something as ‘fun,’ but that’s what this was; a good time. It goes a bit further than the show ever could have, perhaps too far, but in a lot of ways this just proves that there was a market for more material like this to play around with back in the show’s heyday. Urkel Saves Santa isn’t going to work for a lot of people, probably not even for all of the fans, but it works as an Urkel fever dream to laugh at and enjoy. The Family Matters cartoon I always wanted took its time getting here, but I’m not mad at it and maybe we can get more. Personally, I can’t wait to see what Steve messes up next.
SCORE: 7.5/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 7.5 equates to “Good.” A successful piece of entertainment that is worth checking out, but it may not appeal to everyone.
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