A wasted opportunity

Big Mel Gibson fan (and supporter) but this movie was severely disappointing.
Can't quite put my finger on it, but around the 30 minute mark, it became apparent that any/all novelty (if not 'plot') this movie possessed had come and gone (and it didn't have enough exposition, characterization or intent to see it through the next hour or so)
The 'novelty' of seeing Mel Gibson as Santa Claus had long since worn-off and his 'character' (or lack of) was wildly uneven (one minute lamenting the 'fallen youth' of today, twixt between himself being grouchy NRA nut/ government sub-contractor) either trait was fine....mixing the two became wildly hypocritical.

I 'got' that it took potshots at how cheap (and sneaky) said Government can be (but hardly edgy or revelatory enough to class as 'satire' in 2020)

I'm not entirely sure why they cast a black actress (with a British accent) to play the Fatman's wife, either?
Her colour didn't matter to me (but it clearly mattered to the film-makers) Not entirely sure if it was either box-tick-casting or just a concerned (read 'conceited') effort to say to the audience "LOOK FOLKS, MEL GIBSON IS NOT RACiST" (but I found both her inclusion and accent to be pointlessly jarring) and something which neither the movie (nor Gibson) required to advance proceedings (her actual inclusion as a 'character' was pretty pointless, regardless of her skin colour)

The 'Hitman' 'subplot' (which took up the majority of the movie) wasn't as clever as it thought it was either (although to his credit, Walton Goggins has a Bruce Dern-vibe, which should see him in steady enployment for many years to come) But it's overall 'message' that bad people *are* bad people because they never got the toys they wanted at Christmas, is a deeply worrying sentiment (but keeping with the Hollywood trend of 'let's normalise everything')

Whilst, I understand that (perhaps) I should have switched my brain off and enjoyed it as the 'novelty-concept' movie (it clearly was) I can't help feeling it was not only a missed opportunity for the public (and Gibson) to restore a bit of mutual warmth between both parties. The movie was neither 'sugary' enough for a Christmas 'message' movie.....nor violent enough for the Hitman revenge genre.....and as such, it just sits there (underwritten) with no discernable audience (adding another unessacary 'blip' to Gibson's once glittering CV)
I wish he'd realise that the public needs him (more than he needs them) and (at very least) start signing up for projects that have a bit more substance other than 'quirky-casting'?