My only issue with it is the story about the love interest's dad dying by breaking his neck in a chimney seems slightly out of place.

I just wanna watch little guys tear shit up during Christmas and maybe kill people but in cartoonish ways. The overly dark tragic back-story kills the vibe for me.

Could've just made him die in a car crash on his way home for Christmas, or cheated on the mom near Christmas, or something like that.