Bernard was so much nicer in this film
In the first film, he came off as grumpy and sarcastic, in this movie, he was so sweet and humble.
Lol did Scott bring out the best in him?!?!
Probably.
Bernard had been the head elf since the Middle Ages, and had to deal with learning the routine of the revolving door of Santas. For all we know, he may have had to break in several in a short amount of time and they may not have been nearly as much fun as Scott.
He was mostly grumpy in that first scene where he meets Scott. He might have had a really bad day or was just playing up the attitude to the 'new guy'.
shareI'm assuming Scott (and Charlie) bought out the best in him. Notice he always had a soft spot for Charlie when he was little.
Perhaps the original Santa treated him like crap.
Also, being the head elf can be a stressful job.