? All of the unanswered questions from The Santa Clause 2, and many more, are answered in this completion of the trilogy starring Tim Allen as the North Pole’s tallest resident. With the new Mrs. Claus afflicted by pre-partum depression, or homesickness, the elves work overtime to transform their village into a replica of Canada, lest the visiting in-laws figure out that their daughter’s husband is more than just a toy factory owner. Meanwhile, Jack Frost (Martin Short) schemes to usurp jolly Santa.
+ Martin Short’s haircut looks about right. Alan Arkin and
Ann-Margret have a couple of decent moments as the in-laws.
- Where to begin? The
story smacks of something the writers came up with up just because someone told
them a sequel was needed. The rift Jack Frost instigates between Santa and Mrs.
Clause and the in-laws is unconvincing, and the way the “escape clause” works
is illogical. As for humor, farting reindeer is about as good as it gets.
Listening to Judge Reinhold (as the husband to Santa’s ex) prate on about taking
a “feeling inventory” is excruciating, not comical. The robotic way the elves
say “Love you Mrs. Claus” in unison has all the warmth of a communist youth
rally. Equally charmless is Spencer Breslin as the head elf. And the movie
concludes with sap worthy of Mrs. Butterworth.
= *1/2 I actually
found the last Santa Clause movie reasonably entertaining, but this
bordering-on-dreadful sequel has given me Clause-trophobia. At least,
opening just in time for Veteran’s Day, it should be gone before ruining anyone’s
real Christmas.
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