The Santa Clause

You have to believe, if you expect a Hollywood epic you're watching the wrong movie and would recommend a different movie. This is exactly the right movie for Christmas and fantasy, it's sincere and funny in all the right places. Fire up the fireplace make some popcorn curl up in front of the tv, you can't go wrong.

You are a Grinch of you don't like this movie. A true Christmas classic.

Tim Allen is a marvelous comic presence. But this all belongs to the producers and creators of this film. The script allows for an explanation why Allen becomes Santa Claus. He inadvertently causes the old guy to fall off the roof and the "clause" in the contract forces him to take over the job. He must put on the suit. What happens after this is the integration of Allen into the Santa Claus routine. He begins to get chubby. He gets rosy cheeks. The whole nine yards. He is taken to the North Pole after learning to drive the sleigh. He gets good at distributing presents. The hang up is parental rights to his son, Charley. Judge Reinholdt is the humorless new husband of Allen's former wife. The crazier Allen appears, the more it plays into Charley being kept from his father. An elf named Bernard (who has a Bronx accent) is Allen's right hand man, and he orchestrates things the way he wants them.

With great, funny holiday flicks like "The Christmas Story" and "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation", "The Santa Clause" is next on line to add laughs as the common sounds of Christmas other than jingling bells! Tim Allen is great in his movie debut as Scott, a toy salesman that owned the roof where Santa Claus fell from to his death! So in pleading cries from his young son, Scott puts on the late jolly-old-elf's suit and instantly becomes Santa, which insues problems to him, his ex-wife and her new boyfriend (played with annoying sarcasm by Judge Reinhold) and Scott's son. That's where the real chaos starts! > "The Santa Clause" is a great flick to watch on Christmas Eve. True, it can get too sentimental at times (Scott and his wife are battling for custody of their son. Remember "Kramer Vs Kramer" and "Over the Top"?!). But that surely fades away thanks to Tim Allen's antics. It'll make you wonder if Santa really is that clumsy!!

TIM ALLEN provides a bunch of chuckles and good cheer as the amiable, goofy father of ERIC LLOYD who sees Santa Claus take a tumble off his roof one Christmas Eve and finds he must substitute for the "big guy," taking the reindeer to the North Pole toy shop for further directions along with his young son.

The script is full of one-liners that Allen tosses off with comic skill. His father role is played for laughs but also has his tender side when moments call for it. His needling of JUDGE REINHOLD about his awful sweaters becomes a running joke. So do many of the other amusing moments in a script that is both clever and highly original. ERIC LLOYD proves to be an appealing child actor as the boy who urges his father to be a substitute Santa.

To get a flavor of the dialog, just take a look at the "quotes" from the film on the Quote page.

It's handsomely produced in wonderful color to give the film its winter atmosphere (filmed in Canada).

Summing up: It's worth going along for the ride. A charming Christmas fantasy with lots of amusing situations. Brisk entertainment for the masses, it inspired a couple of sequels.