Saw the first one as a child, saw the second one as an adult. Just so I don't spoil the magic, I will say only the following: Tim Allen was excellent as Santa... he made me feel like I was ten again. The character Bernard was just as bossy as I remembered from the first film, but the quips he fires off were in shorter supply. I missed the sarcastic humor I associate with him. Charlie is growing up, but in the best way possible. He had some touching lines near the end to a new character-- I won't ruin the surprise of whom.
Yes, there was an inappropriate flatulence joke in the movie, but all in all that was the only concession to bathroom humor in an otherwise classy family comedy. Yes, there were plot holes, some of which were large enough to drive a sleigh through, but after eight years and five writers, the end product was satisfactory.
On its own: 10/10 for combined effort and execution. As a sequel: 8/10. Good character continuity, interesting new spin. I'm happy to say I didn't spot large amounts of rehash.
Recommended for: families with small children and college students old enough to remember the first "Clause" and just need to de-stress around midterms or finals.
