The Santa Clause 2 (2002) User Reviews (151)

The Santa Clause 2

[Toronto85 · 6/10 · 18 December 2012]

The Santa Clause 2 takes place a number of years after the original film. The first movie saw Tim Allen's character "Scott Calvin" become Santa Claus after the previous Santa Claus fell off of his roof on Christmas Eve. Well in this one Scott has settled in nicely to his role as Mr. Claus, but there is one problem. He has to find a Mrs. Claus in only twenty eight days or Christmas as we know it will be over forever! On top of that major problem, another subplot includes his quest to get his son Charlie off of the naughty list. It seems Charlie has been rebellious as a teenager, spray painting school walls and such. So while Santa/Scott leaves the North Pole to take care of that business, his trusty sidekick elf Bernard and newcomer elf Curtis create a clone Santa to take over on an interim basis. Scott ends up falling for Charlie's principal Carol Newman, and with the use of magic wins over her heart. Meanwhile in the North Pole, the fake Santa that Curtis the elf created ends up becoming a power hungry dictator who believes ALL kids are bad and deserve only lumps of coal for Christmas. It's up to Scott to defeat him and save Christmas.

The Santa Clause 2 is not nearly as good as the first film. While the whole idea of Santa may be absurd to many people, this film has so much more unrealistic things occur in it that it lost my interest. For example, Scott's ability to snag a wife in under a month? It's completely ridiculous but I guess had to be done to wrap up the movie very nicely. And all of the magic that he uses to make Carol fall for him goes completely unnoticed by her character, such as a mistletoe and twenty presents appearing out of nowhere. She just brushes it off. I also did not like that the major characters from the first film (Scott's ex wife Laura and her husband Neil) took a back seat in this film for the overly annoying young elf Curtis. It lost the magic and heart that the first movie had.

There were some good moments in this of course. Tim Allen had some great comedic moments, especially when he ditches the Santa suit and acts like a regular person. I like him better as Scott Calvin than I do as Santa Claus. He and Carol have a good combative chemistry that turns sweet once we start to see the human side of her. And the scenes when Scott uses magic to give all the teachers toys that they loved from their childhoods really was a good piece. It just wasn't as good as the original. I thought it was ridiculous that he had to find a wife in one month. And considering that was the major obstacle in this film for the main character to overcome, I wasn't really engaged in it.

Children will love this movie (I know I did years ago), and that's really all that matters with a Christmas movie. But as an adult looking for a good holiday film, this one fell flat up against others such as Home Alone 1/2, Christmas Vacation and even the first Santa Clause.

6/10

Good Christmas Fun

[travisimo · 7/10 · 12 January 2004]

It's been quite a while since I've seen the first Santa Clause movie, but I remember being quite surprised by it. It was a unique twist on the beloved Santa character with great comic timing by Tim Allen. But that was a while ago, and I didn't really know what to expect from The Santa Clause 2.

The movie started off kind of slow when everything is going smoothly. Everybody's happy and Santa's meeting with his fellow "legendary figures," which I admit was a fairly funny scene, but this movie just started off kind of boring. Of course this is normal with any movie until we're presented with a conflict. Santa is reverting back to his civilian self and must find a Mrs. Clause to fulfill the contract and continue being Santa. So to watch over the North Pole, a duplicate, plastic Santa clone is made, and slowly turns to a maniacal boss over his elves. I thought this was pretty funny, especially with me being a business major. I wonder if I'll act like that after school!

Anyways, back to the story, Santa goes back to his hometown with limited magic. We're introduced to a frigid principal that has punished Santa's son for displaying some Christmas spirit. More fun ensues as Santa tries to find and woo the next Mrs. Clause. To seal the deal, his Santa magic gives him the edge and results in some very nice scenes of the movie.

I won't go any further as you get the idea. Overall, The Santa Clause 2 is a nice, snuggly movie that will keep you in the holiday spirit. It's not groundbreaking material, but it has a nice message and should put a smile on anyone's face.

My IMDb Rating: 7/10. My Yahoo! Grade: B (Good)

Good spirited Christmas fun

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 26 November 2009]

Let me just say I liked all the Santa Clause movies in their own right. This is a decent sequel to an amiable first film, that is good spirited, fun and sweet. It is not the best Christmas movie out there, but it doesn't try to be. If the kids get past the rather thin plot, and that the script isn't always particularly groundbreaking or new, they are in for a festive for a treat, adults too. However, it has a very good message, and it is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

The soundtrack is also lovely to the ears and the look of the film is nice. I don't know about you guys, but like the first film I felt good while watching this movie, and for me that is a good thing. The performances are very good, Tim Allen as always is very likable and completely watchable. And the supporting characters like Cupid and Father Time are so cute a movie of their own would suit them perfectly.

All in all, a nice movie. Not groundbreaking, but a pleasant Christmas diversion, and as far as sequels go, I personally think it's one of the better ones. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Better than the first. Surprisingly entertaining.

[JamieF · 7/10 · 30 December 2002]

OK so I admit I thought this was going to be a dud. The first one was sorta clever but a sequel... oh dear. I ended up going to watch it anyway, not entirely by choice.

Well, actually it was pretty good. There were several intertwining plot lines, lots of laughs that weren't all about Tim Allen being fat and falling down, and the kids in the theatre seemed to enjoy it too. So, for what it is (clean family entertainment), it's actually pretty good.

Still has its charm

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 18 December 2013]

Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) has been Santa for awhile, but only now is he told that there is more Santa Clause. He must marry a Mrs Claus before Christmas eve. In addition, his son Charlie has landed on the Naughty List. He decides to go south and leave a substitute Santa in his place. While he falls for Charlie's principal Carol Newman (Elizabeth Mitchell), the substitute Santa stirs up trouble and puts every child on the Naughty List.

This still has some of the original charm. Most of it comes from Carol slowly finding out Scott is actually Santa. Charlie's complaint about his father is less convincing. I don't think the secret is that big of a deal. It feels very fake. I rather not have an excuse for his misbehaving. There is a good lesson to be had there, but it ends rather weakly. It's a missed learning opportunity. Besides that, the movie is good family fun.

I like Tim Allen, but I never wanna watch him play a giant sentient doll ever again.

[matthewssilverhammer · 3/10 · 21 January 2018]

Has there ever been a production company that seemed to care less about the quality of their output than Disney between the late 90s and early 2000s? The first Santa Clause is a funny and imaginative Christmas tale, but this thing is annoying, forced, ugly, and unnecessary. I even like Tim Allen, but I never wanna watch him play a giant sentient doll ever again.

This movie was great!

[jerry_smart · 7/10 · 7 December 2002]

***** spoilers ahead! *****

This movie had me laughing and moved me almost to tears a couple of times. There are some who have not given this movie a good review, don't listen to them. Tim Allen was great, his co-star (what's her name?) was great. This was an excellent feel good movie for the holidays. I liked it better than the first one. The thing with the reindeer talking by making noises was very funny. I also liked the parts with the other characters from legend... Mother nature, Tooth Fairy, Father Time etc. Go see this movie, you will not be wasting your time.

Childish

[justinelalways · 3/10 · 13 December 2020]

The first one was way better. It made a lot more sense and appealed to a older audience. It was heartwarming and it had things for adults and children. The second is more childish and just annoying for the older audience. We have stupid reindeer that talk like they are drunk, instead of when in the first one they were silent and smart. Then the plastic Santa is so stupid. So unnecessary. Bernard became more paranoid not at all how certain he was in the first. For my sister and I we just skip the fake Santa parts. When it is just Santa looking for a wife it is more like the first so that's what I enjoy. However that is still a stretch. The first is way better and you'd be fine just stopping at that one. The third is just awful.

Not as good as the original, but still entertaining

[duce122 · 6/10 · 12 November 2002]

The Santa Clause 2 (2002) D: Michael Lembeck. Tim Allen, Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson, Eric Lloyd, David Krumholtz, Elizabeth Mitchell, Peter Boyle, Michael Dorn. 8 years after Scott Calvin became Santa Claus, his son Charlie has appeared on the infamous `naughty list,' prompting Scott to go back home to take care of the situation. He leaves a toy clone of himself in charge of the North Pole, which leads to mayhem when the clone becomes a dictator. Also, Scott has to get married or Christmas will be lost forever and he will cease to be Santa Claus. Got this so far? Too many plots for a kids film, and not as good as the original, but still entertaining. Reinhold and Crewson are wasted with very little screen time. RATING: 6 out of 10. Rated G.

cute kids film

[MLDinTN · 20 November 2004]

This was much better than I anticipated. It made me laugh a few times. In the sequel, Santa Claus (Allen) is losing his magical powers. There was a hidden clause in his contract that he had to marry by a certain time or he would lose them all. So, he goes back home to date and help straighten his son out who was on the naughty list. While away, Santa's lead elves make a plastic replica Santa so the other elves won't worry. And a lot of the funny parts have to do with plastic Santa as he learns the enjoyment of cocoa and goes on a power trip.

I wish the movie would have shown more than one dating disaster with Santa. Molly Shannon does a cameo as his date and loudly sings this funny song in a restaurant. And the flying reindeer and tooth fairy bring even more cuteness to the film. The principle was so annoying and you knew she was going to be the one. But it felt so fairy tale like because Santa knows her like a week and he's saying, "I'm so in love" and all they did was go to a faculty Christmas party. Does Santa stop the evil plastic Santa and save Christmas? What do you think? Duh!

FINAL VERDICT: It was pretty good for a kid's film. I recommended it if you don't think movies like this are too childish.

Like rancid eggnog

[MissSimonetta · 4/10 · 25 November 2021]

This sequel to 1994's THE SANTA CLAUSE was made almost a decade later. Money rather than the burning need to continue the story was undoubtedly the motive for its production. The original story was a charming little film, funny without being annoying and heartwarming without your risking diabetes by watching it. THE SANTA CLAUSE 2 is dumber, coarser, and way more contrived than the original. Less a family film than a cynical kiddie comedy, about the only good thing the movie has going for it is the robot Santa, a story element so bizarre and demented that it dwarfs the lackluster romantic A-plot.

Very pleased

[jason-varble · 10/10 · 26 October 2004]

This is a great family film/clean fun. Good to see with others. Fun to watch with children or as an adult. The focus of the film(plot) is clear. The characters/actors were well chosen. It wasn't too long, and it kept ones suspense. This is the type of film, I feel, that helps people better appreciate the holiday season. The film had no explicit scenes, so it could be watched with children.

The focus of the film was to make one laugh and to apply the romantic need for togetherness. Excellently done...

Brand new bag, not same old story.

[saturniia · 7/10 · 2 November 2002]

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.

Individual moments of charm, but also massively overstuffed with a contrived premise it stumbles over.

[IonicBreezeMachine · 5/10 · 29 December 2021]

8 years after taking on the mantle of Santa Claus, Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) continues his role keeping alive the spirit of Christmas. However when Scott's son, Charlie (Eric Lloyd), ends up on the naughty list Scott finds he may be having difficulty balancing his personal and professional life. Additionally due to an oversight regarding the Santa Clause on the elves part, Scott begins to undergo "de-Santafication" as per the Mrs. Clause stipulating he must take a wife in 28 days or else cease being Santa. Now Scott must bring himself back into the dating scene while also trying to understand what's troubling his son. Meanwhile back at the North Pole, a Toy replica of Santa (Tim Allen) is put in place by Scott, Bernard the Head Elf (David Krumholtz), and Curtis (Spencer Breslin) to keep the elves spirits up, but when Toy Santa decides the entire world is Naughty, he enacts a plan to turn the North Pole into a dictatorship and give the whole world coal.

1994's The Santa Clause became a sleeper hit in its original release launching Tim Allen's film career and becoming a staple of Holiday broadcast on TV in years subsequent to its release. In 2000, Disney commissioned work on a sequel with Don Rhymer of Under Wraps and Big Momma's House writing the initial draft. The film went through multiple revisions with the final film credited to five different screenwriters. The Santa Clause 2 does bring some interesting expansions of the original premise to the screen, but it also suffers from a lot of excess bloat and a lack of focus.

Like in the previous film, Tim Allen brings a lot of charm to the role of Scott Calvin/Santa Claus and gives the character that same charm that was so appealing in the first film. The movie also doesn't reset itself back to zero as many comedy sequels are often guilty of doing and does feel like a continuation and expansion off the first film. The romance scenes between Scott Calvin and love interest Principal Carol Newman (Elizabeth Mitchell) are quite sweet and there's some scenes that capture a real sense of magic or wonder such as a "secret santa" bit at a faculty office party wherein Scott arranges for several attendees to receive mint condition toys from their youth. There's also some amusing bits with Santa having meetings with other Legendary Figures such as Mother Nature, Father Time, the Easter Bunny, Cupid, and the Tooth Fairy who are all played by notable comedians/character actors in a fun scene. The scenes in the North Pole where Santa's toy doppelganger played by Tim Allen in a dual role slowly turns into a power hungry dictator are so surreal that it becomes pretty humorous due in no small part to the "plasticky" make-up of Toy Santa and the purposefully awkward delivery that it does become quite funny.

The biggest drawback to The Santa Clause 2 is in the fact that five people are credited with writing the movie (and possibly even more uncredited) and it definitely feels like it. The movie has way too many moving parts with the "Mrs. Clause" ticking clock, Charlie being on the naughty list, establishing new characters while bringing back old ones with nothing for them to really do (Judge Reinhold and Wendy Crewson are particularly wasted in borderline cameo appearances), and the movie makes a massive mistake by only giving Scott a month before finding a woman to marry. Many of the story problems that come with this premise are from the fact they only give Scott a month to find a woman to meet which coupled with the already busy and cluttered narrative undercuts the impact of the romance scenes especially with how much pressure there is for Carol to say "yes" otherwise Christmas is gone forever. There are some solid individual scenes or ideas on display in the movie, but they feel like they're all crowding each other out and not given enough time for development. While I wasn't the biggest fan of the first The Santa Clause, it had more structure and direction with a clear cut narrative of Scott now being Santa and needing to get his affairs in order (the melodramatic family drama leading to an unbelievable climax notwithstanding). Santa Clause 2 on the other takes the direction of "throw everything at the wall and something will stick".

The Santa Clause 2 is more or less on the same level as its predecessor, but also has most of the problems that come from overstuffed sequels that lose the plot when trying to one up their predecessors. Tim Allen remains an engaging presence as Santa/ Scott and the romance between him and Carol is quite sweet, but the movie is overly busy with an over compressed ticking clock that undermines the structure and impact of the movie.

Genuine Christmas Magic

[mokil · 20 December 2002]

OK, so it's not quite as good as the first, but this really captures the Christmas spirit...I saw it in a theatre with a load of little kids who laughed and cheered right through. Everyone who came out of the theatre had a big smile on their face at the end, even the Mums, Dads, and GrandParents!

Tim Allen does a good job (again) as Santa, and there are plenty of nice in-jokes in there - Allen wearing a flannel shirt (remind anyone of Al Borland), and of course all the car references...and there are also some movie homages in there - did the duplicator machine remind anyone else of Bride Of Frankenstein!?

The first 15-20 minutes are a little slow but once Allen returns to America the film really begins to pick up. Good support cast too - Elizabeth Mitchell is beautiful! Reinhold does well but does not have quite enough screen time.

Some of the scenes really do capture the magic of Christmas - witness the Teacher's Xmas party for example.

Basically, if you want a good family film to put you in the Christmas spirit, you could do far worse than see this. 8/10.

Christmas Movies are a Strange Breed

[ed_two_o_nine · 6/10 · 26 December 2007]

Christmas movies that strange breed, especially of the modern variety, where they seem to have to aimed at children exclusively (with no regard for the adults who more often than not have to sit through the films with the children. Or maybe it is a reflection on modern society where films are put on the DVD player to keep children amused whilst their parents are doing other things) so much for the movie that appeals to the whole family. Saying that I was pleasantly surprised by Santa Clause 2 and though I would not choose to watch this film again alone I would definitely view it with children and would recommend it to parents who want to watch a movie with their children.

The basic premise of the film is that Santa (Tim Allen) had to find a wife or face no longer being able to be Santa. The film has all the normal moral obstacles for the greater good along the way that you expect but still manages to be enjoyable.

The cast cope well with roles that are frankly not very demanding, with some solid supporting characters that help flesh out the movie.

In the end by no means is this a classic but you could do a lot worse that this. Me I would try and introduce my children to 'It's a Wonderful Life'

Still good

[MAYESY-44 · 7/10 · 17 December 2021]

Not as good as the first film but still really good and very good to come back after 10 years with most of the same cast. Good story and great for the family again.

New Santa searches for a mate

[SimonJack · 5/10 · 8 December 2016]

"The Santa Clause 2" holds to the long-held Hollywood axiom that sequel films seldom do as well as the first film. While there is some humor, this film picks up where the original left off, only 10 years later. Scott Calvin (played by Tim Allen) has been doing his job as the new Santa, so things are pretty much the same – except for one small matter. The "Mrs." clause of his "contract" now kicks in. So, this film's new humor is all about Santa finding a mate.

There is some fun and mischief, and the film provides a few laughs. The kids may enjoy it, but there's little special or lasting about this film. It's a piece of what has become Hollywood holiday "fodder" in the 21st century.

A step down from the original

[VetteRanger · 7/10 · 15 December 2022]

The Santa Clause 2 is like two different scripts written by two different groups of screenwriters, and that make us quite ambivalent about this film.

We love the romance between Scott and Carole. It's sweet, and it's even sweeter because of how beautiful she is. ;-)

However, the whole thing at the North Pole with the "toy Santa" is more annoying than anything else. They should have written more into the romance and dropped the other plot line.

They did come up with a clever variant by creating the "Mrs. Clause".

Then there's Charlie. I think they went a bit overboard on his rebellion.

But ... we still watch it for the romance, which was VERY well done.

Where's The Whimsy?

[neerdowell · 4/10 · 9 October 2006]

The Santa Clause 2 is lacking in a very key area that the first movie had by the bushel - whimsy. The first Santa Clause was a delicious holiday treat that has become a holiday tradition in my home. We had very big hopes for the sequel, considering they were handed great material for the follow-up - finding a Mrs. Claus for Santa. And truthfully, the best parts of this movie are the parts that take place with Scott in the "real world" trying to find a wife. Yes, it's predictable that Scott will hook up with his son's "bah, humbug" principal, but the journey is a lot of fun. Between the hilarious bad date with Molly Shannon's Christmas-lovin' character and the delightfully whimsical scene where Scott magically transforms the boring teacher's Christmas party into a trip into everyone's inner child, the holiday magic is there.

Unfortunately, there was the ugly other side to this movie - the scenes taking place back at the North Pole, where Santa's look-alike toy replacement is wreaking havoc. Totally devoid of the whimsy that the other half of this movie achieves, the North Pole scenes drag this movie down to mediocre. Let me count the ways the filmmakers went wrong... Bernard is a totally different head elf from the first movie, and far less appealing. His character is more paranoid and spastic, which was absolutely the wrong way to go. Curtis the elf is obnoxious. I don't know who this kid is, but I hate him in every movie he's in. You simply do NOT give the "token fat kid" a major role in a feature film. It doesn't work, and neither does this kid as Curtis. (It is a REALLY, REALLY bad sign that Bernard is not slated to be in the third installment of Santa Clause - the Escape Clause. Instead, Curtis is evidently going to return as the new head elf. GAG. That bit of casting and plot line has "oh, no" written all over it.) They also changed the reindeer in the second movie. Instead of the intelligent, unspeaking creatures that worked so well in several scenes in the first movie, they have been reduced to a fart joke. And now they can speak, though it's in a silly, cartoonish voice. Don't even get me started on "Chet" the redneck mentally-disturbed reindeer. What a nightmare.

So if you want whimsy and feelings of holiday delight, watch the first movie. Make that one your tradition. Santa Clause 2: The Mrs. Clause is a woeful sequel that you won't need to see more than once. Which is good, because you won't WANT to see it more than once.

Enjoyable but tries a little too hard.

[Welly-2 · 6/10 · 2 January 2008]

This tries really hard and with some success, but it doesn't have the same levels of wit and charm of the first film. It may simply be that it's trying too hard. The pleasure of the first film was its humour and the hint of edginess that Tim Allen brought; the sequel sees, as so often happens, another victory for special effects and a bigger budget.

This is only a minor humbug, however. It's still great fun and passes a Christmas afternoon in a perfectly pleasant way. Elizabeth Mitchell is tremendous as Principal Newman and steals the show and Allen remains a top performer who connects with an audience in a way Robin Williams can only dream of. The son as a teenager has some value as a plot device but ends up being annoying rather than innovative and the rogue Santa idea bombs very badly. In fact, the plot lines get just too silly throughout. Keep it simple, it's Christmas.

Bottom line...fine Christmas fare but could do better.

OK, but just not the same

[JustinFinch-Fletchley · 2/10 · 2 November 2002]

I absolutely love "The Santa Clause" part one. It really gets me into the Christmas spirit, and it's hilarious. But this second part isn't quite the same. Each actor's performance is not as good as the first movie. The one exception is Eric Lloyd as Charlie. But the plot is too confused, and things are just too rushed. It's missing the charm and humor of the first. It's not horrible, but it just doesn't give the same Christmas feeling "The Santa Clause" originally had.

Elizabeth Mitchell!

[billyt33 · 9/10 · 8 December 2020]

She steals the show, her incredible smile...her precious laugh and her overall presence! So believable and true. Love this movie!

Joyful Sequel

[JMoviebuff0001 · 6/10 · 4 November 2006]

The Santa Clause 2 is a decent sequel. I was very excited when I first saw a trailer for it. I can't remember it too well but I think I was going to see The Fellowship of the Ring and out in the lobby the theater has TV screens which show trailers and I believe Tim Allen was talking about the movie. Anyways I saw the movie opening weekend and loved it.

Sure the movie is not as magical as the first but its a passable sequel filled with laughs. The story is simple, after eight years of being a single Santa, Scott is informed of the single most important part in Christmas History: The Mrs. Clause. This proposes a challenge for Scott as he must find a wife by Christmas Eve or he doesn't get to be Santa anymore.

BUT he also faces an equally tough challenge, his son Charlie has landed on the naughty list. A third challenge not as tough arises, how to keep running the factory while being with Charlie. Curtis(an annoying side-kick to Bernard) has devised a plan to clone Santa. The result: A Toy Santa.

Santa goes to be with Charlie and to find a wife, he is given a limited amount of magic to use and has the funny Comet to fly with. Neil Miller is still wearing those obnoxious sweaters. Anyways with time and magic running out Scott does his best to win the heart of Carol Newman, Charlie's school principal, and trying to figure out what caused Charlie to become naughty.

The end result a funny family film with a sweet taste of magic even though it lacked the sweetness of the first, it still manages to pass as a decent enjoyable sequel. I love the part at the end during the credits where you see what became of the toy Santa, one of the funniest moments in the movie.

too dark and creepy for my tastes

[disdressed12 · 5/10 · 14 December 2007]

this sequel lacks the heart and soul of the first one.it's not very funny.in fact,i found it mean spirited and depressing.it also has none of the magic of the first one.if you don't like feeling like you are being preached to,you probably won't like this movie.i also felt a bit creeped out by certain parts of it.it's much too dark to be enjoyable in the same way as the first one.i also felt it strayed into sappiness territory.actually forget strayed into.it went straight into sappiness territory.this movie also has a lot of predictability to it.it's formulaic at times.but the biggest downfall for this movie,in my opinion,is it's sombre atmosphere.i don't think it's a horrible movie,but it sure is a few steps down in quality from the original.not quite painful to watch,but not enjoyable,either.and although i may be out to lunch here,i think parents should use discretion about letting their children watch this,because it is so dark.but that's just my opinion.my vote for the Santa Clause 2 is a 5/10.