Fred Claus (2007) User Reviews

Every Child Deserves a Christmas Gift

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 24 December 2008]

Santa Claus' older brother Fred Claus (Vince Vaughn) was raised in the shadow of his famous brother and has issues with his mother (Kathy Bates). In Chicago, near Christmas, Fred asks for money on the streets trying to raise fifty thousand dollars to open a betting shop. However, many legalized Salvation Army Santa Claus chase him and Fred is arrested and sent to jail. He calls his brother Nick Santa Claus (Paul Giamatti) in the North Pole that accepts to pay his bail of five thousand dollars and proposes to lend the amount Fred needs provided he comes to the North Pole to help him in his factory. Meanwhile the mean efficiency expert Clyde Northcut (Kevin Spacey) arrives in the North Pole with the intention of finding three non-conformities in the audit of the manufacturing process and shut-down the facility. When Fred is assigned to work in the Naughty-Nice Department, the troubles of Nick begin.

I do not recall the last time I have seen such entertaining Christmas movie. "Fred Claus" is funny and has many hilarious moments (my favorite is the siblings-anonymous, with Frank Stallone, Roger Clinton and Stephen Baldwyn among others that resemble Ed Harris, Morgan Freeman and other famous people). The message that there is no naughty child and consequently every child deserves a Christmas gift is great. The cast leaded by Vince Vaughn is fantastic and I really loved this movie. I wish Merry Christmas to all IMDb movie and TV lovers and staff. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Titio Noel" ("Uncle Claus")

What were you expecting?

[jordan2240 · 7/10 · 11 November 2007]

I gave this movie 10 stars to counter some of the 1-star reviews, but I think it garners a solid 7 nonetheless. I don't know what those who rated it so poorly were expecting, but for me, it was just what I expected - enough chuckles to be entertaining, pretty Christmas scenery, and a touching story. My 17 and 12-year-old sons liked it as well. I thought Vince Vaughn played his typical character, which is always good for a laugh or two, though rarely one you would choke yourself on. I don't think the movie would necessarily go over with the pre-school crowd because it's not "The Santa Claus," but children who are old enough to understand the emotions being portrayed should enjoy it. There are a couple of sexual innuendos that may offend the more conservative viewers, but they likely go over the heads of the youngsters. I'm always amazed at the range of reviews movies get here at IMDb, and they truly show why we'll never all get along. I found this particular film both entertaining and moving, which is all I usually ask, particularly of a Holiday film. While "Fred Claus" doesn't go beyond the call of duty so to speak, it certainly lived up to my expectations.

Merry Fred Claus!!!

[namashi_1 · 7/10 · 5 September 2009]

Hilarious, Touching, Entertaining & Sweet sums up as 'Fred Claus'.

David Dobkin deserves kudos for directing a sensitive subject like 'Fred Claus'. The well-known filmmaker is blessed with 2 good writers Dan Fogelman & Jessie Nelson, who've written this Christmas flick. A joyride!

Accoding to me 'Bad Santa' was an excellent attempt, but that was crude and crass. But 'Fred Claus' is the most touching Christmas flick after the Masterpiece 'The Polar Express'. Everything a cine-fan wants to see is served in here, it's a feel-good entertainer that leaves loving your loved ones a bit more.

Santa Claus is not the topic here, it's his brother Fred Claus, who makes this simple story well-told. More than anything, this movie makes you believe in Santa once again, {I was his biggest fan in my childhood}, and after watching it I wish each and every kid in the world awaits for Christmas.

Acting-wise: Vince Vaughn plays Fred Claus beautifully. He's dependable as always. Paul Giamatti, as Santa, is lovable. Kevin Spacey plays the conniving-turned-likable character with ease. Miranda Richardson is first-rate. John Michael Higgins is hilarious as Willy. Kathy Bates, Trevor Peacock, Elizabeth Banks, Bobb'e J. Thompson & Rachel Weisz are effective in small roles.

Final word? MERRY Christmas, Indeed!

Not a Christmas cracker, but not a bah humbug either

[TheLittleSongbird · 6/10 · 19 October 2010]

I watched this with low expectations, expecting it to be a mess. But I was surprised. Fred Claus is far from a Christmas classic, but there are much worse as well, for example Deck the Halls was very mean-spirited and unfunny, both of which I often see Fred Claus get criticised for.

I do agree it is very predictable, and that the direction is on the slack side. And there is also some uneven pacing and moments of disjointed dialogue. That said, it does look good with lovely cinematography and scenery, and the soundtrack is great and does put you in the mood for the Christmas season. Also there are moments of inspired physical comedy and while they have been better Vince Vaughan and Paul Giamatti(who was so good in Sideways) do display a good chemistry and both deliver spirited performances.

So overall, this is not a bad movie. It could have been better, but it is almost certainly not a disaster. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Fred Claus (2007) ***

[JoeKarlosi · 7/10 · 12 December 2007]

My wife and I took our niece to the theater for this and it was a good time. Vince Vaughn plays the lead role of Fred, the grouchy and disgruntled brother of the real Santa Claus (Paul Giamatti). When things get tough one year up at the North Pole where Santa lives, he sends for his estranged brother to visit him and help out. It seems a nasty efficiency man (Kevin Spacey) is about to shut Santa's massive toy making operation down permanently if certain standards are not maintained, and this low-life is doing everything he can to make sure things never straighten out.

I usually don't like Kevin Spacey, but he was perfect for this part and I enjoyed the whole cast too, in fact. It's getting to the point where I'd go to see any movie with Paul Giamatti in it, and though you'd think he's not physically right for the role of Santa Claus, he makes it work. I found this funny and festive, with something to say about what hurt feelings and mistreatment can do to turn good people bad (ie; make nice people "naughty"). I especially got a kick out of a scene featuring a "Syblings Anonymous" type of meeting for disgruntled brothers, where some famous faces made cameos. There's good music featured throughout as well, and not all of it necessarily being Christmas tunes. *** out of ****

The cinematic equivalent of a lump of coal in your Christmas stocking.

[petermorganking · 1/10 · 5 November 2007]

Painfully bad Christmas film that has an equally painfully bad performance by Vince Vaughn, who is paying his usual frat boy self but this time for a children's movie but with out the wit or charm that is in his R rated films. Vaughn seems like he's on autopilot though most of the film and he keeps running into walls with his lackluster performance. After 30 minutes into the film, you would be in touch your inner scourge and say "Bahumbag" at how unfunny this film is and after another 30 minutes, you will want to walk out over how unbearable the film has gotten during that point. Out of all the actors involved in this mess, only Paul Giamatti and Rachel Weisz brings some life to there perspective paper thin roles and that's manly because they are both way too good of actors to be in this film. Paul Giamatti brings some depth and warmth to the character of Saint Nick himself but he's forced to Vaughn's level of juvenile behavior when they are doing their sad sibling infighting. You can see in Giamatti face that he's not having fun with his role and it painfully shows in certain parts of the film. Rachel Weisz brings a sense of fun and spirit to her role but she really does not have much of a character to work with and you can see in her face that she's well aware of that, so much so that she seems irritated in certain parts of the film. Fortunately for her, she's not in the film much at all and is able to save some face, unlike Giamatti, who looks like he's about to fire his agent by the end of the movie. The direction also feels uninspiring, like there is no feeling or flow to be had and this is a supposed to be a holiday movie but it ends up feeling like you are just staring at a fancy widow display that is being torn down.

I don't know what went wrong here but with only two actors involved (Giamatti and Weisz) trying their best to at least bring something to the table with a unfunny script they had to work with, spotty direction with no feeling for the subject at hand ( and this is a Christmas movie of all things) and a actor who just does not care about his performance (Vaughn), you have a very unevenly bad film that is very painful to watch.

It's not a masterpiece, but it's certainly not bad

[abrown975 · 7/10 · 15 August 2010]

This film is, to put it simply, a "Seen it once and it was okay" kind of movie. Honestly, this movie isn't bad at all. It's not great, but it isn't bad. The cast was full of stars, which was a good start. The acting was satisfying, considering that a lot of the characters didn't have a lot of inspiration to go on. The humor, which was the main thing I was worried about when I first saw the movie, was better than I expected. I will say that all of the sound effects (the cheesy ones from old Scooby-Doo cartoons) got really annoying after a while. In fact, I would have just gotten rid of them if I were in charge. But other than that, the humor wasn't bad at all. I laughed a lot, and I had the impression that since it was supposed to be a kid's movie it would be "fart-fart here and a fart-fart there, E-I-E-I-Oh great, another fart," but I was pleasantly surprised. But the thing I liked most about this movie is the message it gives. It just gives off that whole "Family at Christmastime" message that many people need to be reminded sometimes. Now, there are a lot of corny jokes that seemed to irk me a lot, sometimes the plot can get kind of silly (and that's saying something since this is a movie about Santa Claus and his family), and like I said before, the cheesy cartoon-ish sound effects get very irritating after a while. But other than that, there honestly wasn't a time that I got bored when watching this. Over all, this isn't a bad movie. It's not great, but it's not bad. My opinion is it's a good movie to rent someday for a family movie night.

Paul fire your agent, hire a chimpanzee

[SamTColeridge · 2/10 · 8 November 2007]

Did anyone read the script. This has to be some of the worst writing and directing of the entire year. Three great actors, Paul Giamatti, Rachel Weisz and Miranda Richardson couldn't pull this one out. About two-thirds it looked like Giamatti eyes were saying, I can't believe I signed the contract. It's not the worst movie I ever saw, but it's on the really really bad Christmas movie list. Not enough lines, but what else can be said? Okay, the movie just doesn't move with Vaughn's con-man dialogue, his character is just a creepy guy that you just can't get past. It was just a lackluster walk through, that no one seemed to be able to get into.

Nice Film

[cindysbox · 7/10 · 24 November 2007]

Essentially, a nice film. No violence of any significance, sexual references will go over small children's heads. The movie explores sibling rivalry in an interesting, pleasant way: the "sibling anonymous" scene was quite amusing (I think a relative of the Smothers Brothers and Morgan Freeman was in that scene. The comments from Roger Clinton ring true to life.) This is a movie that one can explore with kids when they are a bit older and in a mood to discuss sibling rivalry. It also has a lovely use of Chicago, and I loved the assaults from unexpected quarters.

Interestingly, I think this movie appeals more to adults than very small children. My kids did get a little restless; my wife and I loved it.

It is what it is

[Willemite · 4/10 · 25 November 2007]

Every Christmas eve I make my kids endure yet another showing of It's A Wonderful Life. I also thoroughly enjoyed Bad Santa. So sue me. I admit it. I like cheesy, schmaltzy movies. I like excellent, intelligent ones too, but as with so many things, variety is a good thing. What would the Christmas season be without the annual cinematic ka-ching ka-ching of Santa in all his guises, from Edmund Gwenn to Billy Bob Thornton? Fred Claus will make no one forget Bedford Falls, but I do not believe a Christmas film should have to reach iconic stature to succeed. "Fred" is a perfectly OK holiday movie, with enough humor for the adults and sufficient charm for the kids. My wife and I laughed a lot, even if most of the humor was obvious and Vince was just being Vince. Paul Giamatti was a top-notch Santa, which helped a lot. Not a great flick, and unlikely to become must-viewing for anyone's annual Christmas traditions. But my wife and daughter and I enjoyed it for what it was, holiday schmaltz with a small dash of spice. There's nothing wrong with that.

ANOTHER MALIGNED BUT WONDERFUL FILM

[Sunsphxsuns · 9/10 · 21 October 2021]

To a lot of us, mid-November is the most wonderful time of the year. And I'm not merely talking about Thanksgiving or the approaching celebration of Hanukkah and Christmas. For me, mid-November is the definitive signal that my favorite perennial holiday movies are queuing up on TMC, Netflix, Hulu, HBO, REDBOX, and practically everywhere else! These wonderful films range from the incredibly beautiful black & white classics like "Holiday Inn" (1942) and "Miracle On 34th Street" (1947), to the more contemporary films such as "The Hebrew Hammer" (highly recommended by my Jewish friends, a 2003 comedy so sacrilegiously funny I don't dare describe it here), and finally I swing back to my trusty holiday twin comedies, "Home Alone" (1990) and "Home Alone: Lost in New York" (1992). (I can't bother with the disappointing remainder of the series. Yawn).

By early December I am quite eager to screen the subject of this review, the oddly maligned and ignored, "Fred Claus" (2007). And my question, every year, is always the same: "Why the heck isn't this film more loved?"

"Fred Claus" stars the absurdly improvisational humor of Vince Vaughn as Fred, the beautiful, and zany Elizabeth Banks, the highly versatile Oscar winners Kathy Bates and Rachel Weisz, and Oscar nominated Paul Giamatte as The Big Man himself, Santa Claus (and also Fred's younger brother). But this particular movie isn't really about Saint Nick. It's about his big brother, Fred.

To say this movie has no charm would be incongruous with reality. To say it's not funny would be blasphemy. Indeed, there is more charm and humor in "Fred Claus" than one would expect in its well-paced one hour and fifty six minutes. Plus, it's beautifully filmed, and features several ingeniously clever special effects.

As always, no spoilers here, but I can reveal that most of the action takes place in chilly Chicago and the even chillier North Pole. It's the Christmas season rush at the North Pole and there is much at stake, notwithstanding the future of St. Nick and his Elves. "Fred Claus" has it all: Drama, humor, adventure, romance, and even a handful of subtle, uplifting messages. It's not War and Peace. Its not Citizen Kane. It's "Fred Claus."

Sure, this film didn't quite light up the box offices. And yes, it lost a lot money. But so did "The Wizard of Oz" and "It's a Wonderful Life." (Both are now considered pure classics). Still, when it comes to art and entertainment, Time is often the wiser. Give "Fred" another chance. Pretty please?

After all, even Ebenezer Scrooge eventually came to his senses, albeit belatedly. But he was better for it in the end.

Thought it was great and even a little insightful.

[marfy_98 · 7/10 · 9 November 2007]

I thought this movie was very funny. My sons were begging to go see it so on a whim we decided to take them tonight. Just got back home and the kids were so excited that they laughed about it all the way home. I also think the movie shows a lot about sibling rivalry and how over the years it can blow up and get worse without anyone really realizing that it is happening. There were a lot of funny moments and I noticed everyone in our packed theater was laughing in what seemed to me all the right areas. I think this movie also shows how childhood disappointments can have effects long into your future. Either way, it was a very entertaining way to spend 2 hours and I would see it again.

Worst Vince Vaughn movie ever!

[kilgoretrout101 · 1/10 · 10 December 2007]

Well, I have to say, this movie was so bad that I would have walked out if i didn't have to review it for work. ANd the worst part is, I wanted to see it so badly that I drove all over the city, paid $10 parking two times because the newspaper listings were wrong. Vince Vaughn plays the guy he always does -- the only time I've seen him play someone else was in that movie with John Travolta. Anyways, the plot has potential -- it sounded great in the preview, but it is filled with totally ridiculous, predictable, weak plot turn points. And I was hoping that this would be one Christmas movie where Christmas DIDN"t have to be saved, and that Santa didn't need a replacdmetn, but nope. The only cool part was the sleigh rides, and the little bladck kid was the best character. I'm sure this movie would be great for young kids, but for adults it's so lame that it's chore to sit through.

Perfect role for Vince Vaughn

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 22 December 2013]

Fred Claus (Vince Vaughn) is Nicholas Claus'(Paul Giamatti) bitter older brother. He is a Repo man who takes away Christmas gifts. His girlfriend Wanda (Rachel Weisz) is tired of constant disappointment. He gets locked up for fighting with a group of Santas, and calls his brother for bail money. He agrees to spend time at the North Pole for $50k which he needs to open an OTB. Meanwhile efficiency expert Clyde (Kevin Spacey) is on the war path and itching to fire Santa.

Vince Vaughn is born to play the bitter older brother of Santa Claus. He has the callousness and sarcasm. Paul Giamatti is surprisingly good as Santa. I do wish that the movie allowed Wanda to have more screen time. It seems like she's abandoned after Fred goes to the North Pole. Fred really needs to work out his issues with Wanda. That's why the intervention is one of the funnier scenes. I also love the Sibling Annoynomous scene. There is a lot of originality here. It's a different kind of Christmas movie.

Cheesy? Yes Campy? Yes Fun? Yes

[chi-cerca-trova · 6/10 · 14 November 2007]

I'll put it out there: This was not an intelligent movie. One could check off the Christmas Movie Clichés easily:

Little Kid that helps revive the Christmas Spirit? Check

Nasty villain that is turned by Santa's goodwill? Check

Last minute, "against all odds", rush to save Christmas? Check

Said plot to save Christmas based upon the base revival of the Christmas Spirit? Check

The list goes on. So, having said that, why rate it so high? Because it is exactly what it says it is, no more, no less. One does not go into this movie expecting Citizen Kane, hell, not even Rainman. It had a juvenile charm that worked perfectly for this movie. Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti played wonderfully off of each other. And while it was not a character study in the emotional depth and familial tension of the Claus Clan, they still made them believable and humorous.

Modern day references, such as health worries, down sizing, corporate outsourcing, etc. add to the campiness a bit, it is an interesting and well used departure from the norm. But, it still remains fun, and it still remains funny. So while I did not walk away changed, enlightened or anything resembling such, I had a good time. And for a movie that was about that, it performed well.

Turn off your brain, be a kid again and enjoy.

David Dobkin is a terrible director

[noproblempablo · 1/10 · 9 November 2007]

Fred Claus is the worst movie of the year and maybe the worst Christmas movie ever. Dobkin's "Clay Pigeons" was his first and last good movie and all he seems able to do is milk Vince Vaughn dry. He has no eye, no sense for pacing or plot, and a complete inability to keep a consistent tone. Don't just blame the writers. A better director could have done something with this idea. Like say Jon Faveau whose "Elf" Dobkin clearly saw one to many times yet somehow managed to learn nothing from beyond outright joke theft. "Fred Claus" has zero redeeming qualities. It's a jumbled mess that deserves to bomb big that suffers from all of the above as well as a general nastiness that is just no fun. On the other hand this is one of those dumps that makes you realize anybody can be a Hollywood filmmaker.

It will give what your looking for, "holiday spirit"...

[gerardo_guzman · 7/10 · 6 November 2007]

I went to see the movie last night as part of the promotional free preview show. The movie is good at times, really great at other times, and it drags a little in the middle, but it does deliver the holiday spirit. It is a great movie to take the family and relax. Great to enjoy with love and realize that the holidays are coming again, and this year is a great opportunity to fix any wrongs in our life.

Is it the best movie holiday ever? No!, but it will make laugh at times, and you will come out of theater feeling happy because the holidays are coming.

So, take a break and enjoy the movie for what it is. Don't expect a master piece, just know that it is a movie that will entertain you for couple of hours.

Can't decide if it wants to be naughty or nice

[Jay_Exiomo · 4/10 · 28 November 2007]

"Fred Claus" somehow avoids becoming this year's "The Santa Clause" by at least having a bit more amusing moments than that Tim Allen starrer, but it doesn't mean that it's got enough going for it that's worth a trip to the theater.

As holiday movies go, it's contrived and sentimental. But actually, that could be the least of one's concern as "Fred Claus," boasting of having David Dobkin ("Shanghai Knights," "The Wedding Crashers") at the helm, contains virtually nary a genuinely funny moment as it clumsily treads the line between a boorish Vince Vaughn vehicle and a fuzzy Christmas film. In the end, it amounts to not much of both. And with a cast that comprises of Paul Giamatti, Kevin Spacey, Rachel Weisz, and Kathy Bates, all the more it leaves one disappointed.

Vaughn plays Fred, Nick's (Giamatti) older and estranged brother, who once upon a time, left him and their parents (Bates and Trevor Peacock) after having had enough of enduring his parents' favoritism of his younger sibling. Nick grows up to be Santa Claus (and as the voice-over tells us, time freezes on you and your family when you become a saint), while Fred becomes a Yuletide-jaded repo man in Chicago who's having a hard time remembering his girlfriend Wanda's (Weisz) birthday.

He runs in trouble with the law and had to call his younger brother (who eerily looks at least a decade older than him) to bail him out of jail. Nick agrees but only if Fred agrees to help out on the toy-wrapping business up in the North Pole. Fred reluctantly agrees but his cynicism clashes with Santa and the elves' perpetually cheery nature, even as an efficiency expert (Spacey) is checking on the toy factory operations, only too happy to have the whole Arctic operations shut down if things fail.

The film, as said, does have its moments, but the padded running length stretches them thin across its duration. In between are piles of Christmas film clichés that were handled better in, say, "Elf" and the attempts at sentimentality are as endearing as last year's fruitcake.

Vaugn, as usual, brings on his coarse charm to the table, but the neutered script of Dan Fogelman keeps him from REALLY doing his thing. Giamatti, underneath the bad fat suit, brings a jolly old charm to his iconic character, but unfortunately, has to play second fiddle to Fred. Spacey brings his game face, but his turns usually end as unfunnily vapid.

Ultimately, "Fred Claus" becomes a forgettable film that falls below what those involved in it deserve. Sure, there are worse ways to start the season at the cinema, but there are certainly far better ways.

Worth a look

[redsky9 · 7/10 · 21 December 2021]

Once again, I'm surprised by the negative reviews here. I shouldn't be because the vast majority of reviewers at this site seem to be such bitter curmudgeons, I wonder why they even watch movies. This is clever and funny, especially for adults. Solid cast. It's unfairly maligned here. Give it a try!

The pinnacle of bad movies

[Yoshi6666 · 1/10 · 11 November 2007]

So, we have encountered countless holiday movies, all involving Santa Claus. But there are those movies that just SUCK. Well, I enjoyed Elf a good bit, so I decided I just might as well check it out to see if it sucks or not. Paul and Vince are my favorite movie actors, and well, this time, they just sucked on the screen. Now, as for the plot, they actually tried doing something new, which is add Santa Claus's brother. Now, that actually wouldn't be such a bad idea for a Christmas film, I though, but no, I was wrong.

The jokes were so old, pretty drawn out. The dialouge was predictable every second. Nothing really looked fascinating. It reminded me too much of The Santa Claus 3 (shivers). I think this movie wouldn't be too bad for children, but the fact that it wouldn't be even entertaining to ME, now that's a ground breaker. I think parents wouldn't enjoy this movie as a two year old would. So, I think this movie should be canned.

Probably in my top 5!

[jesleaford · 9/10 · 9 December 2008]

As an avid lover of traditional Christmas movies, I was not expecting a lot out of Fred Claus. However, I bought it because I wanted something new for my 6 year old, and I really like Vince Vaughn. Many people I talked to didn't like Fred Claus because Vince Vaughn is "the same as he is in every movie." I happen to love that. The rest of the cast was A+ and gave perfect performances. I LOVED THIS MOVIE and would recommend it to anyone who loves Christmas! There were so many funny parts as well as heart warming sweet moments that this movie was one that my 6 year old son and I could enjoy together. I'm glad I skipped renting and just bought this movie as it will be one I look forward to every year.

Thin Story-Line That Can't Sustain the 2-Hour Running

[Christmas-Reviewer · 6/10 · 11 September 2017]

BEWARE OF FALSE REVIEWS & REVIEWERS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW TO THEIR NAME. NOW WHEN ITS A POSITIVE REVIEW THAT TELLS ME THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE MOVIE. IF ITS A NEGATIVE REVIEW THEN THEY MIGHT HAVE A GRUDGE AGAINST THE FILM . NOW I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 300 HOLIDAY FILMS & SPECIALS. I HAVE NO AGENDA.

In this film Of the two Claus brothers, Fred (Vince Vaughn) is the troublemaker and polar opposite of his saintly sibling, Nicholas (Paul Giamatti). When Fred's criminal ways finally land him in big trouble, Nicholas bails him out and brings him to the North Pole to work off the debt by making toys. The headaches mount for St. Nick, who not only must deal with his trouble making brother, but also an efficiency expert who has come to evaluate Santa's operation.

Before they shoot this film they should have re-written the screenplay. The first 45 minutes could have been reduced by 1/2. The final hour could have also been streamlined.

This film in reality has no idea who its audience is. The thing is the film doesn't try to cover all the bases. The film however does have some very great scenes and a awesome set. The flying sequences are the highlight the film which is the only thing that makes film give flight.

Worth watching Once. I don't see this becoming a holiday favorite for many!

Disjointed, poor script and above all....unfunny?!

[Jack_Acid · 4/10 · 23 November 2007]

How hard is it to write a watchable film with Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti and Kevin Spacey? Apparently VERY difficult for the writers here.

I still have no idea how Santa is younger and looks 20 years older than Vince (who plays the BIG brother). I must have missed that part of the story but in reality, it really didn't matter. Many scenes seemed out of place and contrived; the kind of "funny notion" scenes that are drug out WAY too far to where any sense of comedy is lost.

The director/producer tried to go "tear jerker" at the end, which would have been suitable if ANYTHING leading up that point had been worth following.

Ugh, major disappointment. I can see how some people might enjoy this OK, since many people will take any garbage they're fed, but I would strongly encourage waiting for DVD on this one. NOT worth the $23,978 it takes to get your family to the movies these days.

Enjoyable for this holidays

[barrys82 · 7/10 · 11 December 2007]

Its a good movie, not the typical Christmas kind. This could be consider as a family film but not precisely for little children, yes it has its funny parts but some of the themes are too complex for kids. The story about Santa's older brother who feels less appreciated than him and that his life is a total mess, is original and interesting. It has some nice effects. The music is excellent. A film with a good rhythm. The cast is wonderful, Vince Vayghn is hilarious as always, Paul Giamatti makes a very good and different Santa, not always laughing and happy, but more like a human type. Kathy Bates as Santa and Fred's mother is a joy to watch her and Kevin Spacey in the role of the evil supervisor in charge to close the North Pole is awesome, it was a very funny performance, so different of what he usually does. In conclusion, its a very entertaining and enjoyable movie with a very good message.

I don't understand the hate...

[RaisedVintage · 7/10 · 30 December 2021]

I enjoyed this movie. I was expecting something not very good and I was pleasantly surprised, maybe that's why this movie has such bad reviews. Is it predictable and stupid? Sure, but it was still good and funny. I love the sibling therapy with all those cameos, had no idea some of those celebrities had brothers!