Yes, it’s corny, and yes, at times it’s a little sappy. But
”
The Santa Clause 2
”
is the best family-oriented film to hit the silver screen this
year.
Yes, it’s corny, and yes, at times it’s a little sappy. But “The Santa Clause 2” is the best family-oriented film to hit the silver screen this year.
Director Michael Lembeck’s one-hour-and-45-minute creation is a delightful family treat that can warm the hearts of even some of the most hard-hearted critics.
This G-rated film from the Walt Disney Studios is obviously intended for a more family-oriented audience, so anyone looking for some sort of erotic thriller or tire-screeching, bullet-riddled action/adventure will be sorely disapointed. But anyone who wants a movie they can sit down and watch with the whole family will enjoy this imaginative holiday treat.
This film relies heavily on the skills of comedian Tim Allen (of television’s “Home Improvement”), and he comes through with a surprisingly touching performance.
The plot is a little thin on substance, but what the heck? This is a story about the magic of Christmas and no amount of subtext and foreshadowing can help you get into that if you don’t already have an appreciation for it.
The storyline centers on Allen’s character Scott Calvin, an ordinary guy who accidentally became Santa Claus.
The story takes place about eight years after the transformation, and his loyal elves consider him the best Santa ever.
But Santa’s world is turned upside down when he’s dealt a double whammy of bad news: not only has his son, Charlie, landed on this year’s “naughty” list, but if Scott does’nt find someone to marry by Christmas eve, just 28 days away, he’ll stop being Santa forever. (It’s right in his contract – the “Mrs. Clause”)
Desperate, Scott turns to the elves’ new invention – a machine that can replicate anything – to create a robotic Santa, a gigantic toy version of himself, and he leaves his robotic double in charge.
The situation at the North Pole quickly goes south when the mechanical Santa institutes some highly restrictive definitions of “naughty and nice.” Worse, when Scott finally falls for a potential Mrs. Claus, she threatens to drive a wedge between him and Charlie.
In a climactic battle pitting Santa, Charlie, the new Mrs. Claus, and the elves against Santa II and his army of tin soldiers, the future of Scott’s family, the North Pole and Christmas itself is threatened.
This film also does a nice job of blending in other mystical characters, including Mother Nature, Cupid, Father Time, the Sandman, a thrill-seeking Tooth Fairy and Peter Rabbit.
The characters acted as sort of a mystical committee that sets and oversees the boundaries of their magical realm.
With the exception of a flatulent reindeer (Comet) this film is suitable for everyone in the family to watch and enjoy together.
