Rated PG for mild language and some rude humor.
Directed by David Dobkin (Wedding Crashers)
Starring Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, Miranda Richardson, Elizabeth Banks, John Michael Higgins, Rachel Weisz, Kathy Bates, Kevin Spacey
A new holiday movie… but not a holiday classic.
Fred Claus (Vince Vaughn) has lived almost his entire life in his little brother's very large shadow. Fred tried, but he could never live up to the example set by the younger Nicholas (Paul Giamatti), who was just a perfect… well… Saint. True to form, Nicholas grew up to be the model of giving, while Fred became the polar opposite: a repo man who then steals what he repossesses. Now Fred's dirty dealings have landed him in jail. Over Mrs. Claus's objections, Nicholas agrees to bail his big brother out on one condition: that he come to the North Pole and work off his debt making toys. The trouble is that Fred isn't exactly elf material and, with Christmas fast approaching, this one bad apple could jeopardize the jolliest holiday of the year. Has Fred finally pushed his little brother to the brink? This time, what Fred may have stolen is Christmas itself, and it is going to take more than Rudolph to set things right.
JONATHAN’S WORD: My two cents on this film are simple: Vince Vaughn needs a new gig! This guy has about as much range as Sylvester Stallone. No… that’s being too kind. How about Jon Heder (yeah… that Napoleon Dynamite guy)? Yeah, I know that a lot of people find Vaughn funny, but how many films can we take of the smooth talking looser who digs himself deeper and deeper with each conversation? It’s just too painful to watch. Maybe it’s because I know guys like this and they’re jerks. But Vaughn isn’t even a fun jerk (yes, there are some jerks that can be fun… like TV’s Dr. Gregory “House”).
TODD’S WORD: Someone needs some Christmas cheer. Okay, okay, I agree he doesn’t have much of a range… but in my opinion, Vince Vaughn is flippin’ hilarious. Come on, his “Anti-Santa rant” is an instant classic.
JONATHAN’S WORD: You think I need Christmas cheer? Dude… I read your Mama Mia! review! I believe you called it, “painful.” Come on Scrooge!
I maintain my argument that Vaughn stinks in this film. I really like Paul Giamotti, but he wasn’t able to redeem this one.
TODD’S WORD: Really? I like Giamotti too, but not in this one… I actually thought he took away from the movie and has landed in the top 10 worst Santa’s ever. Billy Bob sits at number one for Bad Santa and that Santa who killed people in that cheesy horror flick Silent Night, Deadly Night has to be my number 2.
Kevin Spacey was good as the bad guy and you gotta love that Lex Luthor/Superman scene.
As a new Christmas movie, it’s not that bad, and did make me laugh more than a handful of times. It won’t make my “must-see Christmas movies” list, but it’s worth a rental.
JONATHAN’S WORD: Not for me… I say “skip it” to this one.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
Sure, it was only PG. But smooth talking Vaughn still manages to make some inappropriate jokes and finagle his way into a live-in situation with his girlfriend.
JONATHAN’S WORD: And come on! There are better movies out there. I could name 10 Christmas movies I’d see before this one. As a matter of fact… here ya go:
A Christmas Story
Elf
Home Alone
Home Alone II
The Grinch (Jim Carrey)
Santa Clause
Santa Clause II
The Nativity
Muppet Christmas Carol
Scrooged
And that’s even leaving out my wife’s favorite,
While You Were Sleeping. That’s because that’s more of a “chick flick” or “date flick” than a family flick.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
