1 the BEST christmas movie ever
the ''santa clause'' is a relly funy movie... it's great for the whole family... and i even wach it any time [it is worth bying for the whole family!] also it is less money at (...) [enjoy]
2 A definite Christmas Classic!
Just put Tim Allen in anything to do with kids and you're going to have a classic right off the bat. Now combine that humor of his with Disney, well, you just HAVE to have this! This DVD has got to be one of our very favorite NEW Christmas movies. It's just a very neat, well done story on how Santa Claus gets started and changes over the years. Something we've all wondered at some point. When Allen decides to put on the Santa suit and becomes the man himself, well, it's just a great, great story. I love the part when they show his bedroom at the North Pole and there he is, sleigh bed and all! I showed my son that Santa does actually sleep in a sleigh bed and well, now he has one and just has no trouble going to sleep in it! Hey, whatever works! Another part when Allen doesn't want to do the Santa thing and says so - the reaction of all the elves is just heartbreaking. What a great movie with such creativity and just all over feel good about Christmas. Elves with Attitude is a pretty funny section too. I honestly don't think anyone else could have pulled off this movie like Allen did. I had no idea that he was such a great storyteller until this movie came out. Highly recommended, especially if it's 90 degrees in July!
3 A new Christmas 'classic' at our home
Though I am not a fan of 'Santa Clause II', my family thoroughly enjoys this, the first movie. It has all the exciting and wondrous elements that kids love and is entertaining for adults too. Tim Allen provides both the gentle kindness you expect from Santa and the cynical flip you expect from an adult told he -is- the new Santa. He is very funny. Also, the way the new experience is treated by Allen and by others around him is prefectly believable.
And like any great Christmas film, the ending is both sweet and emotional. It has become one of the short list of films we watch as a family at Christmas every year.
Technically, the DVD looks and sounds good (you should expect this from a new movie, but it's still good to know) and there are enough extras to satisfy most DVD-ers.
4 Move Over Christmas Story
The Santa Clause is one of my fav Christmas movies of all time i think this is better A Christmas Story, This is Tim Allen's best role, and he's like so funny in this movie I laugh every time he cracks a joke, get this entertaining christmas classic if u didnt see it
5 Good Yuletide fun!
There are some films that just have to be watched every Christmas and this is one of them. It is a feelgood film for a feelgood time of year.
The story is simple. Scott Calvin (note his initials) is a divorced father who frequently lets his young son down due to his busy working life. That is until he accidentally kills Santa Claus. To his disbelief and dismay, and his sons delight, he has to become the new Santa. The film follows his changing life and attitudes and shows the newly developing relationship between father and son.
There is nothing taxing or complex about this movie, just a heart-warming, funny story that is ideal for all the family. Watch and enjoy.
6 One of the best Christmas movies of all time!
The Santa Clause is one of the best christmas movies of all time. All of the actors are really good in this movie especially the head elf,Bernard, played by David Krumholtz. I think that he deserves more recognition than he truly gets because he does the role of the elf really good. This movie has lots of catchy lines in it that make you laugh right out of your seat.
7 The Moose Hole - 'Santa' Delievers Holiday Magic
Here we are once again! It's the usual time of the year when the holiday themed feature films are out in full force, flooding multiplexes across the country for the Thanksgiving holiday and going into December. And it seems work as usual for the Walt Disney Company with their release of The Santa Clause, but what makes this project unique is the concept it uses, one that has never fully been developed on the big screen before. The feature is also unique in that it stars Tim Allen, who is best known for his hit television show, Home Improvement, on ABC. Does that mean an automatic is lying in the waiting to flock to theaters for Allen's flick? Not necessarily. Granted there are people who are die hard fans who will love the actor/actress for whatever work they do but for others, they are pretty critical of television stars who believe they can easily make the jump to the big screen. Can Allen pull it off? Only the holiday box office will tell.
The story centers around a man who goes from being divorced, self-centered business man to possibly the most care-free, charitable man on the planet, Santa Claus. Scott Calvin works for a toy company, has recently divorced from his wife, and is stuck on Christmas Eve with his son, who is just as excited as his father is being together for the holidays. Once he tucks his kid into bed for the night, Scott hears a noise on the roof and goes to investigate. When he tries to confront the man on the roof, he falls off and when Scott encounters him, the mystery man is dressed like Santa Claus. He and his son enter the sleigh and the puts on the Santa suit, all thanks to the urging of his son. When the sleigh returns to the North Pole after a long Christmas Eve, Scott discovers that he is the new Santa, thanks to the Santa Clause, which is a contract stating who ever puts on the suit becomes the new Santa Claus. He notices physical changes like the color of his hair and his weight but soon he notices that he feels more and more like Santa on the inside. The story for The Santa Clause is quite possibly one of the most original holiday films in years, which is surprising considering the concept is such a simple one that it is hard to believe that it has never fully been attempted before. The feature does a wonderful job at mixing comedic elements with emotional values, which is hard to do at times. The Santa Clause defies that and presents how it can be done right.
The film revolves mostly around Tim Allen's character and generally that is all that really matters for the film but at the same time the character can be ruined if he doesn't interact with supporting cast members. Fortunately this doesn't happen here or at least not very often. Allen is marvelous in his role as Scott Calvin aka Santa Claus. He successfully translates the comedic magic he had on his television show and amplified it ten times. There is also a lot of emotion behind scenes that he has with his son, Charlie. David Krumholtz, who plays Bernard the head elf at Santa's workshop, is quite possibly the most enjoyable highlight of the film. He work extremely well with Allen as the two are able to play off each other in several moments within the film, that if they had been performed by anybody else would have been flat. The character of Charlie, Scott's son, is moderately played out by Eric Lloyd. Lloyd begins to get pretty annoying and whiny as the film progresses but then again what can you expect from a cute little kid?
Overall, The Santa Clause, just like the big man himself, spreads holiday magic to every boy and girl, nobody how young or old they are. It is such an original concept, one that hasn't been seen and may never be seen again for many years. Though there is much to praise the film on, there are also slight things to pick at. The messages that the film tries to convey, though meaningful and expressive, came off as being too forced. It would have been better if the filmmakers had slowly sunk the ideas in the heads of movie-goers rather then what they ended up doing. And, as was stated earlier, Eric Lloyd came as being too cute and annoying at times in the film but this is something that doesn't necessarily mean anything major, just a small squabble. Make sure to avoid the tacky holiday films like the remake of Miracle on 34th Street and make it your duty to catch The Santa Clause instead, which is sure to become a new holiday classic for the entire family.
8 Great holiday flick
I heard about The Santa Claus movie a long time ago, but was never motivated to see it until after purchasing the sequel, which appeared even more family friendly than the first. You will definitely want to see them in order, but there are a few slight moments of objectionable content in this first movie, while I'll mention in a second.
PLOT: Scott Calvin is a divorced father, an executive of an advertising company, and getting set for a Christmas time visit from his son. Little Charlie isn't thrilled to be with his *other* dad for Christmas, especially when Christmas dinner equals Denny's. Charlie awakens Scott in the middle of the night when hearing thumping noises on the roof. Scott steps outside and hollers at the perpetrator on his roof - and looks on in stunned disbelief as a red-suited figure comes tumbling down. Scott finds a card in the fellow's pocket saying "If something should happen to me, put on my suit, the reindeer will know what to do." Climbing up on a magic ladder, Scott finds himself face-to-face with eight not-so-tiny reindeer...and one long night's work. He finds himself at the North Pole at the end of his journey, where head-elf Bernard irritably informs Scott that, according to the Santa Clause (the clause in the contract, as stated in microscopic text on the card he removed from Santa's pocket) he's the new Big Guy himself. Scott is returned home in disbelief, and must decide whether or not to accept the job ... all the while in trouble with Charlie's parents when Charlie tells them the tall tale of the North Pole visit.
GOOD POINTS: With a few exceptions, most of the humor in the movie is clean and humorous. And, again with a few exceptions, the whole movie is family-friendly, and a great holiday classic for everyone to sit down and watch.
BAD POINTS: There's a lot of discussion about whether or not Santa Claus is real. Charlie doesn't believe at first, and when he does after visiting the North Pole, his other father Neil attempts to dissuade him by raising numerous objections as to how Santa could do that. Neil and Charlie's mother Laura discuss the times they stopped believing in Santa. There's also some potty humor found in such things as Scott passing gas early one morning. Scott also hollers at a neighbor that he usually sleeps "butt-naked". During his first night taking over for Santa, he isn't very nice to one young girl who wakes up to see him, and grumbles about passing out the other gifts. There's also several "Oh my god" exclamations. Most of these "bad points" are minor, but might raise objections for those searching for a thoroughly clean family film.
THOUGHTS: The question of Big Red's validity will probably be raised again by this movie, even though he is proven by Scott's North Pole visit. But if you don't mind that, and a few other parts like those listed above, then you'll want to buy this movie. Six and a half out of ten stars.
DVD BONUSES: Minimal. I'm guessing this was among the first few to enter DVD-dom because of the small extras. There's an interactive game you can play (keep Santa airborne by ducking flocks of geese, and chimneys) a Make Santa Snacks with some Chef you've never heard of but are supposed to have, and a "So You Wanna Be An Elf?" feature, which is an early attempt at a behind-the-scenes feature, but didn't quite make it.
9 how many people wrote the script?
about halfway through this film i started to wonder if the scriptwriter gave their pages over to a stand-in...what starts out as perfectly good story with plenty of adventure and comedy soon gives way to inconsistency and jumpy scenes...
ever notice how some sequels artifically play up to the original? this movie does it to itself...
i loved the first half, but the rest is just trite...
10 Not a classic just yet.
I don't think this movie really ever will be, despite the BBC's determination to show it every Xmas eve. It's just too wholesome and safe. I like Xmas movies with some edge like Scrooged or Xmas Vacation. That's not to say The Santa Clause isn't fun.
It is a perfect vehicle for Tim Allen's sarcastic sense of humor and it does generate enough of that Xmas atmosphere to make it suitable viewing on Xmas eve. But, as with ALL Xmas movies, it just doesn't work for the other 11 months of the year. Maybe, given time, The Santa Clause will join the ranks of classic Xmas movie but for the moment it is simply distracting fun.
This new DVD is an improvement on the last one (while not drastically) with an anamorphic 1.85:1 picture and Dolby 5.1 sound. There are a few mediocre extras.
11 Heh Heh Heh...
Ever since that Micheal Eisner guy took over, Disney has been trying to make movies that appeals to both adults and kids. This is not working and Eisner need to get that through his stupid, ugly, deformed, thick head. Now onto the review. Despite the PG rating, little kids wouldn't be able to understand the hidden adult jokes like when Tim Allen tells the little 10 year old elf girl "you look good for your age." I believe this is rather unusual but what's more unusual is every elf in the movie are little kids working at Santa's workshop. I don't know if anyone's noticed, but this is rather similiar to child labor. Another thing, why does Disney promote Santa so much? Don't tell me because it's Christmas, I know that. What I do know is there are more things to Christmas and Disney is making it look like it's all about Santa.
12 Perfect for the WHOLE family!!
We borrowed this movie from a friend. We kept it for 2 weeks and watched it every day!! I loved it as much as my children did and they're only 3 and 4 years old!! Even multiple times, this movie is as enjoyable as the first time we viewed it!! I highly recommend it for everyone from 2 to 92!! We have to go buy it now!
13 Good movie, but a little out of state with reality...
Hello there. As I'm typing this, my elves and I are making all of the last-minute preparations for Christmas, getting ready to deliver gifts to all of the nice boys and girls in all time zones around the world.
I felt I needed to take some time out of my busy schedule to post a "review" and set the record straight about some of the misinformation that has been passed on about me, which has resulted from this movie and others:
First of all, I am NOT lactose-intolerant! I enjoy my real milk dairy product with my cookies, thank you very much! In fact, the thicker the milk, the better! I maintain a steady diet of food which most people would regard as "high in fats". I need to maintain this diet to support my career choice, which was appointed to me hundreds of years ago.
Secondly, I can not be replaced and there are no "clauses" in my contract! I can see why people would be enamored with such a clever concept born of a silly pun. You think I never thought of that? A hearty "Ho ho ho", I say, but the whole idea is simply not true. The premise of this movie and the sequel is based on false presuppositions -- (1) I can not be replaced by another Santa, (2) I have a verbal contract with my Creator and (3) there are no "clauses" in this contract!
Thirdly, I am not married. There is no "Mrs. Claus" or "Mrs. Clause". If you saw me working year-round up here in the North Pole, you would probably say I'm married to my job. All of these characterizations about me are not true, but they are a great source of jolliness for myself and all of my elf helpers!
Finally, Tim Allen's visage as "Santa Claus" does not resemble me. I *am* plump, jolly and have rosy cheeks. I also have garments that look like the ones in the movie, but my facial characteristics are more like the Santas you see in the mall or in that accurate Christmas classic, "Twas the Night Before Christmas"...
I enjoyed watching this movie, please do not misunderstand me! It was a clever concept and I applaud those who wrote the script, produced and directed this movie. Generally speaking, it is also a source of amusement to all of us here to see how the legend continues to grow!
Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Holiday Season!
14 A Fun Christmas Movie for the whole Family!
I first watched this movie on tv with my parents and younger sister. I thought it was very appriate and more enjoyable then some of the other movies (about christmas) aimed at younger kids. This movie was enjoyable to my whole family, some parts were at times generated toward the younger auidiances, but overall it held your attention. Tim allen does an excellent job portraying his character and it is really worth your time. I suggest renting or buying it around the holidays, watch it with your children, and you wont be dissapointed.
15 a unique Santa Claus film
I have been a Tim Allen fan ever since Home Improvement and in the Santa Clause Tim still manages to bring a good dose of humor. I don't think a Santa Clause story has been told quite like this one and that is why I like this movie so much. the Santa Clause is definately good for family get-togethers over the holidays. Whether you are a Tim Allen fan or not you should still enjoy this movie.
16 The New Santa Claus
The Santa Clause for David Krumholtz and Tim Allen:
In putting on this suit and entering the sleigh, the wearer waves any and all rights to previous identity, real or implied, and fully accepts the duties and responsibilites of Santa Claus until such time that wearer becomes unable to do so by either accident or design.
Meaning:If someone reads the card and puts on the suit, he's the new Santa.
"The Santa Claus? Oh, you mean the guy that fell off my roof."
"No, no, not Santa Claus, the PERSON, Santa Claus, the CLAUSE."
I dedicate this film to the following actors:
David Krumholtz (Bernard)
Wendy Crewson (Laura Calvin)
Peter Boyle (Mr.Whittle)
Eric Lloyd (Charlie Calvin)
Judge Reinhold (Neil Miller)
Tim Allen (Scott Calvin/Santa Claus)
17 A fun enjoyable movie
Really, I know this was suppose to be a kids movie, but I hear more about it from adults than kids which is understandable considering a lot of the humor would be missed by younger kids. This one is just so much more charming than the second one. I actually liked Bernard in this one. The movie really starts when santa falls off Scott Calvin's (Tim Allen) roof. He then has to become santa due to the santa clause on santa's card. This movie deals really more with Scott's relationship with his son Charlie than it does with the whole christmas thing. Scott is really trying to keep a great relationship with his son, but his divorced wife and her nwe husband try to get in his way, especially after Charlie starts talking about his dad being santa. Charlie's new dad Neil is also a shrink which really adds some humor between Neil and Scott. The acting in this is really above par and much better than I expected even with Tim Allen in it. This movie can really grab your emotions because it puts you in Scott's place. I mean you can really feel/see what the characters are feeling. This movie is hilarious and heart warming. It really has a lot to offer for people of all ages, but I think that the older age group really gets a lot more out of this movie.
18 Best Holiday Movie Ever!!
This movie has fun for all ages. Comedy for parents and children alike. It's an adorable movie that will be a favourite for many generations to come!!
19 Great Holiday Fun
If you are looking for a great, feel-good holiday movie that everyone can enjoy, this is your movie. It is not just another typical cartoon, though. There is a nice mix of comedy, drama, and great holiday fun to turn this into the next holiday classic.
We begin with Scott Calvin, a divorced businessman with a child. His wife has got another man in her life that Charlie, their son, looks up to, while Scott is still alone. It is Scott's turn to take Charlie for Christmas that year, but Charlie is less than enthusiastic about staying with his work-involved, unattentive father. Nothing goes well for them that night with dinner (it is actually quite a humorous affair), and you can sense the distance between the father and son.
Later on that night is when things change. Scott scares Santa Claus into falling off of the roof. Charlie nags Scott into putting on the Santa suit and getting into the sleigh. From that point, there is non-stop action until morning as Scott finishes up Santa's job. At the North Pole later that night, Scott finds out that he is now subject to the Santa Clause and that he has become the new Santa whether he wants to be or not.
The next morning, Scott wakes up and assumes that it was all a great big dream. He is in for a rude awakening, though, when Charlie remembers the whole thing and insists that it happened. Scott spends the year denying that tey took a trip to the North Pole. All the while, his body undergoes some pretty hilarious changes in preparation for the upcoming Christmas.
Along with Tim Allen as Scott Calvin/Santa Claus and Eric Lloyd as a very cute little Charlie, there is a great supporting cast to add to the movie. Judge Reinhold plays as Charlie's role model and his mother's (played by Wendy Crewson) new boyfriend. He is a dull psychiatrist that manages to add his own humor to the story with his disbelief of Christmas and his loud sweaters. There is also the unforgettable David Krumholtz as the elf Bernard. Bernard has been around for quite a long time (just ask him) and has dealt with more than one Santa. Charlie takes a liking to him and he becomes a very integral part of the movie.
This is a great holiday movie for anyone and everyone. The blend of comedy, fantasy, and touching real-life issues (like family and divorce) will make it an instant classic.
20 Not a Classic, but not bad...
You know..Hollywood went through a couple of decades almost totally ignoring Christmas...take a look at the 60's and 70's where there were very few big screen Xmas releases and most movies were made for TV drivel...
Thankfully the last 20 years have been much better with movies Like A Christmas Story, Christmas Vacation, The Grinch, and many more.
The Santa Clause is one of those new breed of movies. While not a modern day Classic Like Christmas story, this movie turns in an admirable job with some humor and warmth.
Tim Allen plays a divorved father who is responsible for accidently killing Santa...a bit of a dark start, no doubt. Well, because of that he now finds he has to inherit Santa's position.
And as hard as he tries, he cannot stop his belly from expanding or his beard from growing. Finally he accepts his role with relish and everyone is happy.
Tim Allen is a likeable Guy and seems comfortable in the role. A good one to watch at Christmas
21 The Best Christmas Movie!!!!
Even since i saw this amazing movie only one other Christmas movie has come even close. That movie is 'The Santa Clause 2'. I advise anyone who loves Christmas or even just likes it a litle to see this movie at least once. And if you love it please go and see the sequal. And don't forget to bring the kids!!
22 GREAT FAMILY FUN
I loved this movie! Why? It made me feel good inside, it
was light hearted, had wonderful acting and left me with a
good all over feeling!
Tim Allen, who plays Scott Calvin in the movie does a top
notch job as portraying an average man who is all of a sudden turning into Santa Clause. What a trip! I don't think one person in the entire room was not smiling when this movie ended!
This one should be seen over and over again! Great job!
23 Another Christmas Classic...
This movie, The Santa Clause of 1994 was a major hit when it came out. This is definately another movie to add to your Christmas collection. Tim Allen did an excellent job playing old St. Nick in this holiday classic. The movie is an all-time classic family movie. It's funny, loving and very joyful. It really gets you into the Christmas season.
The movie starts out at a company Christmas party where we meet Scott Calvin (Allen), a divorced father who is a toy company associate. It's Christmas Eve and it's his time to be with his son. His son Charlie (Lloyd) is a typical 8 year old who gets picked on for believing in Santa Claus. His ex-wife Laura (Crewson) and her second husband Neil (Reinhold) are trying somewhat to get Charlie out of believing in St. Nick, which of course Scott is totally against.
On Christmas Eve just after midnight Charlie wakes up after hearing Santa Claus on the roof. Scott goes outside to see who's up there and Santa FALLS OFF THE ROOF! Now there is no Santa! So Charlie convinces his dad to play Santa for the night. Scott plays along with it and is no match for the real Santa. He has a problem staying quiet. Dogs bark at him, guns and alarms go off, he breaks things, knocks down Christmas trees, etc.
Now after he completes Santa's job, he starts to turn into Santa. He gains weight, his hair turns white, and he grows a beard. The funny thing is, whenever he shaves, the hair instantly grows backs. Now, Laura and Neil notice this and they think Scott is doing this purposely to make Charlie like him. So they go to court to end his visitation rights. Now that Christmas is only a month away, he has to face reality and realize HE IS SANTA and that he has a job to do. To help him face his responsibility, Charlie along with the elves are there to help him get ready for the big night.
This movie is another Christmas classic that the whole family can enjoy. It's very heartwarming and loving. Buy this movie and you along with you're kids won't be disapointed. Merry Christmas!! Ho, Ho, Ho!!
24 Sweet and entertaining
The Santa Clause is a sweet, heartwarming tale that takes one back to the innocent wonder of childhood. Tim Allen plays a divorced father who wants his son to continue believing in Santa. He gets sucked into being the new Santa. This is a story about faith, about believing in something you can't see or that doesn't seem plausible. It is a good antidote if the commercial aspects of this holiday have you down and will provide you an entertaining couple of hours.
25 Really A Modern Holiday Classic!
I remember loving this movie as a little kid. And after not having seeing it for some 4-5 years, I saw it again on the Disney Channel. And after all these years (a long time for me, now twelve), it hasn't lost any of its charm, magic, or child-like wonder.
I will not spend any time on the plot, as you most likely know it already (heck, who doesn't?). Tim Allen is hillarious as Scott Calvin, as he grows fatter and fatter every day, aand gains an ever-growing white beard. There's some good support from his son Charlie, ex-wife and her new boyfriend (with whom Scott is constantly rivaling with). The sets and costumes for the North Pole are very imaginative.
A must-see holiday treat!
26 Tim Allen is Scott Calvin, err, Santa Claus!
There have been a lot of tellings about how Santa came to be, and so far, only two have been really worth watching (I am, of course, not including other Santa-based movie that have nothing to do with his origins, such as "Miracle on 34th Street". The first is "Santa Claus is Coming to Town", the stop-action TV special starring Mickey Rooney's voice in the title role and produced by the "Rudolf the Rednose Reindeer" people. The other, believe it or not, is when Tim Allen falls prey to "The Santa Clause".
Tim plays Scott Calvin, a divorced dad working for a toy marketing company who can't stand his ex-wife's new husband, a child psychiatrist who doesn't believe in the value of childhood fantasies, and Scott is constantly battling with his ex over how to raise their son. Problem is, Scott is one of those dads who really loves his son, but never seems to want to BE with his son. So he's losing the battle; Scott's son is warming up to his stepfather more and more, and wanting to spend time less and less with his real dad.
That is until one fateful Christmas Eve when Scott is awakened to noises on his roof, only to find and disturb Santa going through his work. Santa falls off the roof, and at the prompting of his son, Scott, still not believing at all what's going on, puts on the suit, climbs in the sleigh, and begins delivering toys all over the world in Santa's place. Eventually he ends up at the North Pole, where he discovers his actions have activated the Santa Clause -- a legal contract making Scott Calvin the new Santa Claus, permanently. Even as physical and psychological changes in Scott become more apparent over the next 11 months, he still finds it hard to believe that "fantasy" he'd felt the need to encourage for his son is actually real, and he's it. Making things harder is the ex and her psychiatrist husband, who are more and more becoming concerned that the changes in Scott's behavior, as well as the wild stories of trips to the North Pole they're getting from thier son, is reason for concern that Scott has lost his marbles and isn't safe to be around the boy anymore.
It's a sweet movie, and Tim Allen is actually quite surprising in both roles, as disbelieving father and eventually as the real-deal Santa Claus. Special credit also goes to the special effects and makeup departments, who have a lot of fun with a very imaginative script, enacting the changes in Scott.
But what's really nice is the way the script never falls into cliche with the characters or specific ideals. Okay, the overall story, especially the way it ends, is completely cliche and can be easily predicted even as the opening credits roll. But that's not the point -- here it's the magical journey, not the destination that's important.
The cliches I'm talking about involve mostly the ex and her new husband, the latter played by Judge Reinhold. Even though they have their concerns with Scott's behavior and are constantly butting heads with Scott about the health or dangers of perpetuating the Santa Claus "myth", they are never written as being evil. Granted Judge Reinhold's character can be as dorky as every other character he's ever played -- or maybe that's how Reinhold really is. But even though he's not as idealistic as the cop he played in Beverly Hills Cop, you never get the impression his motives are bent on evil or on ruining Scott's relationship with his son; he might not care for Scott and his motives at time might be somewhat misguided, but his heart really is in the right place. He's still wrong, but he meant well.
Frankly, this is a modern Christmas classic that is worthy of inclusion with such greats as "It's A Wonderful Life", the original "Miracle on 34th Street", and "A Christmas Story".
27 The Santa Crass
This movie is just stupid. Not even amusing in anyway. I always hate when supposed childrens movies cast children in parts where they are speaking obviously adult dialogue, such as when TIM ALLEN speaks to a young girl elf.
She is supposed to be several hundred years old but is obviously played by a ten year old.
ALLEN remarks how good she looks for her age and she says that she thanks him for the complement but she seeing someone else.
I just think it's dumb to put a child in an obviously mature situation just for giggles. Sure adults will all go wink wink, but in a way it is kinda provacative for kids.
I mean she is implying to all intents and purposes that she is having a sexual relationship with another male elf. She is like ten years old.
This kind of innappropriate for a kids movie, and for a Christmas movie.
I don't know why this kind of subtle sexualization of children is considered harmless.
I think kids movies should be kid's movies.
I have a huge collection of movies and lots of them contain nudity and sex.
But they are for adults.
Kids are kids, adults are adults. It's an easy line to draw people.
28 OW OW! I LOVE it!
YOW! The perfect modern Christmas classic! Believe me, I've seen far too many horrible kids' movies in my day, and horrible Christmas flicks, but this is far above them all. Methinks everyone will love this movie, not just the kids...
OK, so what's so great about it? It's funny and different, but still quite sweet and simple. There's some hilarious little gimmicks, but overall it's an honest, just plain sweet story. Tim Allen's great for the role of cynic-turned-Santa I that I would never have expected...really! He IS Santa, man. Eric Lloyd, who plays Santa's son, is an adorable but atypically not-[cruddy] child actor! yow! Judge Reinhold, who you may last have seen in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" in a Pirate hat, now plays the eternally-unhip Neil. (The new step-father, general Christmas-skeptic, psychiatrist, and wearer of LOUD sweaters.) Everyone's got to deal with Scott (Tim Allen) becoming Santa Claus, and learning to BELIEVE. ("Seeing isn't believing, believing is seeing.")
BUT the best part of all??? One word: BERNARD. Portrayed by the magnificent David Krumholtz, he's the cranky head-elf who manages to DEAL with the new Santa. Come on, everyone loves Bernard. Shows up, shoves a pita sandwich down his gullet, comments on Neil's sweaters, and saves Christmas! WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE?!?
All right, so I havn't done a great job convincing you to see/buy this movie. It sounds cheesy, you say. WELL IT'S NOT! It's actually a preety darn touching story of grumpy old cynical adults coming around to Christmas magic, father and son bonding, a new magical look at the North Pole, and one fabulous head-elf. What more do you want from a Christmas movie? I promise you won't regret seeing this movie. Go rent/buy it for the kids! No kids? Go to the store and make like you're renting/buying it for "the kids." Enjoy!
29 Holiday film classic!
"The Santa Clause", directed by John Pasquin, is an upbeat, Christmas tale classic that the whole family will love.
PLOT SUMMARY: Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) is a divorced dad who co-owns a toy company. During this particular Christmas, Scott's son, Charlie (Eric Lloyd), comes for a visit while his mother, Laura (Wendy Crewson) and her new husband, Dr. Neil Miller (Judge Reinhold) go away. Charlie is reluclent at first staying with his father...especially after Scott accidentally burns the turkey dinner and they have to eat at Denny's restuarant. After Scott tells Charlie the 'Night Before Christmas' story and he goes to sleep, Charlie hears a "clatter" on the roof "just like in the poem," as he says to Scott. So Scott goes outside to see what is wrong, when he is shocked to find Santa Clause on the roof! Appearently, Santa is also shocked to see him, so Santa falls off the roof and dies. Now, Scott (after putting on the Santa suit, getting in the sleigh, and bringing the preasents to the rest of the houses), is the new Santa Clause...only he doesn't realize this until after he and Charlie are brought to the North Pole and are introduced to the Arch Elf, Bernard (David Krumholtz), who tells him that he is indeed, Santa, by showing him the "binding contract" on the little card Scott found in the red suit. Now Scott is stuck doing something he really doesn't want to do or believes in, and he has one year to start looking like the real Santa. And if Charlie doesn't stop telling everyone that he's Santa Clause, Scott will be in a heap of trouble--especially with Laura and Neil, who feel that Charlie's strong belief in Santa Clause isn't good for him, and even try to prevent Charlie from seeing Scott when they think Scott is encouraging him.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: First of all, the acting...is absolutely superb! Tim Allen is perfect as the new-but-obligated Santa Clause. Eric Lloyd is cute and charming as Charlie, and the rest of the cast is brilliant. The storyline is humorous and fun--who wouldn't laugh when Scott keeps forgetting Bernard's name, or is making fun of Neil, or when they first arrive at the North Pole? The directing is wonderful, and the script is well-written. The special effects are darn good, too.
This special edition DVD is wonderfully packaged with a limited time movie pass to "The Santa Clause 2: Mrs. Clause" (the brand new sequel), exclusive sneak peak at the sequel, an original featurette, trivia game, holiday recipes, and DVD-ROM extras. The DVD is available in both wide screen and full frame formats.
I highly recommend "The Santa Clause".
Score:
100/100
A+
30 Hmm..The Original or Sequel? Tis' a Great Question...
Of course, with the new Sants Clause TWO craze, you're probably wondering: "Should I go to the theater, pay a ton for liquid buttery (yum, yum) popcorn, or go to the dollar rental & get the older one?" Here's what I say: they're both four-star movies. Which one you get should be based on the number of adults & kids in your viewing party. If there are more adults, rent it or get it, if you have more kids, go to the theater. Its not really that bad.
But why? Simply because this, the original, has more profound humor that kids won't get. The sequel is more.."silly," yet still decently funny to the experienced laugher.
Bottom line: Tim Allen is SPECTACULAR, try to watch both this holiday season.
31 Cute kids' movie, but laid on a little too thick for adults.
"The Santa Clause" has a neat premise: a divorced suburban dad finds himself being turned into Santa Claus because he unwittingly put on the suit of the Santa who fell off his roof. Kids are sure to enjoy this story of Santa, his North Pole, and how the jolly man in the redsuit gets all those toys delivered on one night. As an adult viewer, though, I found myself cringing during certain scenes, which were so sugary that my teeth ached. Also watching one bad child actor performance after another can get quite tiresome. (The kid who plays the son is especially annoying. And what is with that bowl haircut? Why do all movie kids look like they stepped out of my 1970's elementary school class pictures?) The most painful scene: the part with Santa, his elves- all played by talentless kid actors, and his annoying son marching to the tune of "Sharp Dressed Man" by ZZ Top (or as the Brits would say ZedZed Top.)
However, Tim Allen's performance may be enough to keep adults interested in this picture. He is the anchor that keeps this movie from sinking into a sea of sap. Mr. Allen's trademark cynical dad character dominates this movie's first half and the results are funny and entertaining. Unfortunately, the more Mr. Allen's character becomes Santa the less his comic personality is able to combat the heavy-handed saccharine of the film's second half.
Summary: Good kids' movie. Maybe tolerable for adults.
32 Santa slips and falls
This Christmas picture has Scott Calvin, played by Tim Allen, as a divorced dad trying to find time to spend with his son, Charlie. On Christmas Eve Charlie hears a clatter on the roof and as Scott goes out to check, with club in hand, Santa slips and falls off the roof. Scott tries to find out who the man is and stumbles on to his business card that has nothing on it except "Santa Clause." By taking Santa's suit Scott has agreed to become the next Santa Clause and the fun begins. Before the night is over Scott and Charlie have completed delivering the Christmas gifts and visit the North Pole.
There is also a lot of humor in the film that might not be caught the first time:
1) We find out that Santa is now lactose intolerant,
2) Scott is constantly worried about how to keep Santa from falling off the roof
Wonderful holiday film! Good for all ages!
33 Is he or he is not Santa Clause
I have to agree with jarule1992, when s/he put in his/her review of the Santa Clause when s/he asked parents to stop lying to thier kids on who thier Christmas presents are from. But I'm not sure who eats the cookies and milk if cookies and milk was left out for Santa Clause. But also think of it, Christmas is the only holiday that parents lie to thier kids on who thier presents are from, Easter. Every Easter and Christmas, parents lie to thier kids on who thier presents are from. The Easter Bunny for Easter and Santa Clause from Christmas. I'm not sure on how this all started, but it has to stop. (I don't mean Christmas and Easter) has to stop but parents lying to thier kids on who thier presents are from. And now for my review of the Santa Clause
As the movie opens, little Charlie (Eric Lloyd) is spending Christmas Eve and the night with his father Scott (Tim Allen) becuase his mom Laura (Wendy Crewson) is spending Christmas Eve with her boyfriend/husband Neil (Judge Reinhold). Scott burns the turkey, and he and Charlie go to dinner at Denny's. (Even though we don't know what they ordered for dinner). During the night Santa Clause makes a loud noise on the roof of Scott's house. Charlie wakes up his father and Scott goes outside yells up to Santa causing him to fall. Charlie goes outside and both go on the roof find the Santa's deer and sleigh, and finishes Santa's duties with Scoot dressed as Santa Clause). And head home (to the North Pole) where an elf named Bernard (David Krunholtz) tells Scott in putting on the Santa suit he is the accpeted the duies of Santa Clause.
34 A New Holiday Classic
Scott Calvin just wanted to get some more sleep that fateful Christmas Eve. Instead, he finds himself in Santa's sleigh finishing up the deliveries after Santa slips off his roof. That's when he learns the truth, he now is Santa. With only his son to guide him, he must accept his new life in time for the holiday next year.
This is a wonderfully fun movie. Tim Allen gives a great performance, as does the entire cast. The jokes are frequent and right on target for a story of a normal man becoming a legend most people don't believe in. I've added this movie to my list of required holiday viewing and look forward to it each year.
The 5 star rating is in spite of this DVD, however. Don't get me wrong, the picture and sound are great. It's the features that I find disappointing. Billed as a special edition, it has a few features that kids might enjoy once, and that's it. There are no behind the scenes/making of features, no commentary, and they don't even have the theatrical trailer. There is a fun feature hidden at the end of the trivia game, but getting there is so annoying that it's almost not worth it.
If you haven't seen this film, you're missing a real treat. Get it today to enjoy during the holiday season. Just be forewarned that this is the special edition that wasn't.
35 A new holdiay classic...
The Santa clause is a holiday gem...about a father and son that needs to reconnect together..so they spend christmas eve together...On christmas eve night...charlie is waken by a clatter on the roof...and tells his father...they investigate and discovers a man in a red santa clause suit. scott is not convinced but charlie is..and with a bit of begging from charlie scott puts on the suit..they head off and delivers santas gifts...for what he thinks is a one night deal...BR>he doesn't want to except the fact that there is santa ...but with the help of charlie and a few elves and reindeer he beileves and the excepts and beileves in the magic of the santa clause.
a wonderful holiday movie.
36 The Santa Clause
"IN PUTTING ON THIS SUIT AND ENTERING THE SLEIGH, THE WEARER WAIVES ANY AND ALL RIGHTS TO PREVIOUS IDENTITY. REAL OR IMPLIED, AND FULLY ACCEPTS THE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF SANTA CLAUS UNTIL SUCH TIME THAT WEARER BECOMES UNABLE TO DO SO EITHER BY ACCIDENT OR DESIGN." - "the Santa 'Clause'"
This is a great movie. Tim Allen rocks in this movie. But please if you are a parent, stop lying to your kids and tell them to stop leaving cookies and milk for Santa to eat in the niddle of the night. Dad always eats them, anyways. Parents buy the presents. After the kids watch this movie, please tell them the truth. See ya! bye.
37 A Great Movie - a not so Special Edition
With the possible exception of White Christmas, The Santa Clause is the best Christmas movie since films went to color. As you can see from other's reviews, this is an absolutely terrific film. If you are wondering whether or not to get it, get it and, if you have even the tiniest good feelings about Christmas, you won't be disappointed.
That said, someone at Disney aught to be taken out and slapped for the dismal way this movie's "Special Edition" was treated. Admittedly, if you want to finally upgrade to the Widescreen version of this film (as everyone should), this is your chance. Beyond that, however, this DVD is an unworthy homage to a terrific film. There are no commentaries, no production notes, not even the usual fare of trailers from the film. What is there is an absurd featurette where the actor playing Bernard comes out and gives a pep talk to a group of elves plus some holiday recipes.
Maybe I'm over-reacting, but I figure that, with this release in advance of The Santa Clause 2, they would have really loaded this up. Director commentaries are a must and, with Disney practically owning Tim Allen, a commentary with him and some of the other stars would have been great added value. The movie is great, as my rating references, but this is NOT a Special Edition, no matter what it says on the case.
Anyone buying this should enjoy the movie and write Disney and complain about its treatment.
38 Do you believe?
The Santa Clause is an excellent movie for young and old alike. Everytime I watch the movie, I notice something new. It's a movie that brings you back to childhood memories of leaving out milk and cookies for Santa, and a Carrot for Rudolph. How many of us strained to stay awake as children to try and catch a glimpse of Santa as he put presents under the Christmas Tree?
The Santa Clause is all the positive memories of Christmas you remember as a child.
39 Believe....
There is a certain time every year where certain kinds of films get their yearly taken out and watched. When Christmas rolls around, there are several of these films that get to see the light of day again for a while. While "The Santa Clause" may not be "A Christmas Story" or "It's A Wonderful Life" to some people, it is still an incredibly fun and entertaining family classic for everyone. Tim Allen, who at this time was the king of the tube with "Home Improvement", stars as Scott Calvin. He is a divorcee with a son named Charlie(Eric Lloyd), and is an executive at a toy company. The holidays come around and Tim and Charlie have their yearly visit. It's no surprise that Scott doesn't especially care for Charlie's stepdad Neil(Judge Reinhold). That's another story. One night, Scott hears something on the roof and goes to investigate. He yells at the strange man who is on his roof. The man slips and falls and dies. He is Santa Claus. Scott refuses to believe it at first, but Charlie is excited as all get out. Scott takes over the reins for the night until a suitable replacement comes. Scott learns that he is the permanent replacement. He is swooped away to the north pole and meets all of the elves who fill him in on what is going on....and who he will be. Then, over the course of the year and into the next holiday season, Scott gradually changes. White hair and a belly that shakes like a bowl full of jelly take over Scott. He is now, truly, Santa Claus. This all causes Scott's ex wife(Wendy Crewson) and Neil, who is a psychiatrist by the way, to think Scott has lost his mind and is messing with Charlie's in the process. The reason this movie works is because of Tim Allen. Sure, you can have a number of people in the role, but Tim has such an endearing charm and likeability to him, that he makes the moment his. It's his movie and one can't think, or want, anyone else in the role. That has been his key to such popularity for all these years. He's like a best bud. Everybody else in the film do fine jobs, but it is Tim's movie, and they all blend into the background. The movie has a nice, warm, magical feel to it. Makes you want it to be Christmas. It's a by the numbers script, but I don't think anyone will care or mind that they can pretty much figure out what is going to happen. It's not about that. It's about make believe. It's about fantasy. It's about being a kid and finding that kid in all of us. It does the heart good.
40 The Santa Clause
I think the movie the santa clause is great it shows a
more realistic side of the santa saga.I like how the elves are younger it gives the younger generation a better feel for the movie opposed to if they were older actors as elves i've had this movie for two years now and am still enjoying it no mater what time of the year it is.I would recommend this movie for all ages,its certainly a must see!
41 Amazing
This movie is so amazing. Its kind of like going behind the scenes of what Santa Claus' life would be like. The special affects are great, the sets are great, and the story is wonderfully enchanting. I recommend it to be watched every holiday season. I do!
42 Substitute-Santa Saves Christmas
Tim Allen is perfect as the suburban family man on whose lawn Santa Claus himself drops dead after crashing his sleigh. Curious about what happened, Allen takes off the man's suit and puts it on. A little note reveiled that according to the "binding contract" Allen just entered, he would have to take over as Santa Claus for the Holidays!
This is an endearing fantasy, with even grown ups starting to believe in the Magic of Christmas again. My favorite scene is where the parents receive the wished-for gifts they never got as kids (a "Dream Date" game and an Oscar Meyer "Weenie Whistle"). Ho, Ho, Ho! Santa Lives!
The story continues with Santa Clause 2, just in time for the 2002 Christmas Season.****
43 His all-time best!
After Tim scares Santa off of his roof and somehow kills him, he must replace himas mentioned on the card. But this silly idea was just a dream at first, but when his son recalls it in real lif, maybe Tim really is Santa. He really gets fat and starts to grow a beard, even after diets and shaving. After cops arrest him for going around as Santa, the elves help to save him and at last, he must leave his osn and family to work at the North Pole permanently. It's one of the best holiday films ever and I hope a sequel comes up soon!
44 Fun For The Family
I loved this movie. It is just a fun and comical adventure for the family. Christmas spirit is brought out by this movie. This is a fun movie that shows that you don't need the R-rating to be good. This movie is a Holiday classic which I will like for all time.
45 Special Edition coming!
For those of us who love this movie though the dvd is lacking in extras there is still hope. A Special Edition will be released this summer in 2002! It's worth the wait!
46 No real extras
We got this on DVD after our kids learned how to pull the tape-guard off the VHS version we had. The added bonus is that we will never have to worry about the quality degrading over time with repeated watching - and there WIll be lots of repeated watching!
There are no real extras on the DVD which was kind of disappointing, I had hoped for atleast outtakes and I haven't been able to find any "Easter Eggs" on it either.
Still, a sweet touching story that made it as a Holiday Classic from the moment it was released - just wished the DVD had offered a little more.
47 Another good one
This is another one to add the the Christmas collection.
48 One of the Best Movies I Ever Saw
This movie made my Mom laugh so much! My favorite part was when he was shaving, but his beard came right back, by magic. My Mom's favorite part was at the end, when everyone finally believed he really was Santa Claus. I think you should buy it.
49 A *very* cute and odd Christmas Tale.
I have watched this movies numerous times, its definetely good for repeated watchings. It may not be a classic, but its definetely better then alot of other movies out there!
This is about a guy named "Scott Calvin"; a dad who is divorced and head of a toy company. Well Scott is having his son Charlie over for christmas(since Scott is divorced), Charlie isn't at all thrilled about it, and argues with his mother to let him stay home, he esp. doesn't like it much for the fact his father burns the turkey then takes him to denny's for dinner. Well when the get hom and Charlie is in bed, he here's noises on the roof. And those noises are from no other then Santa Clause.! Well Charlie tells his father, who tells him to go back to bed and go's outside to check it out, thus scaring Santa and causing him to fall off the roof. Charlie begs his father to put on santas suite and deliver the presents, which he does after much argumentation. And he soon finds out that he is now(since the toerh Santa Clause is unable to be Santa Clause)Santa Clause himself, he refuses to belive it, but Charlie does.
This is a very fun rich film and is well acted. Its a good film for kids and adults and its a nice Christmas film.! It'll get you in the spirit.
50 Absolutely one of the best Christmas films ever made!
People say this isn't a classic, but I, however, think so. Don't think this movie is too childish. It's not. I'm 14 and I enjoyu every moment of it. It's so wonderful, magical, cute, and very warm in some parts. Tim Allen is hysterically funny, and with some of his lines. "Freezing my nubs off out here, and you want me to get into a Santa costume.", he says after furiously and reluctantly takes off his jacket and is in his underwear putting on Santa's suit, when the other Santa falls off of Scott Calvin's (Allen) roof. When he's inside the first house he takes out a plastic dump truck and it lightly thuds on the floor as he puts under the tree. In comes this Rottweiler growling at him. Scott puts on his most winning smile and says "Nice teeth." The dog barks at him. He tries to escape out of the window, but an alarm goes off. Someone upstairs yells "Who's down there?!" He inches his way towards the fireplace, with the dog growling at him, saying "It's the holidays. Come on. Whoo-hoo-hoo." All of a sudden there's a gunshot. Scott eventually gets back up the chimney and on his way to the next house. This is funny and will become a favorite in your holiday movie collection. (...).
51 Tim Allen's Most Memorable Role
Ever wonder, who is Santa Claus, really? Where does he come from, how old is he? How in the world does he squeeze down a chimney, and how does he get in if there isn't a chimney? What's the deal here? Well, happily, the answers to these questions and more are finally answered, as the legend of Santa Claus comes to life as never before in "The Santa Clause," directed by John Pasquin and starring Tim Allen. Scott Calvin (Allen) is an executive with a toy manufacturing company, he's divorced and has a young son, Charlie (Eric Lloyd), who still believes in Santa, but is at an age at which doubt is beginning to creep into the picture. And the fact that Charlie's mom, Laura (Wendy Crewson) has a boyfriend, Dr. Neal Miller (Judge Reinhold), who is a psychiatrist, isn't helping the situation any. Neal, it seems, is adamant about counseling Charlie in the realities of life, which of course includes the real scoop on Santa, which doesn't go over too well with Scott.
Then on Christmas Eve, which Charlie is spending with Scott, a strange thing happens. There's a clatter on the roof, and Scott rushes outside to investigate, where he discovers a man in a red suit clamoring about on the roof of his two-story house. As Scott watches, the man loses his footing and falls into the snow on the front lawn. And to Scott's amazement, it's Santa Claus! Or at least a guy dressed up like Santa, and he's not in very good shape at the moment. Lying there on his back, the man hands Scott a card with instructions written on it about what to do in this particular situation. "Put on the suit," it says, "The reindeer will know what to do." And when Scott looks back up at the roof, what he sees concludes what Neal would probably call an SEE (Significant Emotional Experience), and though he doesn't realize it at the moment, his life is about to change forever...
And with that, Pasquin goes on to tell the story of Scott Calvin's amazing odyssey, which puts a humorous, and at times poignant, spin on this contemporary and highly imaginative rendition of the Santa Claus story, which offers much more than merely a fresh face on an old tale. The Santa angle has that universal appeal that will attract viewers initially, but what makes this story really accessible is the reality which lies beneath the fantasy. The relationships examined in this film-- the whole situation with Scott, Charlie, Laura and Neal-- are quite common in our modern world, and that obstacle in the lives of these characters puts a necessary balance in the story that makes it more than just another Christmas fantasy. It puts an edge on the sentimentality that would've been over-the-top had Scott, for example, been a happily married man with a text book family life. That would've been good for maybe a one hour T.V. special on a Tuesday night, whereas this story and the way it's presented is unique and lends itself well to full length motion picture status.
When you think of Tim Allen, you don't necessarily think in terms of Santa Claus-- his Tim Taylor, "Home Improvement" persona is simply too far-reaching (there are, in fact, some "in" jokes sprinkled subtly throughout this film, like when Scott, in Santa's workshop, picks up a toy tool belt and holds it up to himself)-- but it actually becomes a positive here, and another part of the appeal of this film. it establishes Scott as a real person, an average guy attempting to cope with the everyday problems of everyday life. And it keeps the core of the story grounded, which ultimately makes the fantasy work while giving it heart. So, in retrospect, Allen was a perfect choice for the role of Scott Calvin, and in the long run this just may turn out to be one of his most memorable roles (which is somewhat ironic, as this was Allen's big screen debut), because this is certainly the kind of film that is bound to make a lot of people's annual "holiday movies to watch" list, falling into that category of films you can watch over and over again every Christmas season, like "A Christmas Story." "Christmas Vacation," "A Christmas Carol" and "It's A Wonderful Life." All films which, though certainly diverse, have at their center the spirit of Christmas along with family values and traditions, and all told in a way that enables the viewer to readily identify with the characters and the story, which is exactly what this film does.
Eric Lloyd turns in a good performance as Charlie, making his character believable while keeping him positive despite the conflicts which surround him, and Crewson and Reinhold are solid in their respective roles, as well. But in supporting roles, the standout performances come from David Krumholtz, as Bernard, Santa's Head Elf, and Paige Tamada, who is endearing as Judy, the Little Elf.
Rounding out the supporting cast are Peter Boyle (Mr. Whittle), Mary Gross (Miss Daniels), Larry Brandenburg (Detective Nunzio), Judith Scott (Susan), Jayne Eastwood (Judy, the Waitress) and Joyce Guy (Principal Compton). An entertaining and ultimately uplifting movie, "The Santa Clause" is funny and enjoyable and has a lot to offer in the way of family entertainment, the kind of film adults and kids alike are going to appreciate. And it may even make you believe in some things you hadn't even considered before-- but that's for you to figure out as you watch the movie. And that's the magic of the movies.
52 never wanna see it again
this movie has a FEW good and funny parts BUT . . .it's lame. i really don't like seeing elves, and santa in the north pole. its' just . . .WICKED! if you're 2 yrs. old, ya might like it--its colorful and strange.
53 Won't DestroyThe Illusion of Santa Claus For Younger Viewers
The first thing that I look for in a Christmas movie is...Will it keep the illusion of there really being a Santa Claus? I have younger children who still believe in Santa and I do not want to watch a movie that will "wreck it" for them. This movie "proved" that there really is a Santa Claus...to the child in the movie and also to the adults who were non-believers at the beginning. We enjoyed Tim Allen's cynicism and were delighted that there was no bad language or adult situations. We have watched the movie every year since it came out and it is one that has become a "holiday classic" for us.
54 THUMBS UP FOR ALL HOLIDAY FILMS!!!!!!
This has gotta to be one of the most hilarious Christmas films since 1990's Home Alone and 1992's Home Alone 2: Lost in New York They put this every year before December on ABC for the Wonderful World of Disney Luckly I have it on video so I can watch it anytime I want hey maybe tomorrow I might watch it again hey I heard on the interent they're doing a sequel for 2002 next December neat huh I really recommend you get this Tim Allen is a Riot in this film please get it makes you get into the holiday spirit right away:)))))))))))Way Happy
55 great family film
this is a great movie, tim allen is perfect in his role. i first saw this movie when it came out in the theaters when i was about 11 or 10, and i'm 16 now and i still enjoy watching it every holiday with my family. It's something everyone can enjoy. It's not a classic like A Christmas Story or Charlie Brown's Christmas, but it's worth watching!!
56 Merriment in July ;>
If the summer weather is getting to you and you start to long for snow and Christmas cookies with hot apple cider, this is just the movie to awaken that inner child who is still fascinated with life and believes in magic.
The scene is set for a rather bleak Christmas. Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) plays the part of a divorced toy company executive who wants to spend Christmas with his son. Charlie is not exactly thrilled with the prospects of his father's culinary talents and they opt out for dinner at Denny's. Later that evening after Scott has read The Night Before Christmas to Charlie, Charlie awakens to the "clattering" on the roof. Scott runs outside to find reindeer on his roof and Santa who then suddenly falls off the roof. Ooopps.
So, what will happen to all the presents and who will deliver them? Scott puts on the red suit and by doing so enters into the" Santa Clause" and must be the next Santa. In order to prepare for his duties, he physically changes into the jolly Santa everyone loves. Scott mentions a few "versions" of Santa Claus who are loved by millions of children all over the world. This legendary figure is portrayed in this movie as a jolly, stout man with a twinkle in his eye, rosy-red cheeks and a cheerful laugh. This is the American adaptation of the European legend of Saint Nicholas.
Though he may look a bit different in each country and be called many names, to children of all countries his message is the same. They peek out the windows and hope to catch a glimpse of this special man as he flies through the sky, delivering gifts for boys and girls they will get to open on Christmas Day.
There are many enjoyable witty lines executed so well by Tim Allen. The script is superb and memorable. The classic "Tim" with fire extinguisher in hand to save the flaming family turkey is a must see. Charlie himself says some pretty funny one liners and is quite the actor in this movie. The elves are also adorable and they come to the rescue at a moments notice.
A very enjoyable family comedy you can laugh along with, year after year. While this movie doesn't really explain the true meaning of Christmas, it does give some insight into the true spirit of the Holiday Season.
57 Big Screen Big Break for Tim Allen
This movie established Tim Allen's ability to draw family audiences to the big screen. As perennial holiday fare, it's OK, but it's kind of a "'tweener" -- not slick enough to compete with the huge box office extravaganzas (think Grinch), not sweet or sincere enough to rank with the Home Alones. The first part of the flick works better, when Allen's wry humor and sarcasm put a different spin on the traditional Santa Claus fable. It does work equally well for kids and adults.
58 Santa Claus questions "answered"!
This is a VERY inventive movie which "answers" many of the common Santa Claus questions - how does he go down a chimney? What if there isn't a chimney? How does he carry so much stuff in his bag? etc. etc. etc.
My personal favorite character in this movie is "Bernard" - the head elf at the North Pole.
Judge Reinhold is his normal stiff self - but in this movie he's SUPPOSED to be stiff and colorless. So his "normal" acting ability fits this movie fine.
Tim Allen is great! He is slowly becoming the Clark Gable of family films.
This is a MUST buy. We've watched it over and over and over again. Even not during the holidays! It is all well thought out and doesn't leave you with any "but..." or "what if..."s.
59 Good movie, poor DVD
This is a cute movie. I have always enjoyed it. But, I DID NOT like the price for a DVD with NO EXTRAS!!!!
60 New Christmas Classic
Our copy of this video is practically worn out! We watch it several times every Christams season, and it never fails to enhance our Christmas spirit! In this fantasy, Tim Allen is today's Everyman literally transformed by the mythic tradition of the Christmas holiday. An ambitious toy executive and divorced dad transforms into Santa Claus, the antithesis of himself. Try explaining THAT to your son... as Tim Allen does! Magical, Enchanting, Warming, Entertaining script, Good Message, Nice Visuals and Fun to Watch.
61 A NEW CLASSIC!
This is a great movie.A holiday classic that i watch everyyear! It hepls people who are divorced.And to give kids hope if they belilve in santa and a big kid said their wrong it gives them hope
62 A real Christmas classic!
This is the type of movie that all the family can enjoy during the holliday season. Tim Allen really delivered in this movie. The plot is funny and is good for children and adults. The special effects are excellent and the music is enchanting. This was Allen's first movie and it is rare to see a T.V. Star such as Allen was do this good the first time out.
I highly recommend this movie to everyone who wants to see a good family movie during the holiday season.
63 Holiday Favorite
This is one of my family's favorite holiday movies. There is humor, action, fantasy, and many touching moments, too. Tim Allen is a lot of fun, great cast - excellent special effects. A must see!
64 Great disney christmas movie!
This movie is the best Disney christmas movie I have ever seen I always rent this movie around christmas and I think I am going to buy it off the internet today. a great movie for the whole family.
65 A Christmas favorite for years to come!
This is one Christmas movie that you would want to add to your collection. It has a mixture of fun and excitment. This is truly a holiday tradition.
66 Believing is seeing
To quote an elf in the movie, "Seeing isn't believing. Believing is seeing." This is a wonderful funny, yet touching Holiday comedy. Adults will enjoy the jokes poking fun at the adult characters. Kids will delight in the magic and getting their "How does Santa do that?" questions answered. If you can imagine the movie "Prancer" with a comedic touch that's the closest I can come to a comparable. Tim Allen is amazing in this role. My kids have even made their own North Pole door sign and practice flying their reindeer after only one viewing! Don't miss this one.
67 Yuletide Cheer!
Tim Allen shows that the Home Improvement kids aren't the only ones he can work with - Eric Lloyd ("Heart and Souls" , "Jesse") and Allen make a great pair in this great family movie from the people who do it best, Disney.
Lloyd gives a superb performance as the son who insists on believing in Santa Clause despite his mom's new boyfriend - and in doing so keeps the Christmas Spirit glowing in all of our hearts.
68 This could have been better
The story of a divorced dad pressed into Santa duty after the previous one takes a header off the roof is, in Disney's hands, a fairly predictable outing. There are flashes, however, of what the movie could have been--many of the scenes at the North Pole with the elves are pretty funny, and Tim Allen does a great job. I did, however, long to smack the kid playing Allen's son--pretty much all he does is whine. The standout scene for me is a small dance sequence set to (of all things) ZZ Top's "Gimme All Your Lovin'" featuring Allen and the elves--they even do moves that were in the video! Overall, not a bad one to haul out at the holidays, but there's really nothing here that hasn't been done before.
69 One of my favorite Christmas movies
It's hard to believe that "The Santa Clause" isn't more of a Christmas classic. Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) and his son Charlie (Eric Lloyd) go on a mission to save Christmas after the original Santa Claus falls off a roof and passes away. Scott doesn't know it at first, but when he puts on Santa Claus's suit, he becomes the new Santa Claus.
"The Santa Clause" has a lot of parts that are hilarious such as when Scott starts getting fat and tells everybody that he was stung by a huge bee. But it's not only a great comedy movie, it's one of the best family movies. This is one movie that anybody, no matter how old they are, can enjoy. Tim Allen gives one of his best performances, and so does Eric Lloyd. I can't think of anything that's wrong with the movie. It's hilarious, it has a dramatic plot, and it never gets old.
"The Santa Clause" isn't one of those Christmas movies that are just good to watch during the holidays, it's a great movie to watch any day of the year. It's a classic in my book. I recommend anybody to get "The Santa Clause."
70 A movie reviewer ;)
Unlike some reviewers that give up easily to run and hide in the safety of a book (to the point of doing book reviews in a movie critique!), this DVD delivers! Tim Allen manages to keep his "everyday guy" persona intact and goes on to create the Santa mystique par excellence. A must-have addition to your Christmas movie collection the whole family will enjoy.
71 Christmas Commercialism at its FINEST. Get the Book.
One of the most commercial Christmas movies I've ever seen which plays to America's fetish with putting fat people onscreen so we can laugh at them and feel better about ourselves. Acting is precisely what you'd expect from a Disney film and the script is functional at best, complete with a "Save Santa so Christmas Won't Be Cancelled!" scene (as if Santa's ability to deliver presents on Christmas Eve would determine whether or not we celebrate this religious holiday). For parents with children trying to learn the TRUE meaning of Christmas or get something meaningful out of the holiday season, stay FAR away from THE SANTA CLAUSE. Good for a couple of chuckles, to see what Tim Allen would look like in a fat suit and for a contemporary explaination of the "Santa Mystery" (how does he deliver all the preasents, etc.).
I HIGHLY recommend THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF SANTA CLAUS by L. Frank Baum (the author of THE WIZARD OF OZ). For something that explains the "Santa Mystery" in a classic sort of way, and provides great holiday reading for (and with) children, you cannot go wrong with this book.
72 Good Christmasy fun
This is a cute movie, and a must to show to the kiddies at Christmas/Yule time. A original story, and a great cast make this a holiday classic. Worth buying, highly recommended.
73 Believing is Seeing
Destined to be a classic! Guaranteed to bring the spirit of Christmas into your home. When are you too old to believe in Santa? Never, according to this wonderful tale.
74 A wonderful blend of comedy and warmth!
The Santa Clause is a fantastic Christmas movie. It blends comedy with a heart-warming plot. Tim Allen is at his best in this stirring Christmas story.
75 Parts you will remember in this one
The Santa Clause was a funny and enjoyable movie with a funny actor, Tim Allen. This is by far his best movie. There are also some memorable lines like when Scott (Allen) finds Santa and he suddenly dissapears when he says, "He's naked somewhere." This is a funny line and all in all one of my favorite Christmas movies of all time.
76 A Christmas Favorite
Once a year, there comes a time for families to get together and celebrate the magic of the holidays. The Santa Clause is a wonderful movie for the family to watch, one for all ages. The story is heart-warming and funny. Tim Allen is terrific. I recommend this movie for anyone who loves the Holiday season and believes in the spirit of Christmas.
77 Funny, great holiday movie for the family.
Tim Allen and the young boy Eric Lloyd are both veyr adorable in this movie. Very funny at times, has a lot of meaning.
78 A Modern Classic!
The best Santa movie ever! Tim Allen at his best, a wonderful story and dazzling special effects that will make a believer out of everyone. A marvelous modern twist on a centuries old story.
