The Santa Clause 2

Review by Clint Morris

It’s that time of the year when the studios start churning out all their Christmas offerings – notably all the family-friendly flicks.

But if you’re tired of numinous Harry Potter, or sapped by everything Lord of the Rings – drag the little ones along to The Santa Clause 2: it could be the most collectively engaging Christmas present of the summer.

The sequel to one of Tim Allen’s first forays into film, The Santa Clause 2 is a return to the hearty, humorous and cutesy feel of the 1994 original – with perhaps a little added gusto and idiocy. And that added bonus might be just what makes Santa’s luge an improved ride – second time around.

In the original film, Tim Allen played Scott Calvin, an indolent divorced dad who fortuitously caused Santa to fall from a roof.

When he put on the dying Santa's coat, he discovered that he had involuntarily agreed to become the new Santa. The problem he then faced was how he was going to leave his beloved son, Charlie, and the rest of the world for a seemingly much happier existence at the Northpole.

Now, it’s 8 years later. Scott’s the best ever Santa – say his fellow employees. There’s not a problem in the world… Or is there? Seems there’s a second Santa ‘Clause’, which states that, if Santa doesn't get married by the next Christmas, less than a month away, he will stop being Santa.

Co-incidentally there’s trouble down below anyway, with his son, Charlie, making this year’s "naughty" list.

Santa hits town again to sort out his distressed son and find himself a bride. And, of course, the last person on his yearning list is that seemingly wicked but gorgeous school principal of his son’s. Isn’t it?

While far from the year’s most ingenious family film, The Santa Clause 2 is a valuable offering. Tim Allen is an absolute pleasure to watch in anything, no matter how bad the material and, thankfully, for the most part he’s working with a ripe template here.

Some of the added surprises in store include an incoherent but endearing reindeer named Comet, as well as a veer of guest appearances ranging from Molly Shannon, Kevin Pollak, Peter Boyle and Star Trek’s Michael Dorn.

And, while the teenage bracket are likely to find nothing of interest here, littlies and their folks will probably be contentedly entertained right through, possibly even finding themselves ‘ho, ho, ho-ing’ all the way home.

3 out of 5

The Santa Clause II
Australian release: Thursday December 5
Cast: Tim Allen, Elizabeth Mitchell, David Krumholtz, Eric Lloyd, Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson, Spencer Breslin.
Director: Michael Lembeck.
Website: Click here

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