The Santa Clause
By Sherril Steele-Carlin
Another seasonal favorite of mine.
I loved the original "Santa Clause." We watch it every year around this time, and sometimes in the middle of the year when we're dreaming of Christmas. It's funny, clever, and doesn't seem to get old no matter how much we watch it. It also has a great soundtrack that sticks in your head.
If you're not familiar with the story, Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) is chosen as the new Santa Claus after the old one falls off his roof on Christmas Eve. His son, Charlie, is the only one who knows the secret, and of course, no one else believes him. In fact, as the year progresses and Scott begins to look more and more like the real Santa, his friends and family begin to think he's nuts. That is until Christmas Eve arrives.
Allen brings his own humor to the part, and his son, played by Eric Lloyd, is adorable, and there is a good supporting cast. It's actually hard to believe the film is ten years old, because it still plays well today. There are some great one-liners in the film, and it is memorable for the elaborate sets at the North Pole, including the elves' workshop and Santa's dream bedroom.
Sadly, the sequel to this film just didn't work for us. "The Santa Clause 2" just tried too hard, and relied on too many gags from the first film that just seemed old and used up in the second version. While the reindeer where whimsical and just right in the first film, the sequel used them far too often and just tried too hard to make them cute. My advice is to skip the sequel and go straight to the original version of this film – you won't be disappointed.
