Santa Claus must work to stop Jack Frost from taking over Christmas,
while also entertaining his in-laws and preparing for a new baby. FAMILY/FANTASY
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The Santa Clause 3:
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The Santa Clause 3, despite being a financial success, was unapologetically panned by critics and fans alike upon its 2006 release. While it's nowhere near as decent as the first two, I think calling it a terrible movie is a bit unfair. These films were never trying to break new ground or be something more than a mildly amusing Christmas family comedy. In that respect, I think all three of them succeeded. And maybe it's because I have nothing but respect for Martin Short, but I don't mind this one that much. It does exactly what it says it's gonna do, and I still try to watch it every Christmas, along with the first two.
Santa (Allen) is in crisis mode. The elves are falling behind, his wife Carol (Mitchell) is pregnant and due any day now, he's brought the in-laws to the Pole to make her happy, and to top it all off Jack Frost (Short) is trying to steal Christmas. So, naturally, Santa is a bit high-strung. Jack takes advantage of this and tricks Santa into wishing he'd never put on the coat. They go back in time, Jack steals Santa's coat, and when they return to the present, Santa is Scott Calvin again, and Jack Frost is Santa Claus and he's commercialized the hell out of the North Pole. I do think everything is a little rushed, but the final product isn't terrible. It's just a bit more "Disney Channel original movie" quality than the first two. The Santa Clause 3 will never hold a candle to the first two films, which were already barely good in the first place. This one is just a little less than, which is expected in most threequels anyway. I think a lot of critics have a problem with whimsy, and this film is loaded with it. But you've also got Martin Short as a funny villain and Alan Arkin & Ann-Margret as the in-laws. They really help this movie, in my opinion, and I'm gonna keep watching it. |