THE SANTA CLAUSE (1994)
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 1996 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): ** 1/2
"Not too hot. Extra chocolate. Shaken, not stirred," is how Santa likes his favorite drink. This is one of the details we learn in the expanded Santa legend known as THE SANTA CLAUSE.
Released by Walt Disney in time for Christmas in 1994, THE SANTA CLAUSE covers much of the same ground as the MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET films. In both plots there is a man who claims to be St. Nick, but who is not believed except by some of the children. Although not as good as the others, THE SANTA CLAUSE is a charming little picture in its own right.
As is a popular theme in Hollywood, the parents in the story are divorced. The ex's are fighting over the proper treatment of the existence of Santa Claus. The dad, Scott Calvin, notice the initials, is played by Tim Allen, who was the voice of Buzz Lightyear in TOY STORY. The mom, Laura, is acted by Wendy Crewson, who was the blind date Kevin Danford in TO GILLIAN ON HER 37TH BIRTHDAY. Their son, Charlie, is done by Eric Lloyd, who was Kyle in DUNSTON CHECKS IN.
After a disastrous Christmas Eve with his Dad, where his Dad has to use the fire extinguisher on their flaming dinner, Charlie is awaken that night by a noise. Santa has fallen off their roof and died. Scott wants to know who this dead kook is in their front yard.
Scott pulls a card out of Santa's coat that has a "clause" that says to put on the jacket and the reindeer will know what to do. Scott does this, and the next thing they know, Scott and Charlie are flying through town finishing up the gift giving. This is all done in a spirit of fun and high adventure. My son's eyes were glowing watching it all.
When they finally get to the North Pole, lead elf Bernard (David Krumholtz) wants to know what happened to the old Santa. Scott explains, "The other guy fell. It was an accident. I've got good home owner's insurance."
All the elves are children, which provides a special bond with the young viewers of the movie. Later, Charlie's teacher, however, will correct him with, "We don't say elves. We say little people."
The elves are all precious. Best is a sweet one named Judy (Paige Tamada). She has an infectious smile. Just looking at her makes you happy for inexplicable reasons. My favorite line of hers is when she explains to Scott, "Seeing isn't believing. Believing is seeing." A better summary of the spirit of Santa Claus, I have not heard.
The bright and humorous script is by half of the four writers from SPACE JAM, Leonardo Benvenuti and Steve Rudnick. When Scott worries about the return trip, he asks, "Can we take a direct flight back to reality or do we have to change places in Denver?"
When Scott does get back to reality, his body starts changing. He puts on 45 pounds in a week, and his beard turns white and grows at a prodigious rate. His boss, Mr. Whittle (Peter Boyle), suggests, "You should see a doctor, a shrink, a dietitian, anything."
His "fantasies" that he is Santa Claus get him in big trouble south of the North Pole. After the inevitable capture by the authorities, his elves send out a flying squad, elf commandos if you will, to save the chief. In my son's favorite piece of dialog, the head of the liberation forces tells his boss's jailer, "We're your worst nightmare. Elves with attitude."
There is a potential problem for this as a family show, and it is the duality of the belief about Santa Claus. Children will have certain assumptions about Santa, and this film could be viewed as presenting another set of possibilities. We worried about this a bit, but decided to let our son see it anyway. He was able to take the film as fiction without causing him to reexamine his theories about Jolly Olde St. Nick. Whether this could prove troubling to other and especially to younger kids remains problematic.
The two leads, Tim Allen and Eric Lloyd, give solid performances, and John Pasquin directs with careful precision. THE SANTA CLAUSE is a pleasant little fable. A good choice to kick back and enjoy during the holiday season.
THE SANTA CLAUSE runs a fast 1:37. It is rated PG for reasons that escape me. There is no sex, nudity, violence or bad language. Yes, someone dies, but that happens too in many kid's movies from THE WIZARD OF OZ to BAMBI. Perhaps death is enough to get a PG, but except for the Santa legend already discussed, the film is fine for kids of all ages. Jeffrey, age 7 1/2, said that the movie was "really good. I loved it!" He kept rewinding the tape to see his favorite scenes again and again. I recommend this family fare to you and give it ** 1/2.
**** = One of the top few films of this or any year. A must see film. *** = Excellent show. Look for it. ** = Average movie. Kind of enjoyable. * = Poor show. Don't waste your money. 0 = One of the worst films of this or any year. Totally unbearable.
REVIEW WRITTEN ON: November 28, 1996
Opinions expressed are mine and not meant to reflect my employer's.
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