REVIEW
THE SANTA CLAUSE 2
Starring Tim Allen
Directed by Michael Lembeck
Opens Friday, November 1
Check listings
Although November 1 seems a bit early to get into the Christmas spirit, even for the most ardent holiday fanatics, The Santa Clause 2, a sequel to Tim Allen’s successful The Santa Clause, is enough to set any Scrooge aglow with the X-mas bug. Against my own better judgment and taste, this syrupy, predictable Allen vehicle proved an indulgent delight, complete with a surprising dose of laugh-out-loud humour.
Reprising his role as a regular Joe who becomes the famous jovial big man in the red suit (in the first film, Allen’s character inadvertently became Santa when he put on the deceased Mr. Claus’s uniform), Allen is again faced with the burden of saving Christmas. This go-round he’s struggling with the second clause of his contract – the "Mrs." clause.
In order to keep his gig bringing toys to all the good little boys and girls of the world, Allen has to find a bride before midnight on December 25. No easy task, especially when you need to explain your unusual schedule, sporadic weight gain and undesirable home base to your would-be bride.
Aside from the cliché storyline and the obligatory plot about saving Christmas, The Santa Clause 2 features a surprisingly enjoyable, if too slight, love story between Allen's character and his teenage son's comely yet uptight principal (played by Elizabeth Mitchell, who some will recognize from her recurring role as Carrie Weaver’s first female love interest on ER). There are also some wonderfully conceived gags and a delightful subplot in which Allen convenes, and is helped by, a council of supposedly imaginary childhood figures (including Father Time, Cupid, Mother Nature and the Tooth Fairy).
But one of the most rewarding episodes is centred on Allen’s first date with Mitchell. Dragged to a horrifically boring faculty party – the sight of the dreary teachers, clad in ill-conceived holiday-themed sweaters and clustered around the punch bowl is hilarious in and of itself – Allen’s Santa in disguise turns a dreadful night in the high school gymnasium into an unexpected gift-giving bonanza. As funny as it is sweet, the scene reveals how easy it can be, with the right gifts, to get even the most abysmal parties going. |
