By: debbie lynn elias
Santa Claus is comin’ to town in a mere 48 days but thanks to the magic of Disney and Hollywood, you can catch him in theaters everywhere right now in “The Santa Clause 2.” When we last saw Santa eight years ago, we learned there was a “clause” for entering into the employment contract as Santa Claus whereby should anything untoward or unfortunate happen to the jolly old man, whoever picked up the red suit and put it on took over the time honored tradition of being Santa and had a job for eternity…unless of course, something unfortunate caused his demise and then a whole new contractual process began with a new Santa. Luckily for the world, toy marketing executive Scott Calvin was not only in the right place at the right time, but he had a son named Charlie that believed in the magic of Christmas and Santa, and as a result, Scott has been Santa for the past eight years. In fact, according to the elves at the North Pole, he has been the “best Santa ever.”
But now in 2002, with only 28 days before Christmas, we find that all is not well. Seems there is a second clause, the “Santa Clause 2″, the fine print for which was previously overlooked, mandating that Santa find a Mrs. Claus before the stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve or he ceases being Santa and Christmas ceases to exist. For whatever reason, there is no clause which allows for a replacement Santa should this one fail to marry. (Whichever attorney drew up the “Santa Clause” without making provisions to cover the marital glitch and allow Christmas to continue, should be disbarred!) Compounding this little dilemma is Charlie who has made the “Naughty List” this year. Santa’s son on the Naughty List???? What’s happening to the world! Faced with the task of not only finding a wife, but helping Charlie, Santa turns to his trusty elves Bernard and Curtis for assistance. Ever the technologically creative one, not to mention being “by the book” when it comes to Santa, Curtis has a solution to Santa’s problem – clone Santa. Leave the clone (that resembles a poorly made plastic action figure) at the North Pole and let Santa/Scott head home to save Charlie, find a wife and hopefully, save Christmas. Not as easy as it looks for you see, Santa is magic, and due to his failure to marry, he is “de-Santafying” – losing his beard, losing his “bowl full of jelly” and losing his magic. Nevertheless, being the good parent and the good Santa, he heads home, leaving the clone Santa in charge of the pole. Unfortunately, clone Santa looks and acts more like a white-bearded Fidel Castro and the chaos begins.
With Tim Allen returning as the Big Guy, you know you’re in for a bowlful of laughs (and yes, take-offs of his most famous characters), although he does seem uncomfortable and out of place when playing the clone Santa (more than likely due to the inability to fully exploit the physicality and facial expressions so essential to Tim Allen’s comedic abilities). Also returning is the original cast: Wendy Crewson as ex-wife Laura; Judge Reinhold, who is wonderfully annoying as her boring, ugly-sweater wearing husband Neil; Eric Lloyd as the troublesome teen Charlie; and David Krumholtz as head elf, Bernard, whose performance this go round is somewhat of a disappointment. In “The Santa Clause,” we met a Bernard with a sense of playful seriousness that worked well and guided us through the storyline. He was one of my favorite characters. This time, however, we have a Bernard that is distraught and haphazard, lacking all leadership abilities, and exuding a forced silliness which made me want to just slap him upside his little elf head. I expected better from Krumholtz. Rounding out the main cast are Elizabeth Mitchell as Santa’s love interest Principal Newman, and Spencer Breslin who just shines as Number 2 elf, Curtis. But be on the lookout for some “cameos” by a few famous faces who due duty here as The Board Council of Legendary Characters – Mother Nature, Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, Cupid, Sandman and Father Time (naturally Santa is Chairman of the Board).
Making his feature film debut, veteran sitcom television director Michael Lembeck, does an adequate job but there are some deficiencies which he just can’t seem to overcome – some of which may be due to having six different writers and several simultaneous sub-plots – something not inherent to 30 minute sitcoms. Art direction and set decoration headed by Sandy Cochrane and Peter Lando, respectively, is commendable. This go round we see more of the Pole and the workshop than previously, but nothing is done to excess, reminding me of the old Lit Brothers Christmas displays back in Philadelphia some 35+ years ago.
While to its credit, “The Santa Clause 2″ lacks the ever-present cheeriness of the original (which at times seemed like overkill), it disappointingly also loses that sense of wonderment and innocence that makes Christmas magic. Don’t get me wrong – there are some magical moments, but they are few and far between. There’s just something about a dictator Santa with over-sized tyrannical toy soldiers dumping buckets of coal on elves and Christmas toys that just doesn’t sit right.
Will Santa save Charlie? Will Santa find a wife? Will Santa save Christmas? Only Santa knows for sure. On Dasher, Dancer, Prancer and Vixen! On Comet, Cupid, Donder and Blitzen! On Chet! Yes – Chet. Remember – Seeing isn’t believing. Believing is seeing.
