Mr. Claus Seeks a Mrs. Claus
As sequels go "The Santa Clause 2" is pretty much what you would expect, recycling a lot of what made "The Santa Clause" both entertaining and funny but just changing things enough to make it feel a little more than just a rehash. Like with the first movie "The Santa Clause 2" has much of that Christmas magical charm about it making it a favourite amongst the children who are its target market but just enough humour which will make it watch able for any adult who finds themselves watching it with their children.
It's been 8 years since Scott Calvin (Tim Allen - Jungle 2 Jungle) took over as Santa Claus and he now seems to have got it sussed. But now he has a couple of problems, not only has his son Charlie (Eric Lloyd - Batman & Robin) found himself on the naughty list but a forgotten clause has been discovered which requires Santa to get married before Christmas day or else he will revert back to being plain old Scott Calvin. Desperate to sort out both problems, Scott leaves the North Pole to find out why Charlie has been misbehaving and also find himself a Mrs. Claus and in place of him the elves have created a clone to keep things running, except the clone has discovered the rule book and has some strange ideas as to how things should be run.
The storyline to "The Santa Clause 2" nicely carries on from the first movie all but a few years later, Scott Calvin has grown into his role of festive cheer giver and the whole toy making factory has had a bit of "Tool Time" improvement which helps carry on Tim Allen's sit-com persona into this role. Plus of course Scott's son is now a teenager and like any teenager is starting to become a little troublesome. It's a nice set up and the opening scene which sees Santa's workshop avoiding detection from a plane as they go to "elfcon 1" sets the amusing magical mood for what is to follow.
The story does develop and in a convoluted but easily accepted manner as Santa has a couple of problems which he has to deal with as Christmas Day gets ever closer. The more believable, if believability really matters, of these is that Charlie has found himself on the naughty list and so Scott needs to find out what has caused his once good son to have behaved in a naughty manner. It's an enjoyable premise which gives "The Santa Clause 2" a message which is nicely delivered without being too preachy.
But for me the best part of the storyline is that Santa needs to find a Mrs. Claus or else his tenure as Santa will end. It may not be that original but it is a fun storyline allowing for much merriment from failed attempts to find a suitable woman for the role but also the reverse process which sees Scott physically start to revert to his former self. Again it is a charming storyline and provides for some nice touches of screen magic which really help make you feel all festive, plus there is plenty of opportunity for laughs aimed at both the young and old alike.
As for the performances well it certainly doesn't feel like there had been 8 years in between the original and the sequel. Tim Allen walks straight back into a role with ease and although Eric Lloyd is a few years older is just as good in the role of Charlie again. But what is good about "The Santa Clause 2" is that it introduces some new characters, you have Charlie's head mistress played by Elizabeth Mitchell and also a series of fantasy characters such as the Tooth Fairy, Sandman, Cupid and Mother Nature which all assist in making "The Santa Clause 2" feel less like a vehicle for just Tim Allen this time round. My only criticism is that although David Krumholtz as Bernard gets a few more scenes than in the first movie he is still seriously underused and deserves to pretty much share the billing he is that enjoyable.
What this all boils down to is that all in all "The Santa Clause 2" is a good sequel. If you have seen the original then this is a nice follow up which carries on in the same manner meaning that it's inoffensive Christmas fun which will appeal to young audiences but deliver enough humour that adults will also enjoy.
Tags: Santa Claus, Christmas Movies
