Since it's the middle of January, I was really in the mood for a Christmas movie. Actually, I wasn't, but since Fred Claus eluded me before the holiday season, I figured I better check it out now since it's not likely to be around much longer at the budget theater.
Based on the previews, this one certainly had promise. It had a strong cast (perhaps too strong for this film) and a unique premise; examining the left in the shadows brother of Santa Claus. Given these variables, I was surprised to see it only do moderately well at the box office. It certainly wasn't the smash hit that Elf was (a film that I find vastly overrated). With no other major Christmas films released this past season, it puzzled me why this didn't do better; that is until I saw it myself.
The film's primary problem is that it failed to find an appropriate voice. It can't decide if it wants to be a kids movie or adult fare. It also can't determine if it wants to be a true Christmas film or just use that context to tell a more universal story of family and relationships. The end result is a hodgepodge of content that aims to please everyone and ends up pleasing no one.
The main character of Fred Claus (played by Vince Vaughn) has plot points involving his brother Santa, his mother, his on-again off-again girlfriend, and an orphan that he's befriended. Each of them could have worked on their own as the main plot of the movie, but since they're all included, none of them get the proper time devoted to them. On top of all that, you also have a subplot involving an elf pining over one of Santa's female assistants and Kevin Spacey as an efficiency expert trying to shut down Santa's workshop. Needless to say, the writer of the film needed to ask Santa for some Ritalin this Christmas.
Vince Vaughn is his typical self in this movie providing plenty of rapid-fire lines full of hilarity. Despite being the guy I've come to enjoy in so many other films, this one doesn't hold up. I think Vaughn is at his best when he has someone of equal comedic talent to work off of him. In his better films, he has guys like Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell and Ben Stiller to play off of. No offense to Paul Giammati, who is a fine actor, but he can't match wits with Vaughn like those other guys do. The same held true for Vaughn in the awful, The Break-Up, where the best he had to work with was Jennifer Aniston.
As previously mentioned, this film has a pretty strong cast including Kevin Spacey, Paul Giammati, Rachel Weisz, Kathy Bates, Elizabeth Banks, Ludacris, and John Michael Higgins. Each do an admirable job with the role they have, but given the film's content, I was wondering what many of them were doing here. They must have wanted an extra paycheck in case this strike goes on for too long, because most of them should be in better pictures than this.
The film certainly has its moments. As mentioned before, Vaughn is always good for a handful of laughs based on his delivery alone. I also enjoyed the subplot involving John Michael Higgins playing the head elf (which involved some weird visual effects) pining over Elizabeth Banks' charcter. It's never explained why a normal human being is working at the North Pole with Santa and his elves, but since in meant seeing her in skimpy santa outfits, I didn't really care. There is also a funny scene where Fred attends a Siblings Anonymous meeting that involves some good cameos of famous "in the shadows" brothers.
If this had been a non-holiday film, I may have reviewed it a bit more harshly. But since it's a Christmas movie, I see it as being tolerable enough to be watched/enjoyed once a year. This one will not go down in the annals of classic Christmas films, but when it comes time for it to show up on some basic cable channel, I'll probably stop and watch it again. For those reading this, there's probably no need to seek this out at the moment. If you're a sucker for holiday movies however, you may want to rent it come next Christmas. It's the film equivalent of receiving a sweater; It's not as bad as a lump of coal, but certainly not the most appealing gift you could get either. Grade: C+
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