The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (3 November 2006)
directed by Michael Lembeck
starring Tim Allen, Elizabeth Mitchell, Eric Lloyd, Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson, Spencer Breslin, Liliana Mumy, Martin Short, Ann-Margret, Alan Arkin, Abigail Breslin, Art LaFleur, Aisha Tyler, Jay Thomas, Michael Dorn, Peter Boyle, Ridge Canipe, Charlie Stewart, Zach Mills
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MPAA rating: Studio: Walt Disney Pictures, Boxing Cat Films, Outlaw Productions Script: Ed Decter, John J. Strauss Music: George S. Clinton Running time: 98 minutes Tags: Christmas; Comedy; elves; Family Film; North Pole; rivalry; Santa Claus; toys Tactical strength: [4/10]
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Walking into the third installment of The Santa Clause series, I had a pretty good idea what to expect: Tim Allen physical humor, some light laughs, basic potty humor, and at least one crying baby in the theater. I did expect something better than Zoom, but I wasn't quite sure how Martin Short as Jack Frost would mix with Allen's humor. Generally, Short does a passable job, but the humor and even the sentimental, family-friendly message lands flat.
You pretty much know the plot line from the trailers: Jack Frost resents all Santa's attention and maneuvers to replace the current Santa (Tim Allen). Santa has a lot on his mind as he tries to balance preparations for Christmas with fragile emotional state of his very pregnant wife (Elizabeth Mitchell). Apparently not feeling enough stress, Santa decides to help make Mrs. Claus feel more comfortable by bringing her parents (Ann-Margaret and Alan Arkin) to the North Pole. A lot of comedy could develop from the added stress of having the in-laws present -- especially since Santa wants to keep his identity secret and tries to make the in-laws believe he works at a toy factory in Canada.
Spencer Breslin as Curtis gave the best performance in the film as Santa's number one elf. He delivers most of the movie's comic lines and plays well against both Allen and Short. And you have to admit, Allen owed Breslin a lot after their miserable roles together in Zoom, and The Santa Clause 3 doesn't completely pay that debt. The next best performance goes to Alan Arkin, who plays the very straight and practical father-in-law. None of the other performances really distracted from the movie, but the mediocre script doesn't give much room for any of the actors to shine. Besides, the script tries to squeeze in funny bits for several other legendary figures, including the Tooth Fairy (Art LaFleur), Mother Nature (Aisha Tyler), Cupid (Kevin Pollak), the Easter Bunny (Jay Thomas), the Sandman (Michael Dorn), and Father Time (Peter Boyle). With so many characters trying for a bit of screen time, no real character development happens.
It does seem that Tim Allen has driven his career into a rut, and The Santa Clause 3 merely provides one of the better run-of-the-mill movies Allen has made in quite a while. The cast seems to have had a good time making the film, but that ebullience doesn't transmit to the audience.
