- This is a story you?ve never heard before, a hilarious and heartwarming comedy about Fred Claus, Santa?s brother ? and complete opposite. After growing up in saintly Nick?s shadow, Fred becomes a grouch who?s lost his belief in Christmas. Then, one magical December, Fred flies north (first via reindeer) to find brother Nick is in trouble: a scheming efficiency expert is out to shut down Christmas
This is a story you've never heard before, a hilarious and heartwarming comedy about Fred Claus, Santa's brother - and complete opposite. After growing up in saintly Nick's shadow, Fred becomes a grouch who's lost his belief in Christmas. Then, one magical December, Fred flies north (first class via reindeer) to find brother Nick is in trouble: a scheming efficiency expert is out to shut down Christmas forever! Expect fun by the sleighful as Fred helps save Christmas and rediscovers the gift of fam! ily. Join Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, Miranda Richardson, Rachel Weisz, Kathy Bates, Kevin Spacey and more in a yuletide treat to enjoy for years to come.Vince Vaughn is enormously enjoyable as the titular
Fred Claus, disgruntled older brother of the better-known St. Nicholas himself, i.e., the North Poleâs very own Santa (Paul Giamatti). A garrulous hustler running from the emotional fallout of the ultimate sibling rivalry, poor Fred keeps trying to find happiness through one failed scheme after another, pushing away the people who care about him most. When brother Santa puts the squeeze on him to help out in the toy factory atop the world, Fred turns the place into one big, raucous party. Unfortunately, heâs unaware that Santa and Mrs. Claus (Miranda Richardson) are under tight scrutiny from an oversight committee (represented by a calculating Kevin Spacey) and could be shut down. The film, directed by David Dobkin (
Wedding Crashers), gleams and twinkle! s the way a holiday movie should, and has plenty of fun materi! al for y oungsters, including a wacky chase scene in which Fred goes on the run from a half-dozen, angry Salvation Army Santas. But
Fred Claus is also supposed to appeal to hip adults with a taste for ironic farce, and on that score the movie feels like a succession of
Saturday Night Live skits more than an organic whole. Still, Vaughn holds everything together with a smart, insightful performance that looks deep into his characterâs torment--with more than a few laughs.
--Tom Keogh