Fred Claus

Let me tell you, i was very disappointed with all the negative reviews i am reading from people on here. I went into the theater last night not expecting to much because of what everybody is saying, and let me tell you, this movie was great. It worked for on all levels for me, it worked as a Christmas movie, it worked at showcasing Vince Vaughn, and let me tell you, no one else could have played his role better then he did, and it worked as a family film getting the true points across of this movie. What i loved so much about this movie, was like the beginning said, the story is about Fred, so the movie is a little darker compared to most Christmas movies. Sure it makes you feel good, and has some sappy clichés, but there are some very dark elements to this movie, like the scene with Kevin Spacey and Vince Vaughn talking outside in the snow. I loved so much how this movie was not trying to be a Christmas movie, and was just telling Freds story. There are some very funny parts in this movie, like the beginning of the movie where Fred is asking for money for charity, and pretty much all the scenes with Willie the Elf are funny. I must add that special effects and the make up were outstanding. Did you see Paul Giamattis hands. He really looked like Santa Claus. And how all those elf's were digitized to look like Elfs, just amazing work. So all in all, the movie does its job in getting you in the mood for Christmas, but don't look at it as a Christmas movie, look at it as a movie about a dysfunctional family trying to reconnect through Santa Claus. Vince Vaughn could never be better. I loved every part of this movie, quite frankly I didn't want it to end! P.S. Kevin Spacey did an amazing job as an evil business man trying to take down the North Pole.

Hilarious, Touching, Entertaining & Sweet sums up as 'Fred Claus'. David Dobkin deserves kudos for directing a sensitive subject like 'Fred Claus'. The well-known filmmaker is blessed with 2 good writers Dan Fogelman & Jessie Nelson, who've written this Christmas flick. A joyride! Accoding to me 'Bad Santa' was an excellent attempt, but that was crude and crass. But 'Fred Claus' is the most touching Christmas flick after the Masterpiece 'The Polar Express'. Everything a cine-fan wants to see is served in here, it's a feel-good entertainer that leaves loving your loved ones a bit more. Santa Claus is not the topic here, it's his brother Fred Claus, who makes this simple story well-told. More than anything, this movie makes you believe in Santa once again, {I was his biggest fan in my childhood}, and after watching it I wish each and every kid in the world awaits for Christmas. Acting-wise: Vince Vaughn plays Fred Claus beautifully. He's dependable as always. Paul Giamatti, as Santa, is lovable. Kevin Spacey plays the conniving-turned-likable character with ease. Miranda Richardson is first-rate. John Michael Higgins is hilarious as Willy. Kathy Bates, Trevor Peacock, Elizabeth Banks, Bobb'e J. Thompson & Rachel Weisz are effective in small roles. Final word? MERRY Christmas, Indeed!

"Fred Claus" sounds like a really corny movie, but with a cast led by Vince Vaughn it can't be bad, right? Wrong! Vince Vaughn only added to the problem. This is a ridiculous movie that never knew quite what it was, and rarely succeeded in making me laugh. The plot of this trainwreck is quite simple. Santa's younger brother Fred needs money, so he goes to the North Pole for a few days to get $50,000 bucks. Meanwhile, Santa is going to be shut down by Kevin Spacey's character, who was actually the funniest character in the movie. There's a long list of problems with this movie, but I'll just name a few things I hated. This had cartoon sound effects during fights, which only works in cartoons, and makes live action stupid and unfunny. Vince Vaughn talked too much, and this movie felt like it was poorly ad libbed the entire time. The movie was very inconsistent in what it was. It starts off like a fairy tale, then switches to an annoying comedy. Midway, for about ten minutes it actually feels like a horror movie, before it switches to corny kid's movie. On top of all that, it just wasn't funny and the special effects were bad. With that said, this did make me laugh every once in a while, but not enough to make this worth watching. Overall this was a dumb, and unfunny movie, not worthy of Vince Vaughn and Paul Giammati's work. My rating: 1/2 out of ****. 110 mins. PG for mild language

How hard is it to write a watchable film with Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti and Kevin Spacey? Apparently VERY difficult for the writers here. I still have no idea how Santa is younger and looks 20 years older than Vince (who plays the BIG brother). I must have missed that part of the story but in reality, it really didn't matter. Many scenes seemed out of place and contrived; the kind of "funny notion" scenes that are drug out WAY too far to where any sense of comedy is lost. The director/producer tried to go "tear jerker" at the end, which would have been suitable if ANYTHING leading up that point had been worth following. Ugh, major disappointment. I can see how some people might enjoy this OK, since many people will take any garbage they're fed, but I would strongly encourage waiting for DVD on this one. NOT worth the $23,978 it takes to get your family to the movies these days.

"Fred Claus" somehow avoids becoming this year's "The Santa Clause" by at least having a bit more amusing moments than that Tim Allen starrer, but it doesn't mean that it's got enough going for it that's worth a trip to the theater. As holiday movies go, it's contrived and sentimental. But actually, that could be the least of one's concern as "Fred Claus," boasting of having David Dobkin ("Shanghai Knights," "The Wedding Crashers") at the helm, contains virtually nary a genuinely funny moment as it clumsily treads the line between a boorish Vince Vaughn vehicle and a fuzzy Christmas film. In the end, it amounts to not much of both. And with a cast that comprises of Paul Giamatti, Kevin Spacey, Rachel Weisz, and Kathy Bates, all the more it leaves one disappointed. Vaughn plays Fred, Nick's (Giamatti) older and estranged brother, who once upon a time, left him and their parents (Bates and Trevor Peacock) after having had enough of enduring his parents' favoritism of his younger sibling. Nick grows up to be Santa Claus (and as the voice-over tells us, time freezes on you and your family when you become a saint), while Fred becomes a Yuletide-jaded repo man in Chicago who's having a hard time remembering his girlfriend Wanda's (Weisz) birthday. He runs in trouble with the law and had to call his younger brother (who eerily looks at least a decade older than him) to bail him out of jail. Nick agrees but only if Fred agrees to help out on the toy-wrapping business up in the North Pole. Fred reluctantly agrees but his cynicism clashes with Santa and the elves' perpetually cheery nature, even as an efficiency expert (Spacey) is checking on the toy factory operations, only too happy to have the whole Arctic operations shut down if things fail. The film, as said, does have its moments, but the padded running length stretches them thin across its duration. In between are piles of Christmas film clichés that were handled better in, say, "Elf" and the attempts at sentimentality are as endearing as last year's fruitcake. Vaugn, as usual, brings on his coarse charm to the table, but the neutered script of Dan Fogelman keeps him from REALLY doing his thing. Giamatti, underneath the bad fat suit, brings a jolly old charm to his iconic character, but unfortunately, has to play second fiddle to Fred. Spacey brings his game face, but his turns usually end as unfunnily vapid. Ultimately, "Fred Claus" becomes a forgettable film that falls below what those involved in it deserve. Sure, there are worse ways to start the season at the cinema, but there are certainly far better ways.

Really funny movie. Vince Vaughn is at one his best performances and does what he does best and the supporting cast is great and makes this a funny, well rounded movie. Don't listen to anyone who says it's horrible. They don't know squat. Funny xmas movie Enjoy this movie from start to finish. I couldn't stop listening. Director did an excellent job. funny funny funny funny! funny! Better than Superbad and Knocked Up put together. One of the true comedies of this season and I hope there are more to come just like this because I will keep going to the movies and enjoy. Again, don't listen to anyone who says they didn't like it at all. They are a little slow in the head.

Well, I have to say, this movie was so bad that I would have walked out if i didn't have to review it for work. ANd the worst part is, I wanted to see it so badly that I drove all over the city, paid $10 parking two times because the newspaper listings were wrong. Vince Vaughn plays the guy he always does -- the only time I've seen him play someone else was in that movie with John Travolta. Anyways, the plot has potential -- it sounded great in the preview, but it is filled with totally ridiculous, predictable, weak plot turn points. And I was hoping that this would be one Christmas movie where Christmas DIDN"t have to be saved, and that Santa didn't need a replacdmetn, but nope. The only cool part was the sleigh rides, and the little bladck kid was the best character. I'm sure this movie would be great for young kids, but for adults it's so lame that it's chore to sit through.