The Santa Clause (1994)

The Santa Clause

• What a classic. No, this isn’t the best Christmas movie ever made, but it’s certainly one I enjoy watching once a year. I’ve always been a Tim Allen fan, so seeing him play Saint Nick himself is pretty sweet. It’s true that Tim does kind of play the same kind of snooty character in a lot of his stuff, and that goes for this movie as well. However, you learn to love him by the end of the movie. He’s very sweet and caring towards the kids (I mean, he’s literally Santa), and the conclusion with Charlie is very nice. The whole story is very original, and very nice. It definitely takes some unusual steps into establishing who Santa is and why, but I love it. It was enough for two sequels and a TV show. I definitely think the story takes some very weird turns, which is why I’m knocking off quite a few points from the Movie Score. The writing isn’t the best, but it’s still a fun plot. That goes for the characters as well. Some of them are not super deep, while others definitely are. All the custody stuff is random and unneeded, although I love the psychological discussions that the characters go through. That’s what makes this movie different and unique. Some don’t like it, but I do. The special effects aren’t good at all either, and because of that, it gives the movie a very obvious mid 90’s feel. The props, sets, and costumes are really good, but not so much the CGI reindeer. I love the design of the North Pole, which is very colorful and joyous. The elf costumes are nice as well. Overall, this movie is corny and not always super well written, but it’s enjoyable, funny, and heartwarming. I’d recommend it to all Christmas movie fans.