The Santa Clause 2 (2002)

The Santa Clause 2

• Funnily enough, I actually like this sequel better than the first movie. It’s definitely better, but I find it more fun. It ditches all of the random psychology and custody junk from the first movie, and (mostly) solely focuses on the main points at hand. It’s a very nice change of pace. It brings in more focus on love and family, a little bit more than the first movie. The whole story revolves around Scott needing to find a wife, and the way his quest turns into actual love is really sweet. I’m starting to sound like my grandma. Anyways, having Scott’s own son be on the naughty list throws a fun twist in the mix (much like ‘Elf’). Seeing the characters change and learn right from wrong, even at their ages, is a good lesson. I’m really looking deep into this, aren’t I? On the downside, there’s a lot of random things in this movie, such as the meeting of all the mythical figures of magic (Sandman, Father Time, etc). It’s cool, but unnecessary. Also, Hitler Santa was pretty stupid, but a nice little side story to have when you might start to get tired of the love stuff. Random, but certainly entertaining in my eyes. Just one of those “Why did they do this, but also I’m glad they did this” kind of things. Moving on, all the characters were solid, though some were definitely a bit more useless and obnoxious than others. I also think the romance kind of smacks you in the face, but that was kind of the point. The sets and costumes were, once again, very well done and put together. The North Pole continues to amaze me. It’s just so Christmas-y and though there’s a lot to look at, it’s not overdone at all. Lastly, the special effects were not super great at all, but hey, it was 2002. Overall, this movie isn’t the best made, and not as good as the first, but I find it more entertaining. It’s a silly sequel, but I always have a good time. Is it one I’d recommend? Probably, if you like these cheesy Christmas movies that are sometimes over the top, but still enjoyable.