It's not White Christmas, but Fred offers holiday charm
Fred Claus
Ho, ho, ho. While Fred Claus is not one of the best Christmas movies of all time, it does possess a lot of Christmas spirit.
Fred Claus (Vince Vaughn) is overjoyed when his new baby brother, Nicholas, is born. Fred makes him a promise to be the best older brother ever. Fred tries his hardest to be a good brother, however, everything Fred does, Nicholas does better, winning their parents' attention and love. Fred continuously tries to win his parent's affection, always unsuccessful, and unfortunately, one fateful event pushes Fred over the edge. Nicholas only wants to make Fred happy by cutting down his favourite tree and bringing it inside to be enjoyed all of the time, but in doing so, he scares off Fred's best friend, a bird named Chirp-Chirp. Fred, feeling alone and betrayed, begins to hate his brother, throws an apple at him and makes his way on to the naughty list permanently.
After years of giving and caring for others, Nicholas Claus is made a saint, a.k.a Saint Nick, a.ka. Santa Claus. Santa and his family, including his estranged brother Fred are all made immortal. Two hundred years later, the Claus brothers are still not speaking, until Fred finds himself in the need of bail money. In exchange for bail, and the money for the ne'r-do-well brother to start up his own casino, Fred must help Santa out at his workshop until Christmas.
Shortly after Fred arrives, an investigator comes to the North Pole to determine if Christmas should still be left in Santa's hands. If Santa's operation receives three strikes, they will be shut down forever and Santa will be fired. Santa hopes beyond hope that Fred can put all of his troubles behind him and help Santa save Christmas. This proves to be a huge mistake. While Fred is mad at always being in Santa's shadow, Santa doesn't understand why Fred can't be good. In the end the brothers must understand and respect one another if Christmas is going to continue to bring joy to kids all around the world.
I really enjoyed this movie. Vince Vaughn (The Break-Up), is always amusing, with his fast paced dialogue and his quick comebacks. Paul Giamatti (Shoot ‘Em Up), wouldn't have been my first choice to play Santa Claus, but he pulled it off really well. Parts of the movie were a little quirky, such as some unusual sound effects while Fred is being chased by a herd of Santas. Also, the effect of making people into elves was very unrealistic. Really though, neither of these aspects matter all that much because the movie wasn't about elves, it was all about Christmas spirit, and Fred Claus had oodles of it.
Much like other classic Christmas stories, this movie was about family, love, happiness and growth. It is these aspects that will put this movie on the list of movies to watch every Christmas. I recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys a funny, classic Christmas story.
Final Words: Saw it. Liked it. You're not in a music video, wear your hat like a man.
Ho, ho, ho. While Fred Claus is not one of the best Christmas movies of all time, it does possess a lot of Christmas spirit.
Fred Claus (Vince Vaughn) is overjoyed when his new baby brother, Nicholas, is born. Fred makes him a promise to be the best older brother ever. Fred tries his hardest to be a good brother, however, everything Fred does, Nicholas does better, winning their parents' attention and love. Fred continuously tries to win his parent's affection, always unsuccessful, and unfortunately, one fateful event pushes Fred over the edge. Nicholas only wants to make Fred happy by cutting down his favourite tree and bringing it inside to be enjoyed all of the time, but in doing so, he scares off Fred's best friend, a bird named Chirp-Chirp. Fred, feeling alone and betrayed, begins to hate his brother, throws an apple at him and makes his way on to the naughty list permanently.
After years of giving and caring for others, Nicholas Claus is made a saint, a.k.a Saint Nick, a.ka. Santa Claus. Santa and his family, including his estranged brother Fred are all made immortal. Two hundred years later, the Claus brothers are still not speaking, until Fred finds himself in the need of bail money. In exchange for bail, and the money for the ne'r-do-well brother to start up his own casino, Fred must help Santa out at his workshop until Christmas.
Shortly after Fred arrives, an investigator comes to the North Pole to determine if Christmas should still be left in Santa's hands. If Santa's operation receives three strikes, they will be shut down forever and Santa will be fired. Santa hopes beyond hope that Fred can put all of his troubles behind him and help Santa save Christmas. This proves to be a huge mistake. While Fred is mad at always being in Santa's shadow, Santa doesn't understand why Fred can't be good. In the end the brothers must understand and respect one another if Christmas is going to continue to bring joy to kids all around the world.
I really enjoyed this movie. Vince Vaughn (The Break-Up), is always amusing, with his fast paced dialogue and his quick comebacks. Paul Giamatti (Shoot ‘Em Up), wouldn't have been my first choice to play Santa Claus, but he pulled it off really well. Parts of the movie were a little quirky, such as some unusual sound effects while Fred is being chased by a herd of Santas. Also, the effect of making people into elves was very unrealistic. Really though, neither of these aspects matter all that much because the movie wasn't about elves, it was all about Christmas spirit, and Fred Claus had oodles of it.
Much like other classic Christmas stories, this movie was about family, love, happiness and growth. It is these aspects that will put this movie on the list of movies to watch every Christmas. I recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys a funny, classic Christmas story.
Final Words: Saw it. Liked it. You're not in a music video, wear your hat like a man.
