The Santa Clause 2

Who would have thought that a sequel would be made to “The Santa Clause?” Well, they did make the sequel in 2002. What’s the premise to this film you may ask? Well, how about a last minute telling from Curtis the Elf, played by Spencer Breslin, at the worst possible time. While Santa is supervising the elves and inspecting the toys, Curtis breaks the news to Santa about a loophole that was also on the card Scott got when he put the Santa suit on: if he doesn’t get married in 28 days, he will no longer be Santa.

The de-Santafication process has already taken its toll. Scott is losing weight and his beard is thinning.

In the time between the two films, Scott’s ex-wife, Laura, and her new husband, Neil, have continued to raise Charlie, but now is a troublesome child in high school. He is responsible for a number of the graffiti pranks and the elves are distraught when they inform Scott that Charlie is on the naughty list. Scott does the right thing and flies home to set Charlie right and hopefully find a wife, while they make a doll version of Santa to watch over the North Pole. This Santa decides to turn the North Pole into a military camp by using the toy soldiers as his military coup and turning it into a dictatorship.

Ebert has said, “The Santa Clause 2" is more of the same tinsel-draped malarkey that made the original film into a big hit, but it's more engaging, assured and funny, and I liked it more. The first movie seemed too desperately cheery,” but I liked the first one Mr. Ebert. This film has a nice sharp undertone, even though the romance between Scott and Principal Newman, played by Elizabeth Mitchell, is working, since her experience with the students in high school may come in handy when she supervises the elves.

The movie is not a special effects festivity like “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” so that’s a good thing. It has that charm and silliness than focusing too much on the special effects. The North Pole looks a little more detailed than a department store window, the Clone Santa’s troops look like immigrants from “The March of the Wooden Soldiers,” and Santa’s reindeer, Comet (voiced by Bob Bergen), is not a good example of grace.

One new touch is the Board Meeting of Legendary Characters, which Santa is the head of. The members include: the Sandman (Michael Dorn, who is famous for playing Worf in “Star Trek: The Next Generation"), the Tooth Fairy (Art La Fleur), Cupid (impressionist Kevin Pollak), Mother Nature (Aisha Taylor, the new host of “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”), the Easter Bunny (Jay Thomas), and Father Time (Frank Barone from "Everybody Loves Raymond," the late Peter Boyle). Ebert said, “I suppose it makes sense that all of these characters would exist in the same universe, and when the Tooth Fairy saves the day, it is through the film's profound understanding of the rules of Tooth Fairydom.”

Surprisingly, Ebert almost liked the first Santa Clause, but said that “despite its charms, the movie didn't push over the top into true inspiration.” Now the sequel kind of does push over the top, especially with the Santa Clone, and is better than the first one, although Ebert believes “that any universe that includes the Tooth Fairy and the Sandman could easily accommodate, and benefit from, Groucho Marx.”

In the end, I give this film a 10+, and definitely recommend this to anyone who was a fan of the first film. Want to know how the third on the trilogy is? Find out tomorrow in my 25 day countdown to Christmas reviews.