Toon Talk: The Santa Clause 3
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While Scott is thrown back in time in the umpteenth variation of It's a Wonderful Life, Frost turns the North Pole into that nightmare of contemporary consumerism, the modern theme park (and no, the film's level of wit fails to make the most of this most ironic of ironies). All is wrapped up like an overpriced gift through the healing magic of hugging (seriously) just in time to save Christmas ... and deliver Carol's bouncing baby bowl-full-of-jelly.

Three's a Crowd

With some "three-quels", the third time surely is not the charm:

Halloween III: The Season of the Witch (1982): Not only is there no Michael Myers, but no witches either ... what's up with that?
Jaws 3-D (1983): Pure junk in all three dimensions.
Superman III (1983): Switching genres mid-trilogy is never a good sign.
Return of the Jedi (1983): One word: Ewoks.
The Godfather Part III (1990): Not entirely bad, but not all that good considering its champion pedigree.
Alien ³ (1992): Well, at least it didn't have Winona Ryder ...
Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002): Filled to overflowing with everything but laughs.

All the magic and charm of the second Clause has been jettisoned for the third film, replaced with a ramshackle of a script that falls apart under close scrutiny; for example, it never makes sense that Carol's parents are kept in the dark about Scott's true job ... after all, his ex-wife and her touchy-feely husband (Wendy Crewson and Judge Reinhold) know enough about it to tag along on this adventure, with precocious daughter Lucy (Liliana Mumy) in tow as well. And the whole concept of the "Escape Clause" (just how long is that contract anyway?) is illogically contrived, a mere means to an end, that end being the house of cards this movie calls a plot.

Tim Allen gamely plays Santa once again, but it appears to be time for him to hang up the red stocking cap once and for all ... and maybe hire a new agent. Along with the awful remake of The Shaggy Dog and the blink and you missed it superhero comedy Zoom, Clause 3 makes him the star of three of the worst movies of 2006. And that certainly will put him on the "naughty list" this year.

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Posted: 7/4/08

Toon Talk: The Santa Clause 3Page 2 of 3

Toon Talk: The Santa Clause 3
Page 2 of 3