"
The Santa Clause 2"
*** (out of ****)
When the former movie critic for the Chicago Tribune newspaper, Michael Wilmington, reviewed the original Tim Allen / Disney comedy, "The Santa Clause" (1994), he began the last paragraph of his review by writing, "The best thing you can say about Tim Allen's movie debut is that at least he doesn't have to do it again."
I shared - somewhat - Wilmington's negative view of what has admittedly become something of a modern holiday favorite but I am glad Allen got to play the role once again if for no other reason than to get the material right.
Reviewing "The Santa Clause" I wrote the movie is more about divorce and the effect it has on a father / son relationship than about Christmas. I also didn't think the movie offered much of a Christmas message.
"The Santa Clause 2" takes the material from the first movie and rearranges it but displays it in such a way that I find I like this movie more than the first one. Of course, this is really all a very nice way of saying "The Santa Clause 2" recycles materials from the first movie and is rather predictable.
Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) has settled into his role as Santa Claus and the results have been very positive. According to the Easter Bunny, children are eighty percent happier since Scott has become Santa! But all of that is in jeopardy. Remember that card Scott found on the body of Santa Claus, after Santa fell off Scott's roof and died (what a disturbing concept!). To Scott's eyes, the card said to put on Santa's clothes and the reindeer will know what to do. There was a fine print however, a "Santa Clause" if you will, which stated an individual that puts on Santa's suit must now take on all responsibilities associated with Santa Claus. Well, there was a second clause to the "contract". That's right, a second "Santa Clause". This one informs us Santa Claus must be married! Unfortunately, if you remember from the first movie, Scott has been divorced and now Scott has until Christmas Eve, a mere 28 days, to get married or he stops being Santa Claus. Apparently, not only does Scott stop being Santa but Christmas may become a thing of the past like 8-track tapes, VCRs and manners.
If all of this weren't enough Scott discovers his son, Charlie (Eric Lloyd) is on the naughty list this year! Charlie has been acting out at school spraying graffiti. Scott needs to leave the North Pole and attend to Charlie. But, how can Scott still run the workshop in the North Pole, spend time with Charlie and look for a wife all at the same time? That's really the heart of the movie. How do parents split their work / life balance. How do we keep the family connected? Once again "The Santa Clause 2" is about the father / son relationship but side steps it a bit - having absolutely nothing at all to say about this issue - and focuses more on Scott's desire to find a Mrs. Claus and his courtship of a potential candidate, Charlie's school principle, Carol (Elizabeth Mitchell).
What I like about "The Santa Clause 2" is it reminds me of an old-fashion Christmas romance. The goal may be "Miracle on 34th Street" (1947) which was also about a perceived bitter, cold woman who has lost touch with the meaning of Christmas and how Santa Claus rekindles that flame inside her. She also needed to find a man! And before a young person says those "old movies" are sexist, may I introduce you to the Hallmark Movie channel? Have a nice day!
I find I like Tim Allen more when he was playing Scott than when he was playing Santa. The more sentimental, emotional scenes happen not on the North Pole but between Scott and Carol or Scott and Charlie. The movie actually has little to tell us about Santa. It used up all of the mythology in the first movie.
The movie splits its time between the North Pole and our world. Back on the North Pole, Scott decided the best way to be in two places at once was to create a duplicate of himself. Borrowing from elements of Vincent Price in "The Fly" (1958) and the forgotten Michael Keaton comedy, "Multiplicity" (1996), Scott creates a giant toy version of himself. This "toy Santa" will run things at the North Pole and keep the elves from getting suspicious. Things don't go as planned as "toy Santa" becomes a stickler for rules and believes no child is worthy of being on the nice list. In fact, Santa - drawing comparisons to a former Cuban dictator - turns the workshop in a mining factory! "Toy Santa" will deliver coal to all the children of the world.
While some of this recalls the work of Victor Herbert (a la "Babes in Toyland") and Alexandre Dumas ("The Man in the Iron Mask") the movie is also poking fun at the idea that Tim Allen was the voice of a toy - Buzz Lightyear! Not only did Allen get to play the voice of a toy he now gets to act like one too.
I am still conflicted however on if this movie understands the meaning of Christmas. Arguably the key sequence in the movie involves Scott and Carol attending a faculty Christmas party. The party is dud. No one looks happy. Scott literally takes stage and declares now would be a good time to do the Secret Santa gift swapping. In reality there wasn't supposed to be any gift swapping but wouldn't you know it, all of a sudden Scott finds a big bag with toys and starts handing out the gifts. The gifts are childhood favorites of each recipient - one person gets the game Toss Across, another Rock 'em Sock 'em robots...etc. What does this scene tell us about ourselves and Christmas? Is Christmas all about getting toys? Does Christmas bring out the child in all of us? Are we all nostalgic and sentimental about our past?
Throughout the movie Scott really can't relate to anyone. His way of relating to people is by giving them things. His son confides to him he is starting to like girls and doesn't know how to act around them. What does Scott do? He doesn't share a story about his youth and dating. No. He talks about the North Pole. When Charlie gets in trouble and Scott has to visit the principle, he's more concerned about there not being Christmas decorations up than truly understanding his son's behavior.
In our secular world, I suppose that is the meaning of Christmas - Santa Claus and buying gifts! What are our memories about Christmas? What made it exciting? Was is the people we got to spend the day with or the toys we got? "The Santa Clause 2" and most Christmas movies wrap the meaning of Christmas around commercialism. It is difficult to separate the two. How much better would "The Santa Clause 2" have been if father and son really bonded? Or if Scott taught people to love and forgive one another and cherish each Christmas we spend with loved ones? To say nothing of mentioning the birth of Jesus. We can't expect everything!
"The Santa Clause 2" is a piece of nice family entertainment silly enough for kids to enjoy but not dumb enough to bore parents. Tim Allen is funny and has a likeable screen presence. The movie is a wonderful celebration of the commercialism of Christmas.
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