Claus for thought (From Western Telegraph)

Claus for thought

The Santa Clause 2 Directed by Michael Lembeck Starring Tim Allen, Elizabeth Mitchell, Bernard Eric Lloyd, Judge Reinhold. Cert. U Dur. 105 mins

Whether you like it or not, Christmas will soon be upon us. I like it. While I think we probably do spend too much money at this time of year, I have to say that as someone who grew up in the avaricious 1980's I have never known anything but 'the over commercialisation of Christmas'.

So even though I'd obviously prefer to have Christmases of eggnog steaming in front of a roaring fire in which chestnuts roast. Huge red socks pinned to the mantel and snow drifts banked up the window sills from where I see carol singers come tramping through the neighbour in heavenly chorus... Yes even though I'd prefer all of that I'd miss the odd TV ad with an American Coca-Cola lorry, bedecked in electric lights, heralding in the arrival of Yuletide from early November. I say this because this week sees the release of a very cheesy Christmas movie. 'The Santa Clause 2' couldn't be sillier, but it does attempt to meld the ideas of a traditional Christmas movie, an American one obviously, and all the modern stuff that the 'yooff' of today will like.

'The Santa Clause 2' is, as the brightest among you will have guessed, a sequel. Those who subjected themselves to the original in 1995 will have seen American comedian Tim Allen, (also of 'Galaxy Quest') playing Scott Calvin. He's a divorced parent who accidentally kills Santa Clause. This means that by the law of movies, he's expected to replace him. His son Charlie goes blabbing to the whole town that his dad is Santa Claus, while Scott starts suffering from the effects of magically becoming the rotund man in red that we all know and love.

This time round we catch up with Scott Calvin whose has now been Santa Claus for the past eight years. His loyal elves consider him the best Santa ever. But Santa's got problems (he's even mysteriously losing weight) and things quickly go south when he finds out that his son, Charlie, has landed on this year's 'naughty' list. Desperate to help his son, Scott heads back home, leaving a substitute Claus to watch over things at the Pole. But when the substitute creates some strange re-definitions of 'naughty and nice', putting Christmas at risk, it's up to Scott to return with a new bag of magic to try to save Christmas and perhaps what he's been missing all along... Mrs Claus.

It's not great. It's all syrup and shopping at Macy's and skating at the Rockafeller Centre etc. In other words it's all that America can throw at the season of goodwill including 'Star Trek's Michael Dorn (Worf) playing the Sandman. The highpoints are the general design of the film - it's a Christmas fantasy gone mad - and the talking reindeer. I quite like Tim Allen. He's no Al Pacino but Allen certainly isn't stretched here. I'd like to see him do something really grungy and character based.

As long as you know all that you'll enjoy this... You'd better because this very modern version of the Father Christmas idea is going to be on TV every year for decades, maybe centuries to come.

A final note: Those of you who ask "What ever happened to goon-faced 80s 'every-man' film star Judge Reinhold?" go and see 'The Santa Clause 2'.

VAUGHAN SIVELL