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Movies / On DVD / The Santa Clause
The Santa Clause

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The Santa Clause (1994)

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Reviews Counted:39

Fresh:31

Rotten:8

Average Rating:6.1/10

Consensus: The Santa Clause is utterly undemanding, but it's firmly rooted in the sort of good old-fashioned holiday spirit missing from too many modern yuletide films.

Runtime: 1 hr 37 mins

Genre: Comedies

Synopsis: When Santa Claus gets killed in a freak accident after being startled on the rooftop of a house, it looks like Christmas is ruined. But fortunately, just before his death, the jolly, gift-giver... When Santa Claus gets killed in a freak accident after being startled on the rooftop of a house, it looks like Christmas is ruined. But fortunately, just before his death, the jolly, gift-giver passed the torch to ad executive Scott Calvin (Tim Allen), who finishes the job of bestowing holiday cheer on all. When he finally reaches on the North Pole, however, Scott learns that he can't give up the job -- he's become the next Santa Claus. (THAT'S the Santa Clause!). Scott returns home, only to find himself slowly changing into the pudgy, white-haired old man so beloved of children... and to find that everyone around him considers him utterly and completely mad. [More]

Starring: Tim Allen, Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson, Peter Boyle

Starring: Tim Allen, Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson, Peter Boyle, Eric Lloyd, Mary Gross, David Krumholtz, Larry Brandenburg, Paige Tamada, Judith Scott

Director: John Pasquin

Director: John Pasquin
Screenwriter: Leo Benvenuti, Steve Rudnick
Composer: Michael Convertino

[See More Credits]

Reviews for The Santa Clause

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

The movie steers a shrewd course between bracing cynicism and old-fashioned make-believe.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Derek Adams
Derek Adams
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
05/15/04
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

No review available.

comment Comment
03/01/08
David Kaplan
David Kaplan
Kaplan vs. Kaplan

This is a hip, likable spin on the seasonal icon told with a deft mixture of comedy and sentimentality.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
11/27/07
Leonard Klady
Leonard Klady
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

While the film breaks no new ground, it offers the kind of simple, well-crafted, family entertainment that used to be a staple of the Disney studio.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
12/04/06
TV Guide's Movie Guide

No review available.

comment Comment
12/02/06
Susan Granger
Susan Granger
www.susangranger.com

This movie has charm to spare and it's hard to resist.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
05/26/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

No review available.

comment Comment
05/25/06
Lori Hoffman
Lori Hoffman
Atlantic City Weekly

No review available.

comment Comment
08/14/05
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

comment Comment
01/14/05
Audrey Rock-Richardson
Audrey Rock-Richardson
Tooele Transcript-Bulletin (Utah)

No review available.

comment Comment
04/03/04
Daniel M. Kimmel
Daniel M. Kimmel
Worcester Telegram & Gazette

A fun Christmas tale.

comment Comment
04/02/04
Willie Waffle
Willie Waffle
WaffleMovies.com

No review available.

comment Comment
01/24/04
Spence D.
Spence D.
IGN Movies

Agreeable family fare that'll please the young 'uns but that adults will find only slightly diverting.

Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com | comment Comment
01/01/04
Michael Dequina
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com

...the closest thing we've had in the last twenty years to a genuine Christmas classic.

Full Review Source: DVDTown.com | comment Comment
12/07/03
John J. Puccio
John J. Puccio
DVDTown.com

No review available.

comment Comment
11/25/03
Rebecca Murray
Rebecca Murray
About.com

No review available.

comment Comment
08/22/03
Carol Cling
Carol Cling
Las Vegas Review-Journal

Overrated and surprisingly sour.

comment Comment
08/07/03
Nell Minow
Nell Minow
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies

Home Improvement fans will find plenty of laughs and may even consent to going to this movie with their little brothers and sisters.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/20/03
Patricia S. McCormick
Patricia S. McCormick
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
02/06/03
Tony Toscano
Tony Toscano
Talking Pictures (U.S.)
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
all

Latest News for The Santa Clause

December 20, 2006: RT's Top Holiday Thrillers -- Christmas Countdown, Day Three
Welcome to Day Three of RT's Five Days of Christmas Countdown, in which we serve up a different list each day of the best holiday flicks around. Today, we've got the... More...

December 18, 2006: RT's Top Yuletide Comedies -- Christmas Countdown, Day One
Welcome to RT's Five Days of Christmas Countdown, where we serve up a different list each day of the best holiday flicks around. Today, feast your eyes on the Top Christmas... More...

November 02, 2006: Box Office Guru Preview: Santa Battles Borat for Weekend Crown
A pair of new family films aimed at kids will duke it out for the top spot this weekend while a bumbling reporter from the former Soviet Union will cause a commotion for a more... More...

August 10, 2006: Box Office Preview: "World Trade Center" Arrives in Theaters
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