Amazon.com

F.B.I. operative Gracie Hart (Sandra Bullock) famously went undercover in a beauty pageant a while back, and now she's supposedly so recognizable that her only use to the agency is as a pretty public representative. Dumped by her boyfriend (whom Benjamin Bratt wisely decided not to portray this time around), a gloomy Gracie goes along with the promo biz until her friend, Miss United States (Heather Burns), is kidnapped along with pageant official Stan Fields (William Shatner) in Las Vegas. Bullock still has perk to please her fans, but neither she nor her awkward alter-ego has any purpose in a sequel to a movie released five years prior. The result is a desperately unfunny, feature-length commercial for Las Vegas tourism, with outdated homosexual stereotypes (Diedrich Bader, as Gracie's stylist) and the usually terrific Regina King (of Ray and Jerry Maguire fame) stuck in a glum role as Bullock's butch bodyguard. Armed? Yes. Fabulous? No. --Steve Wiecking ... Read more

Reviews (29)

Where Is Michael Caine, and a Decent Story? Just a Mess.
Do we really want "Miss Congeniality 2 - Armed and Fabulous," unnecessary sequel while we have the surprisingly entertaining original made five years ago?It depends on your expectation level.Keep that very low, and you may like this run-of-the-mill comedy, like watching a TV sit-com extended to lengthy two hours.

Excuse my bitter words, but from the beginning to the end "Miss Congeniality 2 - Armed and Fabulous" makes wrong steps -- Sandra Bullock's Gracie Hart is back, which is fine.But as her face is widely known, she cannot do any undercover assignment, so she starts to work on an FBI PR campaign.Gracie begins to consider herself as celebrity, clad in the expensive costumes like Anna Nicole Smith, and appears on a TV show to promote her (ghost-written) book.

In addition to these hackneyed ideas, "MC2" tells us that Gracie's friend Cheryl (Heather Burns) and Stan Fields (William Shatner) are kidnapped by two masked guys on the street of Las Vegas, to which Gracie flies for the most unconvinging reason I have heard in the film's history.Oh, and Sandra Bullock's silly, very silly costumes continue, including one in wheelchair (disguised as an old lady) and one big featherly creature from the Sesami Street.Oh, dear, I love you Sandra, but not this.

[NO CAINE, NO FUN] All these things could have been forgiven if there is chemistry between Sandra Bullock's Gracie and her new 'buddy' Sam Fuller (Regina King, 'Ray').There is none that reminds me of Benjamin Bratt's good-natured personality here.To make matters much, much worse, Michael Caine is gone, replaced by 'fashion advisor' Joel (Diedrich Bader) whose mannnerism, based on poor copy of Caine, is just irritating and awfully unfunny.Finally, when Treat Williams as FBI officer in charge appears with bad acting, the whole film starts to go down to the bottom of the theme parks of Las Vegas, the town which is repeatedly shown on the scree for no other reason than that it is another kind of production placement.

The original "Miss Congeniality" was not critic's favorite, but it gave Sandra Bullock a prestigious Golden-Globe nomination.The sequel unwittingly tells us that a good support and decent (if not special) scripts was the key to that, both of which fatally lack in "Miss Congeniality 2 - Armed and Fabulous."

Don't Pass "Miss Congeniality 2" Up On Poor Reviews!
I was planning to pass 'Miss Congeniality 2' up on the strength of poor reviews but braved the show anyway since I had nothing better to do on a Saturday night. The opening scenes were so-so and just when I began to start fidgeting in my seat when I saw Sandra Bullock getting all dolled up donning Chanel suit, Gucci Shades, Fendi bags and heavy make-up to look all plasticky and artificial, the movie got better and better and I saw myself laughing my head off in perhaps formulaic but no less FUNNY sequences. Regina King was perfectly cast as Bullock's glum-faced sidekick - just when viewers were convinced that she was all macho, serious and anything but funny, she totally surprised on the upside in her awesome, show-stealing performance as 'Tina Turner' in drag. In fact, the entire song-and-dance sequence was so kick-ass and hilarious that it had the entire audience in stitches!

Seeing Sandra Bullock 'armed and fabulous' in her reprised role as agent Gracie Hart was a continuous testimony as to why she has transfixed moviegoers in the past decade. While not a conventional beauty, her ever-present wholesomeness, well-crafted comedic timing, not least self-denigrating but always endearing performances (as evident in "While You Were Sleeping", "Two Weeks' Notice" and "Miss Congeniality") confirmed her place as one of America's beloved sweethearts to ever grace the silver screen.

The sequel was more superior in terms of laughs, all-round direction, storyline and showcased a supporting cast whose performance was competent in their own right and sub-plots which more than overtook the forced romantic angle in the prequel. My advice: ignore the poor reviews writing off 'Miss Congeniality 2' as brainless/stupid if you're either a die-hard Bullock's fan or just want to immerse yourself in some 90 minutes+ of unadulterated fun.

PS For extended laughs, do stay back for the closing credits as the producers had gratuitously slapped on rejected takes right at the end of the movie: selected clippings depicting the cast bursting at the seams when they got so carried away and forgot their lines and/or their failed attempts to not burst into irrepressible laughter in supposedly 'serious' situations. ENJOY!

For what it is...
I think the problem is that people are taking this movie WAY to seriously! It's not meant to be avant-guard or brilliant! It's meant to entertain! This movie succeeds at its main goals, being hilariously entertaining with fantastically fresh performances. Bullock shines, even though the script and plot may not be flawless, I have to admit, that I was extremely entertained throughout the entire movie, and everyone in the theatre laughed at every scene and applauded at the end. Don't listen to the critics, Sandra in her own right is brilliant. And while Miss Congeniality 2 is not brilliant, it definately has brighter prospects than a lot of movies out there.

4.5/5

Miss Congeniality 2 is great!
I went and saw this movie with very high hopes and it didnt let me down. The movie is really good. Dont pay attention to these "professional" reviewers because they grade it on how artsy and all that crap that it is. These reviewers gave the 1st movie bad reviews and its a classic. This movie is hillarious and lives up to the original. If you liked the original I reccomend this or if you didnt like the first one because of the beauty pageant stuff then you'll love this one.

"Miss" No Hit
Sandra Bullock returns to the role of Gracie Hart in this unfunny sequel to the surprise hit "Miss Congeniality".

Taking place three weeks after the original, "Miss Congeniality 2" has Gracie Hart returning to her undercover job for the F.B.I. Problems arise when Hart is recoginized wherever she goes, so the Bureau reassigns as a spokesperson for the F.B.I., keeping people informed of the different procedures that occur within the Bureau.

When on "assignment" in Las Vegas, Hart finds out that her new best friend from the first film, Miss United States, is kidnapped, its up to Hart to piece the clues together & find out where the kidnappers have Miss U.S. stashed. But, first Gracie has to get rid of her new He-Man style bodyguard (Regina King) & deal with some crooked Vegas F.B.I. agents (led by Treat Williams).

The film is bit of a bore. It should be funny, but, it just isn't. There's the stereotypical homosexual makeup artist that Gracie has thats there for the obvious jokes. Regina King is wasted in her role. As for Sandra Bullock she trys to act tough but just can't. She came across tougher in the first film (I like her, but,in some shots she just looked old).

The film was released in March 2005 (...).

"Miss Congeneiality 2" is a formuliac sequel that is better watched in the dead of winter on HBO, if watched at all. ... Read more

Amazon.com

F.B.I. operative Gracie Hart (Sandra Bullock) famously went undercover in a beauty pageant a while back, and now she's supposedly so recognizable that her only use to the agency is as a pretty public representative. Dumped by her boyfriend (whom Benjamin Bratt wisely decided not to portray this time around), a gloomy Gracie goes along with the promo biz until her friend, Miss United States (Heather Burns), is kidnapped along with pageant official Stan Fields (William Shatner) in Las Vegas. Bullock still has perk to please her fans, but neither she nor her awkward alter-ego has any purpose in a sequel to a movie released five years prior. The result is a desperately unfunny, feature-length commercial for Las Vegas tourism, with outdated homosexual stereotypes (Diedrich Bader, as Gracie's stylist) and the usually terrific Regina King (of Ray and Jerry Maguire fame) stuck in a glum role as Bullock's butch bodyguard. Armed? Yes. Fabulous? No. --Steve Wiecking ... Read more

Reviews (29)

Where Is Michael Caine, and a Decent Story? Just a Mess.
Do we really want "Miss Congeniality 2 - Armed and Fabulous," unnecessary sequel while we have the surprisingly entertaining original made five years ago?It depends on your expectation level.Keep that very low, and you may like this run-of-the-mill comedy, like watching a TV sit-com extended to lengthy two hours.

Excuse my bitter words, but from the beginning to the end "Miss Congeniality 2 - Armed and Fabulous" makes wrong steps -- Sandra Bullock's Gracie Hart is back, which is fine.But as her face is widely known, she cannot do any undercover assignment, so she starts to work on an FBI PR campaign.Gracie begins to consider herself as celebrity, clad in the expensive costumes like Anna Nicole Smith, and appears on a TV show to promote her (ghost-written) book.

In addition to these hackneyed ideas, "MC2" tells us that Gracie's friend Cheryl (Heather Burns) and Stan Fields (William Shatner) are kidnapped by two masked guys on the street of Las Vegas, to which Gracie flies for the most unconvinging reason I have heard in the film's history.Oh, and Sandra Bullock's silly, very silly costumes continue, including one in wheelchair (disguised as an old lady) and one big featherly creature from the Sesami Street.Oh, dear, I love you Sandra, but not this.

[NO CAINE, NO FUN] All these things could have been forgiven if there is chemistry between Sandra Bullock's Gracie and her new 'buddy' Sam Fuller (Regina King, 'Ray').There is none that reminds me of Benjamin Bratt's good-natured personality here.To make matters much, much worse, Michael Caine is gone, replaced by 'fashion advisor' Joel (Diedrich Bader) whose mannnerism, based on poor copy of Caine, is just irritating and awfully unfunny.Finally, when Treat Williams as FBI officer in charge appears with bad acting, the whole film starts to go down to the bottom of the theme parks of Las Vegas, the town which is repeatedly shown on the scree for no other reason than that it is another kind of production placement.

The original "Miss Congeniality" was not critic's favorite, but it gave Sandra Bullock a prestigious Golden-Globe nomination.The sequel unwittingly tells us that a good support and decent (if not special) scripts was the key to that, both of which fatally lack in "Miss Congeniality 2 - Armed and Fabulous."

Don't Pass "Miss Congeniality 2" Up On Poor Reviews!
I was planning to pass 'Miss Congeniality 2' up on the strength of poor reviews but braved the show anyway since I had nothing better to do on a Saturday night. The opening scenes were so-so and just when I began to start fidgeting in my seat when I saw Sandra Bullock getting all dolled up donning Chanel suit, Gucci Shades, Fendi bags and heavy make-up to look all plasticky and artificial, the movie got better and better and I saw myself laughing my head off in perhaps formulaic but no less FUNNY sequences. Regina King was perfectly cast as Bullock's glum-faced sidekick - just when viewers were convinced that she was all macho, serious and anything but funny, she totally surprised on the upside in her awesome, show-stealing performance as 'Tina Turner' in drag. In fact, the entire song-and-dance sequence was so kick-ass and hilarious that it had the entire audience in stitches!

Seeing Sandra Bullock 'armed and fabulous' in her reprised role as agent Gracie Hart was a continuous testimony as to why she has transfixed moviegoers in the past decade. While not a conventional beauty, her ever-present wholesomeness, well-crafted comedic timing, not least self-denigrating but always endearing performances (as evident in "While You Were Sleeping", "Two Weeks' Notice" and "Miss Congeniality") confirmed her place as one of America's beloved sweethearts to ever grace the silver screen.

The sequel was more superior in terms of laughs, all-round direction, storyline and showcased a supporting cast whose performance was competent in their own right and sub-plots which more than overtook the forced romantic angle in the prequel. My advice: ignore the poor reviews writing off 'Miss Congeniality 2' as brainless/stupid if you're either a die-hard Bullock's fan or just want to immerse yourself in some 90 minutes+ of unadulterated fun.

PS For extended laughs, do stay back for the closing credits as the producers had gratuitously slapped on rejected takes right at the end of the movie: selected clippings depicting the cast bursting at the seams when they got so carried away and forgot their lines and/or their failed attempts to not burst into irrepressible laughter in supposedly 'serious' situations. ENJOY!

For what it is...
I think the problem is that people are taking this movie WAY to seriously! It's not meant to be avant-guard or brilliant! It's meant to entertain! This movie succeeds at its main goals, being hilariously entertaining with fantastically fresh performances. Bullock shines, even though the script and plot may not be flawless, I have to admit, that I was extremely entertained throughout the entire movie, and everyone in the theatre laughed at every scene and applauded at the end. Don't listen to the critics, Sandra in her own right is brilliant. And while Miss Congeniality 2 is not brilliant, it definately has brighter prospects than a lot of movies out there.

4.5/5

Miss Congeniality 2 is great!
I went and saw this movie with very high hopes and it didnt let me down. The movie is really good. Dont pay attention to these "professional" reviewers because they grade it on how artsy and all that crap that it is. These reviewers gave the 1st movie bad reviews and its a classic. This movie is hillarious and lives up to the original. If you liked the original I reccomend this or if you didnt like the first one because of the beauty pageant stuff then you'll love this one.

"Miss" No Hit
Sandra Bullock returns to the role of Gracie Hart in this unfunny sequel to the surprise hit "Miss Congeniality".

Taking place three weeks after the original, "Miss Congeniality 2" has Gracie Hart returning to her undercover job for the F.B.I. Problems arise when Hart is recoginized wherever she goes, so the Bureau reassigns as a spokesperson for the F.B.I., keeping people informed of the different procedures that occur within the Bureau.

When on "assignment" in Las Vegas, Hart finds out that her new best friend from the first film, Miss United States, is kidnapped, its up to Hart to piece the clues together & find out where the kidnappers have Miss U.S. stashed. But, first Gracie has to get rid of her new He-Man style bodyguard (Regina King) & deal with some crooked Vegas F.B.I. agents (led by Treat Williams).

The film is bit of a bore. It should be funny, but, it just isn't. There's the stereotypical homosexual makeup artist that Gracie has thats there for the obvious jokes. Regina King is wasted in her role. As for Sandra Bullock she trys to act tough but just can't. She came across tougher in the first film (I like her, but,in some shots she just looked old).

The film was released in March 2005 (...).

"Miss Congeneiality 2" is a formuliac sequel that is better watched in the dead of winter on HBO, if watched at all. ... Read more

Amazon.com

F.B.I. operative Gracie Hart (Sandra Bullock) famously went undercover in a beauty pageant a while back, and now she's supposedly so recognizable that her only use to the agency is as a pretty public representative. Dumped by her boyfriend (whom Benjamin Bratt wisely decided not to portray this time around), a gloomy Gracie goes along with the promo biz until her friend, Miss United States (Heather Burns), is kidnapped along with pageant official Stan Fields (William Shatner) in Las Vegas. Bullock still has perk to please her fans, but neither she nor her awkward alter-ego has any purpose in a sequel to a movie released five years prior. The result is a desperately unfunny, feature-length commercial for Las Vegas tourism, with outdated homosexual stereotypes (Diedrich Bader, as Gracie's stylist) and the usually terrific Regina King (of Ray and Jerry Maguire fame) stuck in a glum role as Bullock's butch bodyguard. Armed? Yes. Fabulous? No. --Steve Wiecking ... Read more

Reviews (29)

Where Is Michael Caine, and a Decent Story? Just a Mess.
Do we really want "Miss Congeniality 2 - Armed and Fabulous," unnecessary sequel while we have the surprisingly entertaining original made five years ago?It depends on your expectation level.Keep that very low, and you may like this run-of-the-mill comedy, like watching a TV sit-com extended to lengthy two hours.

Excuse my bitter words, but from the beginning to the end "Miss Congeniality 2 - Armed and Fabulous" makes wrong steps -- Sandra Bullock's Gracie Hart is back, which is fine.But as her face is widely known, she cannot do any undercover assignment, so she starts to work on an FBI PR campaign.Gracie begins to consider herself as celebrity, clad in the expensive costumes like Anna Nicole Smith, and appears on a TV show to promote her (ghost-written) book.

In addition to these hackneyed ideas, "MC2" tells us that Gracie's friend Cheryl (Heather Burns) and Stan Fields (William Shatner) are kidnapped by two masked guys on the street of Las Vegas, to which Gracie flies for the most unconvinging reason I have heard in the film's history.Oh, and Sandra Bullock's silly, very silly costumes continue, including one in wheelchair (disguised as an old lady) and one big featherly creature from the Sesami Street.Oh, dear, I love you Sandra, but not this.

[NO CAINE, NO FUN] All these things could have been forgiven if there is chemistry between Sandra Bullock's Gracie and her new 'buddy' Sam Fuller (Regina King, 'Ray').There is none that reminds me of Benjamin Bratt's good-natured personality here.To make matters much, much worse, Michael Caine is gone, replaced by 'fashion advisor' Joel (Diedrich Bader) whose mannnerism, based on poor copy of Caine, is just irritating and awfully unfunny.Finally, when Treat Williams as FBI officer in charge appears with bad acting, the whole film starts to go down to the bottom of the theme parks of Las Vegas, the town which is repeatedly shown on the scree for no other reason than that it is another kind of production placement.

The original "Miss Congeniality" was not critic's favorite, but it gave Sandra Bullock a prestigious Golden-Globe nomination.The sequel unwittingly tells us that a good support and decent (if not special) scripts was the key to that, both of which fatally lack in "Miss Congeniality 2 - Armed and Fabulous."

Don't Pass "Miss Congeniality 2" Up On Poor Reviews!
I was planning to pass 'Miss Congeniality 2' up on the strength of poor reviews but braved the show anyway since I had nothing better to do on a Saturday night. The opening scenes were so-so and just when I began to start fidgeting in my seat when I saw Sandra Bullock getting all dolled up donning Chanel suit, Gucci Shades, Fendi bags and heavy make-up to look all plasticky and artificial, the movie got better and better and I saw myself laughing my head off in perhaps formulaic but no less FUNNY sequences. Regina King was perfectly cast as Bullock's glum-faced sidekick - just when viewers were convinced that she was all macho, serious and anything but funny, she totally surprised on the upside in her awesome, show-stealing performance as 'Tina Turner' in drag. In fact, the entire song-and-dance sequence was so kick-ass and hilarious that it had the entire audience in stitches!

Seeing Sandra Bullock 'armed and fabulous' in her reprised role as agent Gracie Hart was a continuous testimony as to why she has transfixed moviegoers in the past decade. While not a conventional beauty, her ever-present wholesomeness, well-crafted comedic timing, not least self-denigrating but always endearing performances (as evident in "While You Were Sleeping", "Two Weeks' Notice" and "Miss Congeniality") confirmed her place as one of America's beloved sweethearts to ever grace the silver screen.

The sequel was more superior in terms of laughs, all-round direction, storyline and showcased a supporting cast whose performance was competent in their own right and sub-plots which more than overtook the forced romantic angle in the prequel. My advice: ignore the poor reviews writing off 'Miss Congeniality 2' as brainless/stupid if you're either a die-hard Bullock's fan or just want to immerse yourself in some 90 minutes+ of unadulterated fun.

PS For extended laughs, do stay back for the closing credits as the producers had gratuitously slapped on rejected takes right at the end of the movie: selected clippings depicting the cast bursting at the seams when they got so carried away and forgot their lines and/or their failed attempts to not burst into irrepressible laughter in supposedly 'serious' situations. ENJOY!

For what it is...
I think the problem is that people are taking this movie WAY to seriously! It's not meant to be avant-guard or brilliant! It's meant to entertain! This movie succeeds at its main goals, being hilariously entertaining with fantastically fresh performances. Bullock shines, even though the script and plot may not be flawless, I have to admit, that I was extremely entertained throughout the entire movie, and everyone in the theatre laughed at every scene and applauded at the end. Don't listen to the critics, Sandra in her own right is brilliant. And while Miss Congeniality 2 is not brilliant, it definately has brighter prospects than a lot of movies out there.

4.5/5

Miss Congeniality 2 is great!
I went and saw this movie with very high hopes and it didnt let me down. The movie is really good. Dont pay attention to these "professional" reviewers because they grade it on how artsy and all that crap that it is. These reviewers gave the 1st movie bad reviews and its a classic. This movie is hillarious and lives up to the original. If you liked the original I reccomend this or if you didnt like the first one because of the beauty pageant stuff then you'll love this one.

"Miss" No Hit
Sandra Bullock returns to the role of Gracie Hart in this unfunny sequel to the surprise hit "Miss Congeniality".

Taking place three weeks after the original, "Miss Congeniality 2" has Gracie Hart returning to her undercover job for the F.B.I. Problems arise when Hart is recoginized wherever she goes, so the Bureau reassigns as a spokesperson for the F.B.I., keeping people informed of the different procedures that occur within the Bureau.

When on "assignment" in Las Vegas, Hart finds out that her new best friend from the first film, Miss United States, is kidnapped, its up to Hart to piece the clues together & find out where the kidnappers have Miss U.S. stashed. But, first Gracie has to get rid of her new He-Man style bodyguard (Regina King) & deal with some crooked Vegas F.B.I. agents (led by Treat Williams).

The film is bit of a bore. It should be funny, but, it just isn't. There's the stereotypical homosexual makeup artist that Gracie has thats there for the obvious jokes. Regina King is wasted in her role. As for Sandra Bullock she trys to act tough but just can't. She came across tougher in the first film (I like her, but,in some shots she just looked old).

The film was released in March 2005 (...).

"Miss Congeneiality 2" is a formuliac sequel that is better watched in the dead of winter on HBO, if watched at all. ... Read more

Reviews (76)

OW OW! I LOVE it!
YOW! The perfect modern Christmas classic! Believe me, I've seen far too many horrible kids' movies in my day, and horrible Christmas flicks, but this is far above them all. Methinks everyone will love this movie, not just the kids...
OK, so what's so great about it? It's funny and different, but still quite sweet and simple. There's some hilarious little gimmicks, but overall it's an honest, just plain sweet story. Tim Allen's great for the role of cynic-turned-Santa I that I would never have expected...really! He IS Santa, man. Eric Lloyd, who plays Santa's son, is an adorable but atypically not-[cruddy] child actor! yow! Judge Reinhold, who you may last have seen in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" in a Pirate hat, now plays the eternally-unhip Neil. (The new step-father, general Christmas-skeptic, psychiatrist, and wearer of LOUD sweaters.) Everyone's got to deal with Scott (Tim Allen) becoming Santa Claus, and learning to BELIEVE. ("Seeing isn't believing, believing is seeing.")
BUT the best part of all??? One word: BERNARD. Portrayed by the magnificent David Krumholtz, he's the cranky head-elf who manages to DEAL with the new Santa. Come on, everyone loves Bernard. Shows up, shoves a pita sandwich down his gullet, comments on Neil's sweaters, and saves Christmas! WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE?!?
All right, so I havn't done a great job convincing you to see/buy this movie. It sounds cheesy, you say. WELL IT'S NOT! It's actually a preety darn touching story of grumpy old cynical adults coming around to Christmas magic, father and son bonding, a new magical look at the North Pole, and one fabulous head-elf. What more do you want from a Christmas movie? I promise you won't regret seeing this movie. Go rent/buy it for the kids! No kids? Go to the store and make like you're renting/buying it for "the kids." Enjoy!

One of my favorite Christmas movies
It's hard to believe that "The Santa Clause" isn't more of a Christmas classic. Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) and his son Charlie (Eric Lloyd) go on a mission to save Christmas after the original Santa Claus falls off a roof and passes away. Scott doesn't know it at first, but when he puts on Santa Claus's suit, he becomes the new Santa Claus.

"The Santa Clause" has a lot of parts that are hilarious such as when Scott starts getting fat and tells everybody that he was stung by a huge bee. But it's not only a great comedy movie, it's one of the best family movies. This is one movie that anybody, no matter how old they are, can enjoy. Tim Allen gives one of his best performances, and so does Eric Lloyd. I can't think of anything that's wrong with the movie. It's hilarious, it has a dramatic plot, and it never gets old.

"The Santa Clause" isn't one of those Christmas movies that are just good to watch during the holidays, it's a great movie to watch any day of the year. It's a classic in my book. I recommend anybody to get "The Santa Clause."

Good Yuletide fun!
There are some films that just have to be watched every Christmas and this is one of them. It is a feelgood film for a feelgood time of year.
The story is simple. Scott Calvin (note his initials) is a divorced father who frequently lets his young son down due to his busy working life. That is until he accidentally kills Santa Claus. To his disbelief and dismay, and his sons delight, he has to become the new Santa. The film follows his changing life and attitudes and shows the newly developing relationship between father and son.
There is nothing taxing or complex about this movie, just a heart-warming, funny story that is ideal for all the family. Watch and enjoy.

One of the best Christmas movies of all time!
The Santa Clause is one of the best christmas movies of all time. All of the actors are really good in this movie especially the head elf,Bernard, played by David Krumholtz. I think that he deserves more recognition than he truly gets because he does the role of the elf really good. This movie has lots of catchy lines in it that make you laugh right out of your seat.

The Moose Hole - 'Santa' Delievers Holiday Magic
Here we are once again! It's the usual time of the year when the holiday themed feature films are out in full force, flooding multiplexes across the country for the Thanksgiving holiday and going into December. And it seems work as usual for the Walt Disney Company with their release of The Santa Clause, but what makes this project unique is the concept it uses, one that has never fully been developed on the big screen before. The feature is also unique in that it stars Tim Allen, who is best known for his hit television show, Home Improvement, on ABC. Does that mean an automatic is lying in the waiting to flock to theaters for Allen's flick? Not necessarily. Granted there are people who are die hard fans who will love the actor/actress for whatever work they do but for others, they are pretty critical of television stars who believe they can easily make the jump to the big screen. Can Allen pull it off? Only the holiday box office will tell.

The story centers around a man who goes from being divorced, self-centered business man to possibly the most care-free, charitable man on the planet, Santa Claus. Scott Calvin works for a toy company, has recently divorced from his wife, and is stuck on Christmas Eve with his son, who is just as excited as his father is being together for the holidays. Once he tucks his kid into bed for the night, Scott hears a noise on the roof and goes to investigate. When he tries to confront the man on the roof, he falls off and when Scott encounters him, the mystery man is dressed like Santa Claus. He and his son enter the sleigh and the puts on the Santa suit, all thanks to the urging of his son. When the sleigh returns to the North Pole after a long Christmas Eve, Scott discovers that he is the new Santa, thanks to the Santa Clause, which is a contract stating who ever puts on the suit becomes the new Santa Claus. He notices physical changes like the color of his hair and his weight but soon he notices that he feels more and more like Santa on the inside. The story for The Santa Clause is quite possibly one of the most original holiday films in years, which is surprising considering the concept is such a simple one that it is hard to believe that it has never fully been attempted before. The feature does a wonderful job at mixing comedic elements with emotional values, which is hard to do at times. The Santa Clause defies that and presents how it can be done right.

The film revolves mostly around Tim Allen's character and generally that is all that really matters for the film but at the same time the character can be ruined if he doesn't interact with supporting cast members. Fortunately this doesn't happen here or at least not very often. Allen is marvelous in his role as Scott Calvin aka Santa Claus. He successfully translates the comedic magic he had on his television show and amplified it ten times. There is also a lot of emotion behind scenes that he has with his son, Charlie. David Krumholtz, who plays Bernard the head elf at Santa's workshop, is quite possibly the most enjoyable highlight of the film. He work extremely well with Allen as the two are able to play off each other in several moments within the film, that if they had been performed by anybody else would have been flat. The character of Charlie, Scott's son, is moderately played out by Eric Lloyd. Lloyd begins to get pretty annoying and whiny as the film progresses but then again what can you expect from a cute little kid?

Overall, The Santa Clause, just like the big man himself, spreads holiday magic to every boy and girl, nobody how young or old they are. It is such an original concept, one that hasn't been seen and may never be seen again for many years. Though there is much to praise the film on, there are also slight things to pick at. The messages that the film tries to convey, though meaningful and expressive, came off as being too forced. It would have been better if the filmmakers had slowly sunk the ideas in the heads of movie-goers rather then what they ended up doing. And, as was stated earlier, Eric Lloyd came as being too cute and annoying at times in the film but this is something that doesn't necessarily mean anything major, just a small squabble. Make sure to avoid the tacky holiday films like the remake of Miracle on 34th Street and make it your duty to catch The Santa Clause instead, which is sure to become a new holiday classic for the entire family. ... Read more

Reviews (76)

OW OW! I LOVE it!
YOW! The perfect modern Christmas classic! Believe me, I've seen far too many horrible kids' movies in my day, and horrible Christmas flicks, but this is far above them all. Methinks everyone will love this movie, not just the kids...
OK, so what's so great about it? It's funny and different, but still quite sweet and simple. There's some hilarious little gimmicks, but overall it's an honest, just plain sweet story. Tim Allen's great for the role of cynic-turned-Santa I that I would never have expected...really! He IS Santa, man. Eric Lloyd, who plays Santa's son, is an adorable but atypically not-[cruddy] child actor! yow! Judge Reinhold, who you may last have seen in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" in a Pirate hat, now plays the eternally-unhip Neil. (The new step-father, general Christmas-skeptic, psychiatrist, and wearer of LOUD sweaters.) Everyone's got to deal with Scott (Tim Allen) becoming Santa Claus, and learning to BELIEVE. ("Seeing isn't believing, believing is seeing.")
BUT the best part of all??? One word: BERNARD. Portrayed by the magnificent David Krumholtz, he's the cranky head-elf who manages to DEAL with the new Santa. Come on, everyone loves Bernard. Shows up, shoves a pita sandwich down his gullet, comments on Neil's sweaters, and saves Christmas! WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE?!?
All right, so I havn't done a great job convincing you to see/buy this movie. It sounds cheesy, you say. WELL IT'S NOT! It's actually a preety darn touching story of grumpy old cynical adults coming around to Christmas magic, father and son bonding, a new magical look at the North Pole, and one fabulous head-elf. What more do you want from a Christmas movie? I promise you won't regret seeing this movie. Go rent/buy it for the kids! No kids? Go to the store and make like you're renting/buying it for "the kids." Enjoy!

One of my favorite Christmas movies
It's hard to believe that "The Santa Clause" isn't more of a Christmas classic. Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) and his son Charlie (Eric Lloyd) go on a mission to save Christmas after the original Santa Claus falls off a roof and passes away. Scott doesn't know it at first, but when he puts on Santa Claus's suit, he becomes the new Santa Claus.

"The Santa Clause" has a lot of parts that are hilarious such as when Scott starts getting fat and tells everybody that he was stung by a huge bee. But it's not only a great comedy movie, it's one of the best family movies. This is one movie that anybody, no matter how old they are, can enjoy. Tim Allen gives one of his best performances, and so does Eric Lloyd. I can't think of anything that's wrong with the movie. It's hilarious, it has a dramatic plot, and it never gets old.

"The Santa Clause" isn't one of those Christmas movies that are just good to watch during the holidays, it's a great movie to watch any day of the year. It's a classic in my book. I recommend anybody to get "The Santa Clause."

Good Yuletide fun!
There are some films that just have to be watched every Christmas and this is one of them. It is a feelgood film for a feelgood time of year.
The story is simple. Scott Calvin (note his initials) is a divorced father who frequently lets his young son down due to his busy working life. That is until he accidentally kills Santa Claus. To his disbelief and dismay, and his sons delight, he has to become the new Santa. The film follows his changing life and attitudes and shows the newly developing relationship between father and son.
There is nothing taxing or complex about this movie, just a heart-warming, funny story that is ideal for all the family. Watch and enjoy.

One of the best Christmas movies of all time!
The Santa Clause is one of the best christmas movies of all time. All of the actors are really good in this movie especially the head elf,Bernard, played by David Krumholtz. I think that he deserves more recognition than he truly gets because he does the role of the elf really good. This movie has lots of catchy lines in it that make you laugh right out of your seat.

The Moose Hole - 'Santa' Delievers Holiday Magic
Here we are once again! It's the usual time of the year when the holiday themed feature films are out in full force, flooding multiplexes across the country for the Thanksgiving holiday and going into December. And it seems work as usual for the Walt Disney Company with their release of The Santa Clause, but what makes this project unique is the concept it uses, one that has never fully been developed on the big screen before. The feature is also unique in that it stars Tim Allen, who is best known for his hit television show, Home Improvement, on ABC. Does that mean an automatic is lying in the waiting to flock to theaters for Allen's flick? Not necessarily. Granted there are people who are die hard fans who will love the actor/actress for whatever work they do but for others, they are pretty critical of television stars who believe they can easily make the jump to the big screen. Can Allen pull it off? Only the holiday box office will tell.

The story centers around a man who goes from being divorced, self-centered business man to possibly the most care-free, charitable man on the planet, Santa Claus. Scott Calvin works for a toy company, has recently divorced from his wife, and is stuck on Christmas Eve with his son, who is just as excited as his father is being together for the holidays. Once he tucks his kid into bed for the night, Scott hears a noise on the roof and goes to investigate. When he tries to confront the man on the roof, he falls off and when Scott encounters him, the mystery man is dressed like Santa Claus. He and his son enter the sleigh and the puts on the Santa suit, all thanks to the urging of his son. When the sleigh returns to the North Pole after a long Christmas Eve, Scott discovers that he is the new Santa, thanks to the Santa Clause, which is a contract stating who ever puts on the suit becomes the new Santa Claus. He notices physical changes like the color of his hair and his weight but soon he notices that he feels more and more like Santa on the inside. The story for The Santa Clause is quite possibly one of the most original holiday films in years, which is surprising considering the concept is such a simple one that it is hard to believe that it has never fully been attempted before. The feature does a wonderful job at mixing comedic elements with emotional values, which is hard to do at times. The Santa Clause defies that and presents how it can be done right.

The film revolves mostly around Tim Allen's character and generally that is all that really matters for the film but at the same time the character can be ruined if he doesn't interact with supporting cast members. Fortunately this doesn't happen here or at least not very often. Allen is marvelous in his role as Scott Calvin aka Santa Claus. He successfully translates the comedic magic he had on his television show and amplified it ten times. There is also a lot of emotion behind scenes that he has with his son, Charlie. David Krumholtz, who plays Bernard the head elf at Santa's workshop, is quite possibly the most enjoyable highlight of the film. He work extremely well with Allen as the two are able to play off each other in several moments within the film, that if they had been performed by anybody else would have been flat. The character of Charlie, Scott's son, is moderately played out by Eric Lloyd. Lloyd begins to get pretty annoying and whiny as the film progresses but then again what can you expect from a cute little kid?

Overall, The Santa Clause, just like the big man himself, spreads holiday magic to every boy and girl, nobody how young or old they are. It is such an original concept, one that hasn't been seen and may never be seen again for many years. Though there is much to praise the film on, there are also slight things to pick at. The messages that the film tries to convey, though meaningful and expressive, came off as being too forced. It would have been better if the filmmakers had slowly sunk the ideas in the heads of movie-goers rather then what they ended up doing. And, as was stated earlier, Eric Lloyd came as being too cute and annoying at times in the film but this is something that doesn't necessarily mean anything major, just a small squabble. Make sure to avoid the tacky holiday films like the remake of Miracle on 34th Street and make it your duty to catch The Santa Clause instead, which is sure to become a new holiday classic for the entire family. ... Read more

Description

America's favorite entertainer, Tim Allen, is at it again as commodities broker Michael Cromwell, king of the Wall Street jungle. With money, power, and an engagement to a beautiful fashion designer, he has it all. But when Michael travels to the Amazon to finalize the divorce from his first wife -- a jungle doctor -- she reveals that he also has a blowdart-shooting, giant-spider-carrying, 13-year-old son, Mimi-Siku. Cultures clash when Mimi is entrusted by his tribal chief to bring back fire from the Statue of Liberty. Back home in New York, Michael must somehow convince Mimi that pets are not for eating and it's not nice to chase people with your killer spider. But when Michael's partner (Martin Short) crosses a Russian mob boss in a coffee bean deal, Mimi and Michael must use all their jungle skills in a hysterical father/son rescue. Now you can bring home the hilarious new hit comedy adventure from the studio that brought you HOME IMPROVEMENT and the box office smash THE SANTA CLAUSE. ... Read more

Reviews (32)

A Disney Family Film That Will Bring A Smile To Your Face
Comedians Tim Allen & Martin Short along with newcomer Sam Huntington star in the hilarious Disney re-make of 'Little Indian, Big City.' In this version Allen portrays workoholic Michael Cromwell, a business minded man who travels to the Amazon in order to have the last divorce papers signed by his ex-wife, Patrica. Patrica left Michael 13 years ago pregnant with their son & unluckily for Michael his trip to the rain forest also scores him a meeting with his now 13 year old son, Mimi Siku (Huntington.)

Michael is forced to take Mimi to his home, in New York, in order for Mimi to complete a task given to him by the tribal leader. The task being to bring back fire from the Statue of Liberty. But Michael has to much of a busy schedule, in spending time with his fashion designer fiancee, planning the wedding, & finding a buyer for 5 tons of coffee beans, to spend time with Mimi. But Mimi's jungle instincts make it hard to keep him cooped up.

Also starring future teen idol LeeLee Sobieski, Jobeth Williams, Valerie Mahaffey, & Lolite Davidovich. This film is great when you need cheering up.

An excellent movie for the whole family
Tim Allen, Martin Short and others shine in "Jungle 2 Jungle", one of the greatest Disney family films ever. The story is enjoyable, the scenery is great, the acting is top-notch, and overall, the film is hilarious. The whole family will enjoy this movie. Can't wait for a DVD release.

Jungle 2 Jungle
This Film is the second most appaling film (placed just fractionaly under "blue crush") I have endured in my short life. The film was so awfull that i was hugely supprised to see that walt disney had produced this film, i was aware that the standard of the films had been going down hill, but this, this was compleate and utter bilge. To start with the characters were so hugly unbelivable and cliche. Tim allen (who befor i thought of as a respected actor) who is Micheal, a highly paid trades-man in new york says to his newly found son as they are "bonding" in the Jungle " how far are we going, these shoes cost me five thousand dollars". or some other rubbish along those lines. But to be fair that could not even compare to most horrific and mind numminly stupid ending that does acually beat "blue crush" .When father and son unite in some slapstick comedey, you know the usual vases over heads etc. The one thing i did enjoy in "Junle 2 Jungle" was when Micheal (Tim Allen) shots his cat, this in it's self wasn't funny it was the stuffed cat that was used that was funny. It seemed that Disney had run out of money, or enthusiasim and that one of the camera men had stolen his daughters cuddley-toy cat to ues and as Tim Allen held it up (trying to wake it up) you could see quiet blatently that is was by no way a real cat.

In conclusion, if you want to see one of the most awfull films made in history then please go ahead and buy it, wast your money if not on this then on some other some other appaling film. As i saud befor this IS the second worst film i have ever seen

Dominic Keating ... from enterprise is in this movie
I am a HUGE TIM ALLEN fan. This movie was good, it was not a good as the Santa clause 1 or 2. BUT.. it was good. I was just watching it cause it was on tv and.. Dominic Keating ... wa sin this movie. He is on enterprise (current startrek!!)

Jungle to unbelievable
Jungle to Jungle is a modern version of Little Indian Big City. (see my review). Although this film is funnier, better acted(Tim Allen rocks!), and more entertaining, I didn't feel the boy(Sam Hungington) that played Mimi was born in the jungle at all. Don't get me wrong, he is a wonderful actor and the girls will love his bod, although he did a great job he didn't come across on film as believable. In Little Indian Big City the boy was believable. Sam Huntington spoke as well as a Harvard lawyer and jungle boys don't speak that well since they told us straight out that he couldn't read.
This film takes place in New York City. Little Indian Big City takes place in Paris. Mimi climbs the Statue of Liberty, pins the neighbors pigeon against the wall, cooks his dad's friends prize fish and yes, gets the girl.
The weird thing about this film I think: A half naked boy walks down the street in New York and nothin happens to him? Unbelievable.
I liked the film because of Tim Allen and Sam Huntington. Allen is funny and Huntington is, well.. see the film. You will like it. ... Read more

Reviews (37)

Joe Somebody..Someone to Care About!!
More here than meets the eye. JOE SOMEBODY in previews looks like it could have been a slapstick revenge movie. Joe (Tim Allen - HOME IMPROVEMENT) is humiliated at the office parking lot by the office bully Mark (Patrick Warburton - -SEINFELD'S "Puddy")over a parking space. The combination of a painful divorce and a dead end career at a Minneapolis pharmaceutical company is more than he can handle so, he decides to do something about it. He challenges the bully for a rematch. In other movies of this sort, the creators could have had the two fighting each other through the whole movie. Fortunately, it doesn't go this route. In fact, Patrick Warburton's character isn't seen much at all through the rest of the movie until the end (He's suspended from his job and told to go to anger management courses). Instead, we see the transformation of Tim Allen's character as he decides to gain some self-confidence and self-esteem through the company's "wellness coordinator", Julie Bowen (tv's ED), corporate politics, and his hiring of a self-defense instructor/ex-action movie star played brilliantly with humor and restraint by James Belushi. There is a lot of things going on in this movie, but not so much to lose the audience. There is Tim Allen's character relationship with his daughter Hayden Panettiere (Natalie Scheffer), his relationship with his ex-wife, the love story between his character and Julie Bowen's character (Meg Harper), and the relationship with his self-defense instructor (Belushi). The humor is not too over the top, pretty good location shots and production values, there is an underlining message of non-confrontation vs confrontation, and the so-called fight rematch between the Allen's character and Warburton's character is on the money. Overall, a movie worth a second look.

Hilarious! I loved this movie! A must buy!
Everybody reading this, I am going to tell you right off the bat, that this is a great family film that needs to be bought. Now for the review:

Tim Allen stars as a divorced father named Joe who is beat up at work in front of his daughter by the corporate bully at his job. But he decides to fight back! So he goes to a martial arts studio and enlists the help of an ex movie star played by Jim Belushi whose work in the K-9 movies (except part one which bored me to death K-9 1-1 and K-9: P.I. were great, made me want to see the movie more). Along the way he falls for the sweet girl at work. Will he fight or won't he?

I will not say more about this movie, because I am known to spoil the plots to movies so this is a movie you just have to rent or buy and watch in its entirety with your entire family, except the little ones (probably ages 5-8) because of the language (there are some objectionable phrases especially from his daughter). Anyway, this is great fun for everybody. Check it out!

I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing.
I've only reviewed one movie before, and I should confess that I'm probably too snobby when it comes to a lot of things not the least of which are these reviews--take my opinions with a grain of salt. Consequently, it's duly ironic that I've chosen to expound upon a movie such as "Joe Somebody" (certainly this is no "Empire of the Sun" or "Rushmore"). This being said, "Joe Somebody" is nothing short of a celluloid miracle; the film equivalent of feeding thousands from a few loaves of bread and a handful of fish. For me, this movie caught my unsuspecting attention similarly to the way "Stuck On You" did. That is, in spite of all the expected elements, there were those distinct traces of sincere vulnerability (note the car ride with Joe and his daughter immediately following the parking lot showdown, or Joe's muted reaction to his ex-wife's apparent new-found satisfaction with another man). These moments are painfully authentic and they made me invest more of myself in this dorky little feature than I anticipated.

There is substance to "Joe Somebody." For example, the characters are incredibly believable: who knew Tim Allen was a real person?! Julie Bowen, as the steadfast voice of reason in the back of Joe's insatiable mind, is adorable and comforting. The plot features antagonism in twofold: the immediate threat is Patrick Warburton's formiddable bully, while more-than-adequate foreshadowing points to the greasy and deceptive Jeremy (played by Greg Germann) as the bigger enemy here.

Simply put, it's a story of contentment (if only a struggling contentment) disrupted by uncontrollable circumstances, and the fruitless dissatisfaction that comes with the pursuit of revenge. In the end, of course, everyone learns a valuable life lesson which leads to my one qualm with the execution of the denouement: the conclusion is wrapped up way too succinctly and with far too great a success rate to be remotely believable. Even some of the unlovable and/or forlorn characters are redeemed during the last 90 seconds of the movie, by means of convenient little devices (such as the school play in which Jim Belushi and the pompous boyfriend actor have happily accepted small roles and apparently are better off for having done so). I have to remind myself, however, that this is not an epic film, and that I should just engage a little willful suspension of disbelief. It's usually better that way.

nice family movie...very enjoyable
Joe Somebody is a pretty good family movie. movie is about an average Joe played by Tim Allen who gets zero respect from his peers and work buddies. after 10 years with the same company, he wasn't given the promotion he wanted, and after getting beaten up and embarassed in front of his daughter and co-workers, he decides to take a stand, and get back what he lost in the parking lot.

i LOVE Belushi's character, Chuck Scarett. he's a former actor who had one good movie, and then his career tanked. he now teaches karate, and as he says, 90 percent of his business comes from people who got their butts kicked. i love the interaction between the Allen and Belushi character.

overall, solid and very enjoyable movie about your average Joe who wants to be somebody.

also includes some special features with a HILARIOUS deleted scene from Belushi's character.

good movie. good father's day present.

Good Movie, Good Screenplay, Good Fun!
This movie does a great job of mixing comedy with serious themes. Divorce, anger, humiliation, and revenge are just some of the issues this great family flick confronts while managing to keep humor involved.

Tim Allen plays a divorced man who is humiliated in front of his daughter; he is slapped around like a Tanya Harding husband in the company parking lot. At first, the humiliation drives him into seclusion, but after a visit from the human resources lady he decides to tackle the situation head-on; he challenges his abuser to a second confrontation.

The movie becomes even more hysterical when Jim Belushi steps in to help Tim Allen's character learn martial arts for the upcoming battle.

I loved this movie, and you will love it too! Trust me.

See ya next review.

www.therunninggirl.com ... Read more

Amazon.com

F.B.I. operative Gracie Hart (Sandra Bullock) famously went undercover in a beauty pageant a while back, and now she's supposedly so recognizable that her only use to the agency is as a pretty public representative. Dumped by her boyfriend (whom Benjamin Bratt wisely decided not to portray this time around), a gloomy Gracie goes along with the promo biz until her friend, Miss United States (Heather Burns), is kidnapped along with pageant official Stan Fields (William Shatner) in Las Vegas. Bullock still has perk to please her fans, but neither she nor her awkward alter-ego has any purpose in a sequel to a movie released five years prior. The result is a desperately unfunny, feature-length commercial for Las Vegas tourism, with outdated homosexual stereotypes (Diedrich Bader, as Gracie's stylist) and the usually terrific Regina King (of Ray and Jerry Maguire fame) stuck in a glum role as Bullock's butch bodyguard. Armed? Yes. Fabulous? No. --Steve Wiecking ... Read more

Reviews (76)

OW OW! I LOVE it!
YOW! The perfect modern Christmas classic! Believe me, I've seen far too many horrible kids' movies in my day, and horrible Christmas flicks, but this is far above them all. Methinks everyone will love this movie, not just the kids...
OK, so what's so great about it? It's funny and different, but still quite sweet and simple. There's some hilarious little gimmicks, but overall it's an honest, just plain sweet story. Tim Allen's great for the role of cynic-turned-Santa I that I would never have expected...really! He IS Santa, man. Eric Lloyd, who plays Santa's son, is an adorable but atypically not-[cruddy] child actor! yow! Judge Reinhold, who you may last have seen in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" in a Pirate hat, now plays the eternally-unhip Neil. (The new step-father, general Christmas-skeptic, psychiatrist, and wearer of LOUD sweaters.) Everyone's got to deal with Scott (Tim Allen) becoming Santa Claus, and learning to BELIEVE. ("Seeing isn't believing, believing is seeing.")
BUT the best part of all??? One word: BERNARD. Portrayed by the magnificent David Krumholtz, he's the cranky head-elf who manages to DEAL with the new Santa. Come on, everyone loves Bernard. Shows up, shoves a pita sandwich down his gullet, comments on Neil's sweaters, and saves Christmas! WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE?!?
All right, so I havn't done a great job convincing you to see/buy this movie. It sounds cheesy, you say. WELL IT'S NOT! It's actually a preety darn touching story of grumpy old cynical adults coming around to Christmas magic, father and son bonding, a new magical look at the North Pole, and one fabulous head-elf. What more do you want from a Christmas movie? I promise you won't regret seeing this movie. Go rent/buy it for the kids! No kids? Go to the store and make like you're renting/buying it for "the kids." Enjoy!

One of my favorite Christmas movies
It's hard to believe that "The Santa Clause" isn't more of a Christmas classic. Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) and his son Charlie (Eric Lloyd) go on a mission to save Christmas after the original Santa Claus falls off a roof and passes away. Scott doesn't know it at first, but when he puts on Santa Claus's suit, he becomes the new Santa Claus.

"The Santa Clause" has a lot of parts that are hilarious such as when Scott starts getting fat and tells everybody that he was stung by a huge bee. But it's not only a great comedy movie, it's one of the best family movies. This is one movie that anybody, no matter how old they are, can enjoy. Tim Allen gives one of his best performances, and so does Eric Lloyd. I can't think of anything that's wrong with the movie. It's hilarious, it has a dramatic plot, and it never gets old.

"The Santa Clause" isn't one of those Christmas movies that are just good to watch during the holidays, it's a great movie to watch any day of the year. It's a classic in my book. I recommend anybody to get "The Santa Clause."

Good Yuletide fun!
There are some films that just have to be watched every Christmas and this is one of them. It is a feelgood film for a feelgood time of year.
The story is simple. Scott Calvin (note his initials) is a divorced father who frequently lets his young son down due to his busy working life. That is until he accidentally kills Santa Claus. To his disbelief and dismay, and his sons delight, he has to become the new Santa. The film follows his changing life and attitudes and shows the newly developing relationship between father and son.
There is nothing taxing or complex about this movie, just a heart-warming, funny story that is ideal for all the family. Watch and enjoy.

One of the best Christmas movies of all time!
The Santa Clause is one of the best christmas movies of all time. All of the actors are really good in this movie especially the head elf,Bernard, played by David Krumholtz. I think that he deserves more recognition than he truly gets because he does the role of the elf really good. This movie has lots of catchy lines in it that make you laugh right out of your seat.

The Moose Hole - 'Santa' Delievers Holiday Magic
Here we are once again! It's the usual time of the year when the holiday themed feature films are out in full force, flooding multiplexes across the country for the Thanksgiving holiday and going into December. And it seems work as usual for the Walt Disney Company with their release of The Santa Clause, but what makes this project unique is the concept it uses, one that has never fully been developed on the big screen before. The feature is also unique in that it stars Tim Allen, who is best known for his hit television show, Home Improvement, on ABC. Does that mean an automatic is lying in the waiting to flock to theaters for Allen's flick? Not necessarily. Granted there are people who are die hard fans who will love the actor/actress for whatever work they do but for others, they are pretty critical of television stars who believe they can easily make the jump to the big screen. Can Allen pull it off? Only the holiday box office will tell.

The story centers around a man who goes from being divorced, self-centered business man to possibly the most care-free, charitable man on the planet, Santa Claus. Scott Calvin works for a toy company, has recently divorced from his wife, and is stuck on Christmas Eve with his son, who is just as excited as his father is being together for the holidays. Once he tucks his kid into bed for the night, Scott hears a noise on the roof and goes to investigate. When he tries to confront the man on the roof, he falls off and when Scott encounters him, the mystery man is dressed like Santa Claus. He and his son enter the sleigh and the puts on the Santa suit, all thanks to the urging of his son. When the sleigh returns to the North Pole after a long Christmas Eve, Scott discovers that he is the new Santa, thanks to the Santa Clause, which is a contract stating who ever puts on the suit becomes the new Santa Claus. He notices physical changes like the color of his hair and his weight but soon he notices that he feels more and more like Santa on the inside. The story for The Santa Clause is quite possibly one of the most original holiday films in years, which is surprising considering the concept is such a simple one that it is hard to believe that it has never fully been attempted before. The feature does a wonderful job at mixing comedic elements with emotional values, which is hard to do at times. The Santa Clause defies that and presents how it can be done right.

The film revolves mostly around Tim Allen's character and generally that is all that really matters for the film but at the same time the character can be ruined if he doesn't interact with supporting cast members. Fortunately this doesn't happen here or at least not very often. Allen is marvelous in his role as Scott Calvin aka Santa Claus. He successfully translates the comedic magic he had on his television show and amplified it ten times. There is also a lot of emotion behind scenes that he has with his son, Charlie. David Krumholtz, who plays Bernard the head elf at Santa's workshop, is quite possibly the most enjoyable highlight of the film. He work extremely well with Allen as the two are able to play off each other in several moments within the film, that if they had been performed by anybody else would have been flat. The character of Charlie, Scott's son, is moderately played out by Eric Lloyd. Lloyd begins to get pretty annoying and whiny as the film progresses but then again what can you expect from a cute little kid?

Overall, The Santa Clause, just like the big man himself, spreads holiday magic to every boy and girl, nobody how young or old they are. It is such an original concept, one that hasn't been seen and may never be seen again for many years. Though there is much to praise the film on, there are also slight things to pick at. The messages that the film tries to convey, though meaningful and expressive, came off as being too forced. It would have been better if the filmmakers had slowly sunk the ideas in the heads of movie-goers rather then what they ended up doing. And, as was stated earlier, Eric Lloyd came as being too cute and annoying at times in the film but this is something that doesn't necessarily mean anything major, just a small squabble. Make sure to avoid the tacky holiday films like the remake of Miracle on 34th Street and make it your duty to catch The Santa Clause instead, which is sure to become a new holiday classic for the entire family. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

I hope this show comes out on DVD!!
I really enjoyed this show and hope it comes out on DVD some day.I also liked Larry Darryl and Darryl; they were quite funny.I also liked Stefanie and Michael, though as I remember I don't think either character is in the first season.There were so many good but quirky characters on this show, and great comical acting. I'm hoping whatever studio that owns the rights to this show releases it on DVD, and soon!

Please Release It!
This is undoubtedly one of the best comedy series I have ever seen. It even betters the previous Bob Newhart Show. I am certain many people who was lucky to see it will agree with me and will buy it. How can I forget the brothers Larry, Darryl and Darryl! the neighbor, the town hall meetings, etc. Please, please release it. ... Read more

Reviews (63)

thirtysomething.....please!!!!
Add me to the list of people waiting not-so-patiently anymore for ALL the seasons of thirtysomething to be made available on DVD! I watched that show religiously, and it felt like seeing parts of my life played out on the screen---I could relate to the characters so well. I tried to tape all the episodes when they were run on Lifetime TV years ago, but I would immediately purchase mint copies of them on DVD if they were available. The producers have already released their more recent series, like "My So-Called Life" and "Once and Again", so what's the hold-up with this one? -- which beats them all by far!

'thirtysomething' DVD's long overdue
What happend to these characters? the last episode left us hanging. Not in a Melrose-style cliffhanger sort of way. But we never really got to say goodbye to these characters. Though it seems a reunion show is a long shot, the series on DVD seems long over due. Till this day, "thirtysomething" remains the best drama series ever aired on prime time television. Though critically acclaimed at the time, the show wasn't a huge ratings success. By the first season the showed had gained an unfair reputation of being whiny and slef-involved. An unfortunate and inaccurate label for a quietly groundbreaking show. Though the first season was a bit uneven, it quickly evolved into a well written, moving, and entertaining show. It lacked the gimmicks and high concepts of today's flashy and grim dramas. These were ordinary people, personalities we could, at times, alternately identify with and hate. We cared about each one even if you didn't like them. Some of the bigger episodes got a lot of attention. Nancy's struggle with cancer earned Patricia Wettig a well-deserved Emmy. Michael's epic battle with Myles Drentel were about as flashy as the show got. But the quieter moments were some of the show's strongest. Gary's untimely death, Ellyn's wedding, Nancy and Elliot's divorce were all amazing storylines. The writing, acting and directing of the show reached amazing highs at different points of the series' relatively short run. I applaud ABC for keeping the show on as long as it did. Certainly by today's disposable programming standards the show probably wouldn't have lasted more than it's first season. But it's high time the series was released on DVD. With "Once and Again" available, why not this groundbreaking show? I'm sure many fans would be dying to get there hands on a complete set and put there home made video collections to rest. Thank goodness for Lifetime's airings of the show. Oh and by the way, if you're gonna release it, give us some extras. Deleted scenes, commentary, documentaries and cast participation would be amazing to see. I believe E did a great 30 min doc on the making of an episode.

Still Waiting...
Still waiting for one of television's finest moments to appear on DVD.

Enough already
Every other televison program that aired more than two episodes has made it on to DVD. They've even got Wonder Woman on DVD if you can beleive it. Thirtysomething was one of the most influential tv programs of my generation. I would give anything for it to released on DVD and based on the thirtysomething web sites out there, many others feel the same way. GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT - PUT THIRTYSOMETHING ON DVD!

Still on TV in Germany!
Well folks. Who would believe it. I am lying awake at 3am in the middle of downtown Hamburg, Germany. You know, one of those "Lost in Translation" scenes when the body thinks it is in another timezone. I switch on the telly, and what should I see, but "thirtysomething". I get excited for a moment, until the words come out, in German, no English subtitles. My heart breaks.

My wife and I "grew up" on a steady diet of thiitysomething, just before we entered our own third decade.

So it lives on. FYI, I watched what was left of the show just to reminisce. Unfortunately my memory couldn't fill in all the words, but once the DVD (ever) appears, we can't wait. I'm going to see if is on sale in Germany, and then I'll just have to perfect my German language skills. ... Read more