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The Santa Clause 2 2002 WALT DISNEY ENTERTAINMENT, DIRECTED BY MICHAEL LEMBECK Starring Tim Allen, Wendy Crewson, Judge Reinhold Most will concurr that not all sequels are good additions to a story that had a strong start. It happens in many spectrums besides film, including most artists second albums, which tend to receive harsher criticism. When it was announced that Disney would be developing the second act of the highly acclaimed Santa Clause franchise, I (like most people) were exctied, yet skeptical at the same time. Given the history and statistical success of sequels, let alone one to a holiday movie, the pressure was certainly on. Being a big fan of Tim Allen's work in the original Santa Clause, I wasnt really worried about him making a good movie. Truth be told, I was just delving into film, and wasnt overly critical. More or less, I was just an eager fan, waiting to see what would become of Scott Calvin nearly eight years since he took over the job of Santa Clause. The years as Santa had been good for Scott Calvin. He seemed to embrace his new spot as Father Christmas, and was in the midst of the Christmas rush. After a scene involving planes picking up hammering and Christmas music from within the workshop, We're reunited with the elves from the original flick. Scott is informed that a lingering loophole in the contractual "clause" requests he find a Mrs. Claus. To make matters worse, he has only 28 days to do so, or else Christmas as we know it may cease to be. His son, Charlie, isnt the same kid we all remember. His rebellion brought Scott back home for a consultation with the school after Charlie's involvement in a graffiti incident, advertantly switching him from the "nice" list to the "naughty" list. So as not to alert the elves, Scott clones himself. The imposter Santa quickly becomes a dictator, practically destroying the North Pole. Scott isnt fairing much better in the real world, as he was given a limited amount of magical powers, which he can monitor on a wristwatch. His attempts to woo Charlie's school principal slowly deplete his magic, making his twenty-eight day deadline even more stressful. The character interaction in tis sequel is much better than the first. Charlie is a much better actor, and the fact that people can now look behind the "cute little kid" gimmick and get a little more attached to a solid story is better suited, I think. The story was solid, adding a romantic twist that wasn't included in the prequel. The clone business wasnt really catching for me personally, but a good subplot for flashing back and forth between both worlds. All in all, this effort was a solid sequel to an already solid story. I wasnt sure what to expect when I first saw it in the theaters, but six years later, I still feel it was an appropriate wa to take the story. Even better, it left things wide open to continue the story further. MOUNT CRUMPIT RATING: 3 / 5 |
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