Fred Claus

BEWARE OF FALSE REVIEWS & REVIEWERS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW TO THEIR NAME. NOW WHEN ITS A POSITIVE REVIEW THAT TELLS ME THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE MOVIE. IF ITS A NEGATIVE REVIEW THEN THEY MIGHT HAVE A GRUDGE AGAINST THE FILM . NOW I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 300 HOLIDAY FILMS & SPECIALS. I HAVE NO AGENDA.

In this film Of the two Claus brothers, Fred (Vince Vaughn) is the troublemaker and polar opposite of his saintly sibling, Nicholas (Paul Giamatti). When Fred's criminal ways finally land him in big trouble, Nicholas bails him out and brings him to the North Pole to work off the debt by making toys. The headaches mount for St. Nick, who not only must deal with his trouble making brother, but also an efficiency expert who has come to evaluate Santa's operation.

Before they shoot this film they should have re-written the screenplay. The first 45 minutes could have been reduced by 1/2. The final hour could have also been streamlined.

This film in reality has no idea who its audience is. The thing is the film doesn't try to cover all the bases. The film however does have some very great scenes and a awesome set. The flying sequences are the highlight the film which is the only thing that makes film give flight.

Worth watching Once. I don't see this becoming a holiday favorite for many!

Santa Claus' older brother Fred Claus (Vince Vaughn) was raised in the shadow of his famous brother and has issues with his mother (Kathy Bates). In Chicago, near Christmas, Fred asks for money on the streets trying to raise fifty thousand dollars to open a betting shop. However, many legalized Salvation Army Santa Claus chase him and Fred is arrested and sent to jail. He calls his brother Nick Santa Claus (Paul Giamatti) in the North Pole that accepts to pay his bail of five thousand dollars and proposes to lend the amount Fred needs provided he comes to the North Pole to help him in his factory. Meanwhile the mean efficiency expert Clyde Northcut (Kevin Spacey) arrives in the North Pole with the intention of finding three non-conformities in the audit of the manufacturing process and shut-down the facility. When Fred is assigned to work in the Naughty-Nice Department, the troubles of Nick begin.

I do not recall the last time I have seen such entertaining Christmas movie. "Fred Claus" is funny and has many hilarious moments (my favorite is the siblings-anonymous, with Frank Stallone, Roger Clinton and Stephen Baldwyn among others that resemble Ed Harris, Morgan Freeman and other famous people). The message that there is no naughty child and consequently every child deserves a Christmas gift is great. The cast leaded by Vince Vaughn is fantastic and I really loved this movie. I wish Merry Christmas to all IMDb movie and TV lovers and staff. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Titio Noel" ("Uncle Claus")

I watched this with low expectations, expecting it to be a mess. But I was surprised. Fred Claus is far from a Christmas classic, but there are much worse as well, for example Deck the Halls was very mean-spirited and unfunny, both of which I often see Fred Claus get criticised for.

I do agree it is very predictable, and that the direction is on the slack side. And there is also some uneven pacing and moments of disjointed dialogue. That said, it does look good with lovely cinematography and scenery, and the soundtrack is great and does put you in the mood for the Christmas season. Also there are moments of inspired physical comedy and while they have been better Vince Vaughan and Paul Giamatti(who was so good in Sideways) do display a good chemistry and both deliver spirited performances.

So overall, this is not a bad movie. It could have been better, but it is almost certainly not a disaster. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Hilarious, Touching, Entertaining & Sweet sums up as 'Fred Claus'.

David Dobkin deserves kudos for directing a sensitive subject like 'Fred Claus'. The well-known filmmaker is blessed with 2 good writers Dan Fogelman & Jessie Nelson, who've written this Christmas flick. A joyride!

Accoding to me 'Bad Santa' was an excellent attempt, but that was crude and crass. But 'Fred Claus' is the most touching Christmas flick after the Masterpiece 'The Polar Express'. Everything a cine-fan wants to see is served in here, it's a feel-good entertainer that leaves loving your loved ones a bit more.

Santa Claus is not the topic here, it's his brother Fred Claus, who makes this simple story well-told. More than anything, this movie makes you believe in Santa once again, {I was his biggest fan in my childhood}, and after watching it I wish each and every kid in the world awaits for Christmas.

Acting-wise: Vince Vaughn plays Fred Claus beautifully. He's dependable as always. Paul Giamatti, as Santa, is lovable. Kevin Spacey plays the conniving-turned-likable character with ease. Miranda Richardson is first-rate. John Michael Higgins is hilarious as Willy. Kathy Bates, Trevor Peacock, Elizabeth Banks, Bobb'e J. Thompson & Rachel Weisz are effective in small roles.

Final word? MERRY Christmas, Indeed!

I gave this movie 10 stars to counter some of the 1-star reviews, but I think it garners a solid 7 nonetheless. I don't know what those who rated it so poorly were expecting, but for me, it was just what I expected - enough chuckles to be entertaining, pretty Christmas scenery, and a touching story. My 17 and 12-year-old sons liked it as well. I thought Vince Vaughn played his typical character, which is always good for a laugh or two, though rarely one you would choke yourself on. I don't think the movie would necessarily go over with the pre-school crowd because it's not "The Santa Claus," but children who are old enough to understand the emotions being portrayed should enjoy it. There are a couple of sexual innuendos that may offend the more conservative viewers, but they likely go over the heads of the youngsters. I'm always amazed at the range of reviews movies get here at IMDb, and they truly show why we'll never all get along. I found this particular film both entertaining and moving, which is all I usually ask, particularly of a Holiday film. While "Fred Claus" doesn't go beyond the call of duty so to speak, it certainly lived up to my expectations.