User reviews

Went as a child to the movies to watch this. Years later and I now watch this with my own kids. Just a lovely Christmas movie for all the family.

TIM ALLEN provides a bunch of chuckles and good cheer as the amiable, goofy father of ERIC LLOYD who sees Santa Claus take a tumble off his roof one Christmas Eve and finds he must substitute for the "big guy," taking the reindeer to the North Pole toy shop for further directions along with his young son.

The script is full of one-liners that Allen tosses off with comic skill. His father role is played for laughs but also has his tender side when moments call for it. His needling of JUDGE REINHOLD about his awful sweaters becomes a running joke. So do many of the other amusing moments in a script that is both clever and highly original. ERIC LLOYD proves to be an appealing child actor as the boy who urges his father to be a substitute Santa.

To get a flavor of the dialog, just take a look at the "quotes" from the film on the Quote page.

It's handsomely produced in wonderful color to give the film its winter atmosphere (filmed in Canada).

Summing up: It's worth going along for the ride. A charming Christmas fantasy with lots of amusing situations. Brisk entertainment for the masses, it inspired a couple of sequels.

The Santa Claus is a completely original holiday movie that's both heartwarming and funny. It's a movie you can watch every single year for Christmas.

When a toy manufacturer (Tim Allen) inadvertently kills Santa (actor unknown) on Christmas Eve, he finds himself magically recruited to take his place.

Tim Allen has a criminal record and Disney has a no hiring of ex-cons policy. An exception was made in this case. Odd, really. They had first considered Bill Murray and Chevy Chase, but settled on Allen. I think this may have been good. While both Chase or Murray could possibly have been better, they also both have their own notable Christmas movies, so it was time to pick a new comedian.

I am not big on Tim Allen, despite liking "Home Improvement" and enjoying his role here for the most part. I am, however, a fan of Judge Reinhold. This film is really great, though Reinhold gets the shaft. He is more or less a background character who wears ugly sweaters. (Why he has such a strong interest in the custody of a kid that is not his is open to speculation.) Allen shines, and as far as kids movies go, this is a pretty good one. Not sure how well it jibes with other Christmas or Santa myths, but I guess kids are not smart enough to really put that all together.

There could also be some debate about whether or not Santa is "killed". He falls off a roof, moves his hand a bit, and disappears. Now maybe this is because it would be too grim for a kids movie to have a corpse in a snow bank, but I suspect he did not actually die but simply faded away... it is left open to speculation.

One nice thing about this film is how it has humor for a wide age range. While geared towards children for the most part, there is still a healthy dose of more adult humor. No outright sex or violence, but some not-too-veiled references to drug use and other things not necessarily appropriate. But this is why it worked to cast Allen, because having him be completely G-rated seems out of place.

Definitely a much better Tim Allen Christmas film than "Christmas With the Kranks".

The story is creative and the jokes made me laugh for real. I don't know the other criteria by which this movie is being judged but I find it to be entertaining and unique in the world of Holiday movies. Short run time and a straightforward storyline. The script and the dialogues are not disastrous and I appreciate the interpretation of Santa Claus and the North Pole. It's all very fun to watch and never boring. I thought the cat sign was great and it all works well together. Of course it doesn't all make sense and the plot is a bit rushed along but who cares?? It's an innocent and enjoyable holiday movie to bring in the Christmas spirit so how could it really be that bad?

Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) is disgusted to learn that his ex-wife, Laura (Wendy Crewson), and her husband, Neil (Judge Reinhold), have tried and failed to break it easy to their 6-year-old son, Charlie (Eric Lloyd), that Santa Claus isn't real. On Christmas Eve, Scott reads "The Night Before Christmas" and then receives an unexpected visitor on his roof. When Santa is startled by Scott's calling out and falls off, he disappears, leaving only an 8-reindeer sleigh and a suit with instructions to put it on if he's involved in an accident. Scott does so and is transported around the town dropping gifts through chimneys until he's taken to the North Pole and informed by a group, who claim they're elves, that he is now Santa. Charlie is proud of Scott's new job, though Scott is convinced it was a dream. Then his hair turns white, his beard refuses to stay shaved, he gains weight inexplicably, and he has a sudden love of junk food. Now he's accepted it, there's just one problem: how to keep it a secret from his disbelieving family.

Being a christmas lover I can't believe it's taken my 30 years to watch this film. I tend to watch the same old staples each year and only in the last few years venturing to try new films. I am so glad I did. This is a lovely film with a lovely theme and although Reinhold is the slacker on the team, the rest of the cast are great, especially Eric Lloyd. It's a magical christmas experience and perfect for a family to watch. I give it a solid 7.

It gets more difficult this time each year to sit down in front of a good Christmas film, but this Disney feature from the 90's was a pleasant surprise. Tim Allen is the fast-talking salesman single parent trying to connect with his reluctant young son on Christmas Eve. Junior it seems would rather be with his mother and her new man, a confident, handsome psychiatrist with a penchant for wearing garish sweaters. The only thing that really links the boy with his dad is their shared belief in Santa Claus unlike his more modern-thinking mum and partner. Christmas Eve goes fairly disastrously between father and son, as they find themselves in a cafe amusingly populated by a host of other single dads and their kids after Tim burns the turkey before the tetchy, tired dad puts his son down to bed for the big sleep. However when they're awakened by noises on the roof, an unimaginable chain of events opens up ahead of them, not only affecting this Christmas but all their Christmases to come.

For me the film pitched itself just nicely between catering to adults and children. There are plenty of good grown-up, but never crude, if you can forgive a couple of flatulence episodes, jokes and sight-gags especially as Allen's plight dawns on him, even a simple one like the police sketch-plan used to corner this new Santa prominently featuring a cop's favourite haunt, the do'nut shop, had me smiling. Sure one or two of the kids playing elves seemed to be reading their lines off cue-cards, but head elf Bernard and especially the little girl playing the worldly elf Judy are a delight.

Allen himself is very good, especially when he bulks up to fill the big man's shoes (and robe and hat) and if his boy Charlie initially seems like another production-line cute, smart, mop-haired kid, even he gets some neat lines and develops a likeable personality. The special effects are nice, involving the reindeer sleigh and answering that old chestnut as to how Santa gets down chimneys without fireplaces, even if they are slightly dated by modern standards and I liked the ending for the way it didn't take the easy resolution it looked for a long time it was headed.

In short, this was very enjoyable festive family entertainment, recommended Christmas viewing.

The Santa Clause is an amazing movie. I haven't watched any other Santa Clause movies so I can't compare this movie to the other Santa Clauses. I assume by the rating that this is the best Santa Clause movie. This movie succeeds at what it wants to be, a B-movie. It's just cheesy in the right places. It's funny, but it doesn't have laugh out loud humor. I think that the Santa Clause is enough. It's not super good, but it's not bad. This movie is a good movie, it doesn't have to change. It doesn't and doesn't want to be a great movie, and that's okay. I like this movie because it tried something and it succeeded. This is a pretty good Christmas movie. In all, I gvie this a 7.3 out of 10.

There aren't many movies that can kill off Santa in the first act and constantly poke holes in the folklore the entire time while still maintaining a jolly Christmas spirit, but The Santa Clause manages to pull it off. The sweet optimism of this holiday film even balances out Tim Allen's constant sarcasm. It's a unique story which offers some fun additions to the mythology. It does get a little cheesy near the end after the E. L. F. S. arrive, and some references & visual effects make this movie a little less timeless than others, but I'm up for watching The Santa Clause every couple years or so.

I have seen this movie several times, and as I am writing this I am watching it with my family once again. With a holiday movie, it's best to turn off your brain and just enjoy--and on this level, this is an excellent film.

A satisfactory Christmas film.

'The Santa Clause' starts off pretty strongly, with Tim Allen (Scott) showing off some quick and amusing wit. The early moments are actually the best parts in my opinion, the rest of the 97 minutes are enjoyable enough though.

Allen is easily the most standout part of the film, none of the other cast members really come close at all. Eric Lloyd does an alright job as Scott's son, Charlie. The festive music is pleasant, while the sets etc. look decent - the special effects aren't incredible, but are certainly serviceable.

Many better Xmas productions out there, but there's enough here to feel entertained by.

This movie really captures the true spirit of Christmas. Tim Allen does a wonderful job in it, and I think he was perfect for this role, I can't imagine anyone else in it. One night during the Christmas season Santa falls off of a man's roof, and can't continue his duties, Tim Allen's character is now bestowed the duty of becoming the new Santa Claus, at first he doesn't want to do it, presumably because of all the responsibility that comes with it. but as we go on , he gradually get's used to the idea, he has a little boy that he loves very much and maybe things could be really good now that he's Santa, one problem tho the boy tells his mother that dad is Santa, and the mother doesn't believe him and things don't' go well in the beginning,, I will leave it at that,, but I just wanna say that this is a movie for all ages, and captures the true spirit of the season.

Tim Allen was in his prime during this time period. Big show- home improvement plus still a little but of youth. This film is like several other Christmas movies i have seen so I was not super impressed, but I still enjoyed the film overall and had no issues once it got going. It's an ok Christmas movie.

It has been almost 30 years since this movie came out - yet it hasn't lost a bit of it's charm. For me this is one of Tim Allen's iconic roles, and has moved this work into the realm of a Christmas classic. There is enough here for both kids and adults, making this a "gather the family together" type film.

At it's core, this is an origin story, which are not always my favorite types of stories because you have to "wait" for the payoff of the character becoming who you already know them to be. Here is just the same - we dont get "Santa" in the whole movie, we have to patiently wait for Alan (Tim Allen) to transform from his grouchy, witty self into the loving Kris Kringle. But this doesn't feel like a chore at all, the movie is filled with laughs, and each scene purposefully marches us on toward that goal. The subplot of Alan's trying to connect with his son Charlie adds a layer of relatability to an otherwise unrelatable story, and helps pull you in to care about these characters and their journey.

As a kid I was not bored by this progression, there was enough here to capture my attention and my imagination. And of course Alan's whit and the overall charm of this movie were enough to keep me hooked as an adult that watched this movie every Christmas as a kid.

You have to admire the audacity of a film that decides to completely rewrite the mythos of Santa Claus and do it with such characteristically 90s flair. It's a little sardonic and tongue-in-cheek, portraying Santa Claus as not a person, but essentially a legal title bestowed upon a person (apparently against their will and often as the result of murder, it seems - we'll just ignore that part). Yet, still brings it home with an appropriately sweet Christmas message that you can't help but make you feel a bit warm and fuzzy inside.

I cannot understate - in my humblest of opinions - how good Tim Allen is here. He manages to capture the "busy working Dad" archetype but is also genuinely funny. His line delivery is great, he seems like a really fun person to be around, and makes tons of snappy little one liners. But he can also be loving and caring as well and slips into the warm father figure role quite easily.

Even as a kid, I remember really liking the cosmic power (bear with me) "the Santa Clause" seems to have: Tim Allen's Scott Calvin gains a ton of weight in the matter of days, his beard regrows every day, children follow him around as if he's the Pied Piper. It's just so out there and weird that I honestly have to applaud it.

'The Santa Clause (1994)' has its heart is in the right place but it's oddly inept, based upon a strangely nonsensical, decidedly dark core conceit and such a rushed, haphazardly constructed story. Still, it's pretty fun, to be honest, and there are quite a few laughs to be had - most of which are at the picture, rather than with it (save a couple of surprisingly funny 'Tim-Allen-isms'). It's a bizarrely entertaining watch, one that's by no means a good movie but certainly isn't a terrible one, either. 6/10

Tim Allen stars in The Santa Clause, a Christmas-set family comedy from Disney released back in 1994. Allen plays Scott Calvin, a father who finds himself reluctantly taking on the big job of being Santa Claus after accidentally knocking Santa off his roof on Christmas Eve.

The simple premise is a fun one and it sets things up for an enjoyably silly and charming Christmas movie quite nicely. As Scott Calvin desperately tries to cling onto what he believes to be reality and deny the existence of Santa, the elves etc. Despite having taken on that role himself for an entire night, he finds that the "clause" he's unwittingly adhered to involves a lot more than he'd bargained for. This includes physically turning into Santa himself as he suddenly puts on weight and grows an impossible-to-shave beard and, while he starts to accept and even enjoy the idea of becoming Santa Claus, and this strengthens his once cold relationship with his young son, it also presents problems at work and with his ex-wife who becomes understandably concerned.

There's a lot of potential for laughs with this whole idea and the film does have its funny parts and clever one liners, delivered effortlessly by a perfectly cast Tim Allen, but it's a very safe movie that never aims for anything beyond light-hearted cheese. It's never quite as funny as it could've been and the film's plot stagnates quite a bit after the initial North Pole adventure. One can't help but feel that making Scott Calvin more odious from the get-go would've made his (literal) transformation mean a lot more and presented more opportunities for amusing conflicts. As it stands, the likes of Peter Boyle and Judge Reinhold feel a tad wasted in a film that could have easily made the most of their talents.

If you think about it for two seconds, the idea of a man being forced to be Santa Claus, both as a job and... physically, with no possibility of opting out, is a bit of a disturbing one so the man in question would've had to be a real Scrooge to deserve something like that. Calvin really isn't that bad. Sure, he's snarky to his ex and her new boyfriend and the Christmas he'd planned for his son turns out to be a disaster but hey, at least he cared enough to try. The message the film sends ends up feeling a bit clumsy when it comes to Calvin's relationship with his family. That said, with all the Christmas spirit shoved in your face throughout the movie, this is easy to overlook, especially for younger viewers who will, quite likely, enjoy every minute of it.

Despite its refusal to go all out Nutty Professor-style and live up to its comedic potential, The Santa Clause remains a charming little film with enough Christmas spirit to make it a worthy seasonal treat that kids and grown-ups can enjoy together that time of year. Slight warning, however, those special effects do not hold up as well as they once did.

Likable.

One of those films that just works on every level, we meet S. C., Scott Calvin, and his son Charlie. Scott, now divorced, on rough terms with his ex Wendy and her new beau Neal, is too involved in work to spend time with his son. All of that is about to change. With Charlie visiting in Christmas Eve, they are startled by a noise on the roof. S. C startled the man, and he falls off the roof, disappearing and leaving behind an empty Santa suit, a sleigh of reindeer, and instructions for the new owner. I suppose there are multiple ways this could have failed, but luckily it does not. Playing well for both children and adults, this is a deeply fun and thoughtful film, with delightful support from it's cast, that breezes through it's running time. Tim Allen does a great job with a role that could have gone all wrong in different hands. Recommended.

The Santa Claus. Funny and funny story. The beginning of the Christmas franchise about his most recognizable symbol marked the beginning of Tim Allen to perform his most magical role. Santa Claus in his performance looks great and you can repeat as much as you like that the whole film is one big fairy tale and everything is done too kindly and for children, but no. This is a very funny and at the same time insanely atmospheric film for which you will have to make yourself cocoa, wrap yourself in a blanket and turn off the lights and watch without stopping. Once again, I would like to note Tim Allen, as he perfectly played the rebirth from a cynical person into a real good-natured man in a red hat.

This is such a 90's film & such a 90's family Christmas film & Tim Allen is such a star of that time of the 90's.

I'm a 90's kid & Tim Allen was a big comedic star back then with his Home Improvement show & being Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story & Galaxy Quest & then later with Toy Story 2 & Christmas With The Kranks & many more. Tim Allen is a funny guy & is hilarious here as a father who becomes Santa Clause.

Yes Tim Allen plays a father who sees his little boy on weekends & one particular weekend of Christmas eve sets in motion a series of amazing events when the real Santa falls off of his roof & Calvin (Tim Allen) becomes the new Santa & brings him closer to his son. Of course this is full of sweetness as it's a Disney family film but it's also got plenty of fun humour & snarky remarks that only Tim Allen can do the way his does it. There's a huge sense of magic & 90's Nostalgia whilst watching this Christmas comedy & it does make you smile.

The production design is lovely with it's huge colourful sets & nice early 90's effects & the cool 90's fashion which i love.

Tim Allen is having so much fun with his part & he is a joy to watch & his performance is full of heart & fun.

I like Judge Reinhold (Gremlins) too & it's always nice to see Peter Boyle (Red Heat,The Dream Team, Everybody Loves Raymond) & the film is full of festive fun & a big heart.