Review of Fred Claus (2007) by Zane T — 11 May 2009

Vince Vaughan has finally found the character for his loud, obnoxious character in Fred Claus. The only problem is that the movie doesn't go for the jugular. This movie is rated PG but it's not for kids.

There's no potty jokes, which is refreshing, and not much foul language, but the jokes in this movie are intended for people over the age of 15. I'm not sure if any young'ins will know who Roger Clinton, Frank Stallone or Stephen Baldwin are, nor will they understand why their in the movie, even though it is one of the best scenes in the movie.

This movie has an idea, what if Santa Claus had an older brother who was kinda like Fredo Corleone. It's a nice idea and would have worked if the filmmakers added an edge to it. Instead we get a formulaic predictable movie.

The problem is this movie tries to be both a family movie and a corporate satire at the same time. Everything Kevin Spacey's character says would go over the heads over anyone who doesn't understand the business world.

For a movie that is nearly 2 hours long, this movie gets old after about 30 minutes. The scene where the aforementioned brothers is such a surprise, it almost makes up for what is essentially a lame movie.