Review of The Santa Clause (1994) by Philip S — 05 Dec 2011

One of the most common storylines in the Christmas/holiday genre is some ordinary guy unwittingly having to take the place of Santa, in order to make sure all the boys and girls of the world wake up with a smile on Christmas morning. Another of the most common storylines is that of a child/children trying to use the "magic" of the season to bring their parents back together. Usually, most movies that use one or the other tend to be forgotten over time. So when the writers behind Disney's The Santa Clause combined both storylines, they were taking a huge, calculated risk. Amazingly enough, they came up with a movie that while it's hardly the most original, it's still one of the most enjoyable and memorable holiday movies of the modern era, nearly two decades after its original debut.

Typically, the mere thought of combining two of the most commonly used story elements of any genre for one movie could lead most audiences to shudder in disgust. However, The Santa Clause somehow pulls it off. And it pulls it off with a certain amount of class. It goes without saying that Home Improvement star, Tim Allen, did a lot to help make the movie a success. His semi-Scrooge-esque portrayal of Scott Calvin shows that no matter how old a person is, no person should ever stop believing. That's a message that both kids and parents alike will appreciate. A similar message was sent through Hook (1991), and in Finding Neverland (2004).

The positive message for the audiences is one part of what makes The Santa Clause such an enjoyable holiday/Christmas movie to this day. The sets used at the North Pole go a long way to make it visually entertaining. They look like something straight out of a storybook. From the general set construction, to the bright colors, the sets give the image of a hand drawn cartoon movie brought to life. Combine that in with the acting from the kids who played the elves, and audiences get one of the most enjoyable peeks at Santa's fabled workshop of any holiday themed movie.

The sets and the positive message go a long way in making The Santa Clause the fun family holiday flick that it is. But they alone don't get the job done. A good movie needs a good story. And while the story behind the movie isn't exactly original, its ending is really what makes it original. For those who haven't seen it, the ending won't be given away here. It can be said of the story behind The Santa Clause that unlike so many of Disney's properties, the second movie in this franchise was actually as good as the first one. But in comparison to the blatant ripoff of It's a Wonderful Life, that the third installment was, the original Santa Clause is that much more enjoyable. Again, it might not have been the most original holiday/Christmas movie ever written. But in comparison to its sequels, and so many other holiday movies out there, it's a modern Christmas classic. And over time, it will become a classic in its own right, too.