Synopsis
Fred Claus and Santa Claus have been estranged brothers for many years. Now Fred must reconcile his differences with his brother whom he believes overshadows him. When an efficiency expert assesses the workings at the North Pole and threatens to shut Santa down, Fred must help his brother to save Christmas.
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Cast
- Vince VaughnFred Claus
- Paul GiamattiNick (Santa) Claus
- John Michael HigginsWillie
- Miranda RichardsonAnnette Claus
- Rachel WeiszWanda Blinkowski
- Kathy BatesMother Claus
- Trevor PeacockPapa Claus
- LudacrisDJ Donnie
- Elizabeth BanksCharlene
- Jeremy SwiftBob Elf
Recommendations
- 70
L.A. Weekly
Deftly blending disrespect and good nature, Fred Claus is a gas. - 63
Chicago Tribune
Fred Claus seems a clever installment, not a seasonal classic, a buffet whose many nibbles you sample, move on and quickly forget. - 50
Entertainment Weekly
The surprisingly puny haul comes from the jolly, usually sparkling comedy workshop of David Dobkin, who directed "Wedding Crashers," and Dan Fogelman, who wrote "Cars" -- two great movies that both make better stocking stuffers. - 50
ReelViews
Fred Claus is less enchanting than the 2003 fairy tale, "Elf" (which was directed by Vaughn's good buddy, Jon Favreau), but no worse than the inexplicably popular Tim Allen series. - 50
Chicago Sun-Times
The movie wants to be good-hearted but is somehow sort of grudging. It should have gone all the way. I think Fred Claus should have been meaner if he was going to be funnier, and Santa should have been up to something nefarious, instead of the jolly old ho-ho-ho routine. - 40
Village Voice
The exceptional cast--Vaughn, Giamatti, Kathy Bates, Kevin Spacey, Rachel Weisz--is an embarrassment of riches for a script this thin and this beholden to family-fare protocol, with its mushy-minded moral and slick sentimentality. - 40
The Hollywood Reporter
The film isn't just not funny, it is off-putting. - 40
Variety
Alternates between unpleasantness and Hallmark-sweet sappiness.
