Die Gebrüder Weihnachtsmann

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

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!

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.

My wife and I took our niece to the theater for this and it was a good time. Vince Vaughn plays the lead role of Fred, the grouchy and disgruntled brother of the real Santa Claus (Paul Giamatti). When things get tough one year up at the North Pole where Santa lives, he sends for his estranged brother to visit him and help out. It seems a nasty efficiency man (Kevin Spacey) is about to shut Santa's massive toy making operation down permanently if certain standards are not maintained, and this low-life is doing everything he can to make sure things never straighten out.

I usually don't like Kevin Spacey, but he was perfect for this part and I enjoyed the whole cast too, in fact. It's getting to the point where I'd go to see any movie with Paul Giamatti in it, and though you'd think he's not physically right for the role of Santa Claus, he makes it work. I found this funny and festive, with something to say about what hurt feelings and mistreatment can do to turn good people bad (ie; make nice people "naughty"). I especially got a kick out of a scene featuring a "Syblings Anonymous" type of meeting for disgruntled brothers, where some famous faces made cameos. There's good music featured throughout as well, and not all of it necessarily being Christmas tunes. *** out of ****

To a lot of us, mid-November is the most wonderful time of the year. And I'm not merely talking about Thanksgiving or the approaching celebration of Hanukkah and Christmas. For me, mid-November is the definitive signal that my favorite perennial holiday movies are queuing up on TMC, Netflix, Hulu, HBO, REDBOX, and practically everywhere else! These wonderful films range from the incredibly beautiful black & white classics like "Holiday Inn" (1942) and "Miracle On 34th Street" (1947), to the more contemporary films such as "The Hebrew Hammer" (highly recommended by my Jewish friends, a 2003 comedy so sacrilegiously funny I don't dare describe it here), and finally I swing back to my trusty holiday twin comedies, "Home Alone" (1990) and "Home Alone: Lost in New York" (1992). (I can't bother with the disappointing remainder of the series. Yawn).

By early December I am quite eager to screen the subject of this review, the oddly maligned and ignored, "Fred Claus" (2007). And my question, every year, is always the same: "Why the heck isn't this film more loved?"

"Fred Claus" stars the absurdly improvisational humor of Vince Vaughn as Fred, the beautiful, and zany Elizabeth Banks, the highly versatile Oscar winners Kathy Bates and Rachel Weisz, and Oscar nominated Paul Giamatte as The Big Man himself, Santa Claus (and also Fred's younger brother). But this particular movie isn't really about Saint Nick. It's about his big brother, Fred.

To say this movie has no charm would be incongruous with reality. To say it's not funny would be blasphemy. Indeed, there is more charm and humor in "Fred Claus" than one would expect in its well-paced one hour and fifty six minutes. Plus, it's beautifully filmed, and features several ingeniously clever special effects.

As always, no spoilers here, but I can reveal that most of the action takes place in chilly Chicago and the even chillier North Pole. It's the Christmas season rush at the North Pole and there is much at stake, notwithstanding the future of St. Nick and his Elves. "Fred Claus" has it all: Drama, humor, adventure, romance, and even a handful of subtle, uplifting messages. It's not War and Peace. Its not Citizen Kane. It's "Fred Claus."

Sure, this film didn't quite light up the box offices. And yes, it lost a lot money. But so did "The Wizard of Oz" and "It's a Wonderful Life." (Both are now considered pure classics). Still, when it comes to art and entertainment, Time is often the wiser. Give "Fred" another chance. Pretty please?

After all, even Ebenezer Scrooge eventually came to his senses, albeit belatedly. But he was better for it in the end.