Le frère Noël

Hilarious, Touching, Entertaining & Sweet sums up as 'Fred Claus'.

David Dobkin deserves kudos for directing a sensitive subject like 'Fred Claus'. The well-known filmmaker is blessed with 2 good writers Dan Fogelman & Jessie Nelson, who've written this Christmas flick. A joyride!

Accoding to me 'Bad Santa' was an excellent attempt, but that was crude and crass. But 'Fred Claus' is the most touching Christmas flick after the Masterpiece 'The Polar Express'. Everything a cine-fan wants to see is served in here, it's a feel-good entertainer that leaves loving your loved ones a bit more.

Santa Claus is not the topic here, it's his brother Fred Claus, who makes this simple story well-told. More than anything, this movie makes you believe in Santa once again, {I was his biggest fan in my childhood}, and after watching it I wish each and every kid in the world awaits for Christmas.

Acting-wise: Vince Vaughn plays Fred Claus beautifully. He's dependable as always. Paul Giamatti, as Santa, is lovable. Kevin Spacey plays the conniving-turned-likable character with ease. Miranda Richardson is first-rate. John Michael Higgins is hilarious as Willy. Kathy Bates, Trevor Peacock, Elizabeth Banks, Bobb'e J. Thompson & Rachel Weisz are effective in small roles.

Final word? MERRY Christmas, Indeed!

As an avid lover of traditional Christmas movies, I was not expecting a lot out of Fred Claus. However, I bought it because I wanted something new for my 6 year old, and I really like Vince Vaughn. Many people I talked to didn't like Fred Claus because Vince Vaughn is "the same as he is in every movie." I happen to love that. The rest of the cast was A+ and gave perfect performances. I LOVED THIS MOVIE and would recommend it to anyone who loves Christmas! There were so many funny parts as well as heart warming sweet moments that this movie was one that my 6 year old son and I could enjoy together. I'm glad I skipped renting and just bought this movie as it will be one I look forward to every year.

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 partner and I loved this movie. We own a couple hundred Christmas movies and are only able to watch a small subset each year, but I think this will go into our "rotation" as a perennial favorite.

Vince Vaughn is his typical self - caustic but charming. Paul Giamatti is great as a jolly Santa Claus who's got just a little bit too much on his plate this year, what with family and productivity challenges . . .

Kathy Bates and Trevor Peacock make great parents for the Claus siblings, and Kevin Spacey is great is his pivotal role.

The special effects are also excellent: seamless and effective - the North Pole never looked better ;-)

In short, this is a fun and funny Christmas movie. See it!

Santa Claus' older brother Fred Claus (Vince Vaughn) was raised in the shadow of his famous brother and has issues with his mother (Kathy Bates). In Chicago, near Christmas, Fred asks for money on the streets trying to raise fifty thousand dollars to open a betting shop. However, many legalized Salvation Army Santa Claus chase him and Fred is arrested and sent to jail. He calls his brother Nick Santa Claus (Paul Giamatti) in the North Pole that accepts to pay his bail of five thousand dollars and proposes to lend the amount Fred needs provided he comes to the North Pole to help him in his factory. Meanwhile the mean efficiency expert Clyde Northcut (Kevin Spacey) arrives in the North Pole with the intention of finding three non-conformities in the audit of the manufacturing process and shut-down the facility. When Fred is assigned to work in the Naughty-Nice Department, the troubles of Nick begin.

I do not recall the last time I have seen such entertaining Christmas movie. "Fred Claus" is funny and has many hilarious moments (my favorite is the siblings-anonymous, with Frank Stallone, Roger Clinton and Stephen Baldwyn among others that resemble Ed Harris, Morgan Freeman and other famous people). The message that there is no naughty child and consequently every child deserves a Christmas gift is great. The cast leaded by Vince Vaughn is fantastic and I really loved this movie. I wish Merry Christmas to all IMDb movie and TV lovers and staff. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Titio Noel" ("Uncle Claus")