Super Noël méga givré - Super Noël 3

Took the kids to see this and they loved it. I didn't have high expectations but was entertained and got the predictable feel good, happy ending. I agree with others that it was a couple notches better than the second movie. All and all, a good way to kick off the holiday movie season.

Other notes of interest: The actress playing Mrs. Clause is on the T.V. show Lost now. That took a little getting used to. Martin Short did a nice job as Jack Frost. The blooper reel at the end of the movie is pretty lame. Not funny at all. Plus, when the bloopers are literally shown 3 seconds after the end of the movie, it takes away from the movie itself. The kids are still smiling and in a magical place then "poof", magic is over here are the actors messing up their lines. It's like seeing Peter Pan on stage and right after the show, they show you all the wires that were used to make him fly. Save the bloopers for the DVD.

Pregnant Mrs. Claus (Elizabeth Mitchell) is almost due, and she wishes for human contact. So Santa (Tim Allen) decides to bring her parents (Ann-Margret, Alan Arkin) to the North Pole along with Santa's ex and her family (Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson, Liliana Mumy). Meanwhile, the Counsel of Legendary Figures is to judge Jack Frost (Martin Short) for all his wrongdoings. Santa decides to help out by letting him work as one of his helpers. Only Jack Frost schemes to take over Christmas by using the Escape Clause.

The charms of the previous two installments are mostly gone. When North Pole gets remade into Canada, it just emphasized how fake it all is. In the other two, Tim Allen is running around trying to hide his identity from people who love him. In this one, the only people who don't know is Ann-Margret and Alan Arkin. They don't really love him, and there isn't that joy of discovery. That charm isn't here this time around.

Also Bernard the Elf (David Krumholtz) isn't here this time. Curtis (Spencer Breslin) is now the head elf. The movie misses Bernard's attitude and energy. Although it's cute to see Abigail Breslin as one of the little elves. As for Jack Frost, he's alright as the bad guy but he's not funny. In fact, this movie isn't funny. There is a lack of joy. The only one with the wonder and excitement in her eyes is Liliana Mumy. Aside from her, there is too much tension. This movie just doesn't have the same feel.

I just got back from seeing this movie and I have to say it was pretty good. I didn't go to the theater with high hopes, however, so it was easy to meet my expectations. We loved the other 2 movies and had to finish the trilogy! This one could be titled Santa gets a midlife crisis--the plot is based on Scott's frustration over having so many responsibilities and not enough time with his family. There are some disappointments; of course, Bernard isn't in it and we all love him; just one line with no explanation tells us he must be gone. Also, Santa doesn't seem himself; yes, he's frustrated, but you don't see the excitement he had before. And,the plot gets resolved so close to the ending that you still haven't processed it, and the credits are rolling! But if you liked the other movies, go see this one; it's not as action packed, it's a little sappy, but it's clean fun and you'll laugh if you let yourself!

Just remember that it's not Shakespeare, it's just a Christmas movie. Go and have some fun! Enjoy the Canada subplot, eh?

The first film Tim Allen did in this series, "The Santa Clause" was not a great movie by any stretch, but it was an entertaining film and one of the more imaginative and clever Christmas movies ever made. That film dealt with what it would be for a regular guy to be Santa Claus. That was a new idea! It was witty enough for adults and cutesy and fun enough for kids. Bam, the perfect mix for a "family" movie. The sequels (well OK I guess SC2 had some moments) have just been a mess. The filmmakers spend far too much time in the ridiculous North Pole, show us all the other mystical figures of legend (Mother Nature, Father Time, the Easter Bunny) and completely forget that Scott Calvin is supposed to be a regular dude that just happens to be Santa Claus. This movie is too stupid for anyone over the age of 11 and at times too filled with adult complexities for children to enjoy. The only parts that evoked a feel of the 1st film were the Canada jokes and Scott going back in time to the events of the first film and returning to Scott Calvin, corporate toy maker again. Otherwise this is a waste. Forget this film and go watch the 1st one.

We just did the entire trilogy tonight, and we probably hadn't seen this film since the year after it came out, so 15 years ago as of this writing. I knew we'd seen it but we remembered VERY little of it, and in fact I wrongly remembered we didn't like it very much. I think I'd been confusing the annoying toy Santa from Santa Clause 2 with this movie.

As it turned out, we like it better than 2. Alan Arkin and Ann-Margret provide a real plus to the cast, and there are quite a few warm family moments, as well as a late "It's a Wonderful Life" vibe.

I'm glad we took a chance on it again, because we thoroughly enjoyed our evening of Santa Clauses.