Fred Claus (2007)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

David Dobkin

Writers (WGA):

Dan Fogelman (screenplay)
Jessie Nelson (story) ...

Release Date:

9 November 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy

Tagline:

Santa's brother is coming to town.

Plot:

Fred Claus, Santa's bitter older brother, is forced to move to the North Pole.

Plot Keywords:

North Pole | Christmas | DJ | Brother Brother Relationship | Good Deed

Cast

Vince Vaughn	...	Fred Claus
Paul Giamatti	...	Nick 'Santa' Claus
John Michael Higgins	...	Willie
Miranda Richardson	...	Annette Claus
Rachel Weisz	...	Wanda
Kathy Bates	...	Mother Claus
Trevor Peacock	...	Papa Claus
Ludacris	...	DJ Donnie (as Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges)
Elizabeth Banks	...	Charlene
Jeremy Swift	...	Bob Elf
Elizabeth Berrington	...	Linda Elf
Kevin Spacey	...	Clyde
Rio Hackford	...	Leon
Bobb'e J. Thompson	...	Slam
Allan Corduner	...	Dr. Goldfarb

Also Known As:

Joe Claus (USA) (working title)
Untitled Vince Vaughn/David Dobkin Project (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild language and some rude humor.

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Taiwan:PG-12 | Canada:G (British Columbia/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/Manitoba/Ontario) | Singapore:PG | Ireland:PG | Netherlands:6 | USA:PG (certificate #43797) | UK:PG | Philippines:G (MTRCB) | France:U | Germany:o.Al. | Finland:K-7 | Argentina:Atp | South Korea:All | Australia:PG | Denmark:A | South Africa:PG

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Kevin Spacey's character Clyde asks for (and later receives) a Superman cape from Santa Claus. Spacey played Lex Luthor in Superman Returns (2006). In that film, in an idea lifted from Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze (1975), the Kryptonian had a base of operations at the North Pole, just as Claus does in this film.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: After Northcutt kills the power, and Fred and Willy are "flying blind", Willy consults a map and says they're near "longitude 38.25..." and shouts for Fred to "take a left!" When Fred takes the left turn, they're in Tokyo. The Longitude of Tokyo is 139 degrees, 46 minutes East. 38.25 East is the Longitude of Matui, Tanzania.

Quotes:

Fred Claus: Santa's having some trouble getting the sled off the ground?
[his mother plugs her ears]
Mother Claus: [singing] Jingle bells, jingle bells...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in I Am Legend (2007)

Soundtrack:

Surfin' Bird

What were you expecting?

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.