Tim Allen is back in red and white to reprise his role as Scott Calvin in The Santa Clause 2. Eight years ago, the divorced father took over Santa's job when the jolly old elf toppled off the Calvins' roof and died on the front lawn. Instructed to don the special suit, Scott has since endeared himself to kids around the world.

Now with Christmas less than a month away his biggest worry should be toys, but not this year. His son Charlie (Eric Lloyd) is on the naughty list for defacing school property and his assistant, Curtis (Spencer Breslin) has discovered a new phrase in his contract… the Mrs. Clause.

Typed in tiny white letters on the bottom of his business card, it clearly states he'll have to find a wife before Christmas Eve or lose his job. With the gift making frenzy in full swing, Scott hesitates to leave the North Pole until the de-Santafication process (loss of weight and facial hair) starts to kick in. Making a plastic clone of himself, he leaves his Head Elf Bernard (David Krumholtz) with the duplicate to oversee production lines while he heads south to deal with dating and detentions.

But Scott's plans for a quick trip start to diminish along with his magical powers after a disastrous dinner with a Christmas junkie (Molly Shannon) and a tense visit with the school's principal (Elizabeth Mitchell). Meanwhile, the new Mr. Claus is making some radical changes at the North Pole, threatening the elves and putting the whole holiday season in jeopardy unless Scott can drum up some help in a hurry.

Like Disney's The Santa Clause, this sequel is festooned with holiday fun, special effects and playful elves while staying light on the content issues. A mid-flight scrap between the Santas and some tyrannical acts by the substitute Claus and his army of toy soldiers offer only minor moments of peril.

Although he enjoys unprecedented popularity with children, it's nice to know that like the rest of us, Santa has to balance family life with work demands... a cause that requires more than just a little magic up your sleeve.

Interested in owning a copy? Help support Grading The Movies by making your purchase through these links...
On DVD			On VHS

Talk about the movie with your family...

What did Scott Calvin do to liven up the staff Christmas party? Ask your parents or grandparents what their favorite childhood toys or games were.

Because Curtis was afraid of Santa's reaction, he was reluctant to tell him about the Mrs. Clause. How can procrastination make a problem worse?

Video alternatives...

Tim Allen voices the character of Buzz Lightyear in both Toy Story and Toy Story 2. Spencer Breslin stars as a younger version of Bruce Willis in the movie Disney's The Kid.

Kerry Bennett

© 2002 One Voice Communications. All Rights Reserved.

Official Website...
http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/santaclause2/index.html.