There’s always a world of hurt to heal on holiday screens. This off-the-shelf Christmas comedy, released two weeks before Thanksgiving, serves three boys with issues. One is an orphan (Bobb’e J. Thompson). Another never got over not getting a Superman cape from Santa. And the title character (Vince Vaughn) got a little brother who grew up to become Santa. The prologue to “Fred Claus” is indeed darling. It’s all about the birth of Nicholas Claus. As a tyke, ‘lil Nick creates the customs of Christmas with no Christ in sight. “Why can’t you be more like your brother?” asks mom (Kathy Bates). After grown-up Nicholas is sainted, his parents, big brother and wife (Miranda Richardson) all get eternal life. Fred is now a repo man in Chicago who wants to open an off-track-betting parlor across the street from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. His brother Nicholas (Paul Giamatti) fends off efficiency expert Clyde Northcutt (Kevin Spacey). As with every Santa film, the plot hinges on the delivery deadline. Although Vaughn’s motormouth is a treat, director David Dobkin falls short of their previous collaboration, “Wedding Crashers.” Writer Dan Fogelman’s best touch is putting Frank Stallone, Roger Clinton and Stephen Baldwin to good use at a Siblings Anonymous meeting. Yuletide tunes are courtesy of Elvis Presley, The Singing Dogs, Doris Day, Dean Martin, Sinead O’Connor and Ludacris, who croons “Ludacrismas” and plays a DJ (“I’m from the South Side of the North Pole.”) With Rachel Weisz, Elizabeth Banks, John Michael Higgins and thirty-two little people from a Russian circus troupe as the inevitable elves. 108m. (Bill Stamets)
Related Stories
Heart: A Review of Soul The real world is soulful, too, in Pixar's bountiful life of the mind.
Seeing The Elephant: A Review Of Babylon The boisterous, brawling yet melancholy "Babylon," is a variation on film history, but more drawing for drama. It's gaudy and mean, celebratory and sorrowful.
Uncanny Ally: A Review Of M3GAN "M3GAN" sells itself in its first handful of seconds in how it introduces the handiwork of roboticist Gemma (Allison Williams, "Get Out") and her present product, PurrPetual Petz from Funki.
Spawn Sacrifice: A Review Of The Creator "The Creator" is richly detailed, punchy, pulpy, punkish entertainment that still has highly serious subjects in mind, without growing didactic and with substantial heart.
Fine Line: A Review Of Shortcomings It's a season for the comeuppance of a curmudgeon in Randall Park's smart, biting "Shortcomings," adapted by Adrian Tomine from his graphic novel of the same name.
A Drag Getting Old: A Review Of Indiana Jones 5 In the protracted opening couple of reels, a very young, computer-crafted Harrison Ford plays a younger cultural marauder who first encounters the dull MacGuffin of the title.
