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Reviews Counted:134
Fresh:28
Rotten:106
Average Rating:4.2/10
Consensus: A slew of talent is wasted in this contrived and overly sentimental Christmas film, which can't quite get the balance between slapstick humor and sentimental family moments.
Runtime: 1 hr 56 mins
Genre: Childrens
US Box Office: $71,970,547
Synopsis: Sibling rivalry takes on a new dimension in director David Dobkin's (WEDDING CRASHERS, CLAY PIGEONS) third collaboration with actor Vince Vaughn, FRED CLAUS. Ever since his younger brother,... [More]
Starring: Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, Miranda Richardson, Elizabeth Banks
Director: David Dobkin
With not even its excellent cast to recommend it, Fred Claus is an ill-conceived, charm-less film that will delight neither youngsters nor their parents. From tedium to schmalz, the film tries to be all things to everyone, and succeeds in none
Top CriticDavid Dobkin directs with some sparkle, but without the sustained energy he brought to Shanghai Knights (2003) or Wedding Crashers (2005).
An archly mirthless comedy.
Holiday comedy's no classic, but it's OK for kids.
Not only surpassed the lame promises of its advertisements, it proved to be one of the best films I've seen all year. Has that rare wonderful mix of warmth, depth, and funny.
Unfortunately, this is a broad family comedy that depends on odd sound effects (zonks! splat!) during every scene...
Paul Giamatti's oddly soulful turn as Santa stands out like a Christmas cookie atop a septic tank in this randomly plotted and intermittently amusing formula comedy.
The film's multitude of flaws might be more easily forgiven if the movie didn't overstay its welcome by at least a half-hour.
The movie's constantly shifting timbre takes some getting used to, and it's hard to escape the feeling that a whole lot of actors (Rachel Weisz, Kathy Bates, Miranda Richardson) are wasted in a whole lot of roles.
Fred Claus is a large lump of coal in your pre-holiday stocking sure to give you a stomach ache after eating too much turkey.
The satire on globalism and downsizing is also as old as the Clinton administration, but that doesn't stop director David Dobkin from selling it like fresh goods.
Fred Claus is pure Vince Vaughn hijinks, but the PG, family-friendly mode may not be his most advantageous venue.
The spirit of Scrooge surges strong within me having watched this chillingly cynical and unfunny Christmas movie.
Top CriticA soulless concoction that's a joy-sinkhole for the whole family.
A generally fun movie as long as your expectations are low enough. But considering the talent of the cast and filmmakers, Fred Claus should be better (and funnier) than this.
A turbulent ride that shifts tonal gears and messages like oscillations in the weather, ending in mythological frostbite.
There are plenty of cringe-worthy moments in this overlong seasonal tale ... but Fogelman and Dobkin do manage to find the right mix of sweet and sour.
The best children's stories are the simplest, and this one's a complicated mess.
How many laughs can one movie try to squeeze out of Vaughn being attacked by elves? Sadly, it’s an awful lot.
a passionless, crappy, made-for-TV-grade, sanitized feel-good fest
November 28, 2008:
UK Critics Consensus: Local Critics Warm To Changeling; De Niro Delights But What Just Happened Doesn't
It's Friday, there's a new raft of movies in the UK cinemas this week, but are any of them any good? This week the UK film hacks give us their opinions on Clint Eastwood's... More...
November 24, 2008:
RT on DVD: Fred Claus, Hancock, and 24: Redemption
The holidays are upon us, which makes it a perfect week to snuggle up with the superhero (Hancock), the spirited (Fred Claus), or the stealthy (Keifer Sutherland as Jack Bauer... More...
November 23, 2008:
Don't make the mistake of misreading this mean-spirited production as a kid-friendly Christmas flick. 
More...
November 22, 2008:
Vince Vaughn's famously rude Wedding Crasher gets macho with Ludacris as a m-igitalized feisty Santa elf, while huddling over the pint-sized urinals in the john with another, to clue him about North Pole dirty dancing and romance.
More...
Hollywood.com ponders whether or not an animated film could win Best Picture.
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Get all the latest movie updates, reviews, interviews and features here.
20 double passes to win to the new animated film, produced by Tim Burton.
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