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Fred Claus

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Fred Claus (2007)

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Reviews Counted:31

Fresh:5

Rotten:26

Average Rating:4.3/10

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,... 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, Nicholas (Paul Giamatti), was born, it seems that nothing Fred Claus (Vince Vaughn) does is good enough. Nicholas literally becomes a saint and is beloved by millions worldwide, but Fred is just a regular Joe. When Fred finds himself in need of big money in a hurry, little brother Santa is the only one he can turn to. Soon, Fred is working at the North Pole to earn some quick cash and shaking things up with the elves to the delight of efficiency expert Clyde Northcutt (Kevin Spacey), who is on a mission to close down Santa's operation. Can the dueling Claus brothers work together to save Christmas? A sweet lesson is thrown in amongst the sibling rivalry and hijinx: there are really no naughty children at Christmas, just kids who may need a little or love or a second chance. Vaughn plays a character familiar to us now, fast-talking but likable with good intentions. He's at his best when teaching the elves the merits of rock & roll, or talking himself out of sticky situations. Giamatti is endearing as Santa Claus, who compensates for the stress of his job by overeating. Spacey's emotionally frozen Clyde Northcutt harks back to WILLY WONKA's Slugworth as a villain. Frank Stallone, Roger Clinton, and Stephen Baldwin appear in the film's funniest scene as siblings with rivalry issues. Rounding at the cast are Miranda Richardson as Santa's wife, Kathy Bates as Mother Claus, Elizabeth Banks as Santa's assistant, John Michael Higgins as Wiilie the Head Elf, Rachel Weisz as Fred's girlfriend, and Chris "Ludacris" Bridges as DJ Donnie. [More]

Starring: Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, Miranda Richardson, Elizabeth Banks

Starring: Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, Miranda Richardson, Elizabeth Banks, John Michael Higgins, Rachel Weisz, Kathy Bates, Kevin Spacey, Trevor Peacock, Ludacris

Director: David Dobkin

Director: David Dobkin
Screenwriter: Dan Fogelman
Story: Jessie Nelson, Dan Fogelman
Producer: Joel Silver, Jessie Nelson, David Dobkin
Composer: Christophe Beck
Studio: Warner Bros.

[See More Credits]

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Reviews for Fred Claus

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1 - 10 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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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

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
11/10/07
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
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The spirit of Scrooge surges strong within me having watched this chillingly cynical and unfunny Christmas movie.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
11/30/07
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
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It creates a seasonal glow, but inconsistencies keep Fred Claus off the ‘Nice’ list this Christmas.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
11/28/07
William Thomas
William Thomas
Empire Magazine
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There are some scattered big laughs and a sweet message here, so I’m giving it a mild recommendation.

Full Review Source: Ebert & Roeper | comment 1 Comment
11/12/07
Richard Roeper
Richard Roeper
Ebert & Roeper
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As derivative and predictable as any of the holiday comedies of the past few years, providing audiences with at best a handful of laughs. Most of it is uninspired.

Full Review Source: USA Today | comment Comment
11/09/07
Claudia Puig
Claudia Puig
USA Today
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Fred Claus turns out to be not bad for a Santa movie, which I suppose could be interpreted as either faint or excessive praise, depending on your view.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
11/09/07
Carina Chocano
Carina Chocano
Los Angeles Times
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Fred Claus is a tacky would-be comedy about family dysfunction that fronts some Scrooge attitude only to dissolve into slobbering sentimentality and canned uplift.

comment Comment
11/09/07
Manohla Dargis
Manohla Dargis
New York Times
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[Fred Claus] has apparently studied Elf and figured out everything that could have gone wrong with its fish-out-of-water Christmas fable.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
11/09/07
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
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Vaughn's con-man jive doesn't get much play in this one; he spends most of his time as a bitter creep, and the writing (by Dan Fogelman) isn't sharp enough to make the hipster-at-the-North-Pole theme pay off in any meaningful way.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
11/08/07
Stephen Hunter
Stephen Hunter
Washington Post
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The burden of having a famous sibling seems fraught with comedic possibilities, but whatever potential existed has been squandered and then some in Fred Claus, dumping coal into everyone's holiday stocking.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
11/06/07
Brian Lowry
Brian Lowry
Variety
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1 - 10 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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Latest News for Fred Claus

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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. Opens in new window
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. Opens in new window
More...

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