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Movies / On DVD / Fred Claus
Fred Claus

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Fred Claus (2007)

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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,... 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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21 - 40 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

This is one of those flicks that attempts to appeal to adults at a nudge, nudge, wink, wink, more salacious level while keeping the kids happy. It never really works.

Full Review Source: Sky Movies | comment Comment
11/29/07
Tim Evans
Tim Evans
Sky Movies

More no no no than ho ho ho, Vince Vaughn's crime against cinema is a worthy winner of this year's Deck The Halls prize for least welcome Christmas present. Make no mistake: Fred Claus is the real Bad Santa.

Full Review Source: Total Film | comment Comment
11/29/07
Total Film

Dobkin’s film is lit up by a couple of genius scenes: first, a siblings support-group attended by Frank Stallone, Stephen Baldwin and Roger Clinton; second, a superb in-joke triggering Spacey’s redemptive thaw-out, stoking a festive glow against the odds.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
11/29/07
Jonathan Crocker
Jonathan Crocker
Time Out

Fred Claus isn't especially funny but it's well made, superbly acted and entirely watchable, provided you can stomach the sentimentality levels.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
11/29/07
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

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
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

What seems like fertile comedy territory turns out to be as barren as the North Pole.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
11/27/07
Stella Papamichael
Stella Papamichael
BBC

While it tries to bring a new premise into the mix (Santa Claus has a cranky older brother), the result is just as humorless and stale as the Tim Allen's The Santa Clause trilogy.

Full Review Source: Bronsonfive | comment Comment
11/26/07
Michael Ferraro
Michael Ferraro
Bronsonfive

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.

Full Review Source: NewsBlaze | comment Comment
11/25/07
Prairie Miller
Prairie Miller
NewsBlaze

Neither as terrible as it could be nor as funny as it should be, this is a painless way to catch a new holiday movie without getting into a fight about what part was the lamest.

Full Review Source: Cinerina | comment Comment
11/22/07
Karina Montgomery
Karina Montgomery
Cinerina

Watching this kind of talent forced to muddle through this minefield of tired and embarrassing jokes is almost enough to make you reject the baby Jesus altogether.

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
11/21/07
Pete Vonder Haar
Pete Vonder Haar
Film Threat

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.

Full Review Source: Creative Loafing | comment Comment
11/18/07
Matt Brunson
Matt Brunson
Creative Loafing
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Screen International | comment Comment
11/17/07
Screen International
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | comment Comment
11/17/07
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

A great cast fights a losing battle against moldy Christmas movie material in the holiday comedy Fred Claus.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Daily News | comment Comment
11/17/07
Gary Thompson
Gary Thompson
Philadelphia Daily News

A neat idea badly executed. Early in the film, there are some funny bits, but by the end, the narrative completely loses its way. Without the weight of the personalities involved, the film would be quickly forgotten.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Insiders | comment Comment
11/17/07
Jonathan W. Hickman
Jonathan W. Hickman
Entertainment Insiders

Vaughn is a funny guy in the right vehicle. This isn't it.

Full Review Source: Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA) | comment Comment
11/16/07
John Wirt
John Wirt
Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA)

Reindeer roadkill.

Full Review Source: Bangor Daily News (Maine) | comment Comment
11/15/07
Christopher Smith
Christopher Smith
Bangor Daily News (Maine)

Look! It's the inevitable dance sequence where Vince teaches all the elves the lessons of Footloose, because if there's one thing you need on the toy assembly line, it's 'jazz hands.'

Full Review Source: MovieJuice! | comment Comment
11/15/07
Mark Ramsey
Mark Ramsey
MovieJuice!

A soulless concoction that's a joy-sinkhole for the whole family.

Full Review Source: Antagony & Ecstasy | comment Comment
11/14/07
Tim Brayton
Tim Brayton
Antagony & Ecstasy

What is Ludacris doing in this movie?

Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
11/14/07
Cynthia Fuchs
Cynthia Fuchs
PopMatters
 
 
21 - 40 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
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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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