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38
12 Rounds Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
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Fred Claus
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MPAA RATING: PG for mild language and some rude humor
Starring Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, Miranda Richardson, Kevin Spacey, Kathy Bates, Rachel Weisz, John Michael Higgins, and Ludacris
Fred Claus has lived almost his entire life in his little brother's very large shadow. Fred tried, but he could never live up to the example set by the younger Nicholas, who was just a perfect...well...Saint. True to form, Nicholas grew up to be the model of giving, while Fred became the polar opposite: a repo man who then steals what he repossesses. Now Fred's dirty dealings have landed him in jail. Over Mrs. Claus' objections, Nicholas agrees to bail out his big brother on one condition: that he come to the North Pole and work off his debt making toys. The trouble is, Fred isn't exactly elf material--and with Christmas fast approaching, this one bad seed could jeopardize the jolliest holiday of the year. Has Fred finally pushed his little brother to the brink? This time, what Fred may have stolen is Christmas itself, and it's going to take more than Rudolph to set things right. (Warner Bros.)
| GENRE(S): | Comedy |
| WRITTEN BY: |
Dan Fogelman (& story)
Jessie Nelson (story) |
| DIRECTED BY: | David Dobkin |
| RELEASE DATE: |
DVD: November 25, 2008 Theatrical: November 9, 2007 |
| RUNNING TIME: | 116 minutes, Color |
| ORIGIN: | USA |
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
The average user rating for this movie is 4.5 (out of 10) based on 38 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
[Anonymous] gave it a9:
Not the greatest Christmas movie of all time, but surprisingly entertaining. It manages to tow the line of being entertaining for adults while remaining suitable for children.
Sharon gave it a6:
The movie had a weak storyline but was pretty and interesting to look at. The flying sleigh was exciting and real looking and the snow village was beautiful. Vince Vaughan was very good. He just needed a better plot.
Jay H. gave it a5:
Fair Christmas family film, I don't see it destined to be a holiday classic, but it entertains to a degree. Kevin SApacey is wonderfully evil, and there are a couple of very memorable scenes.
Aaron N. gave it a1:
Would it be that sad for this to be comedy and not date? Cause that is where this movie comes by as...
Bentley gave it a1:
Wow, that was a horrible movie. Don't waste your dollars for an obviously-stupid plot and virtually no laughs.
Chad S. gave it a7:
When will it occur to Wanda(Rachel Weisz) that she's dating a man who is eternal, like a vampire? According to the narrator of the origin story, the Claus family stopped aging, and if the Santa Claus myth came of age during the nineteenth century, that makes Fred at least two centuries old. Shackled by the need to deliver a "family-friendly" movie, "Fred Claus" conceals the nefarious side of Nick(Paul Giamatti), who is a vampire in the business sense of the word(sucking the blood of the working class; the elves), and is probably having an affair with Charlene(Elizabeth Banks). When the two brothers engage in a tussle, you'll wish it was fisticuffs, and that edgy actors like Vince Vaughn and Giamatti had the freedom to hurl some expletives instead of snowballs at each other. Santa's toy factory and village is a forced labor camp. "Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus," as the song goes, sounds like a veiled threat. Santa instructs his DJ(Ludacris) to play this song repeatedly because it's used as a form of mind control. Against their will, the elves need to meet their yearly quota. In the Nazi labour camps, women were employed to organize the Jewish children. In this light, take a closer look at Charlene and her control over the "little people"("midget" is a slur, I'm told). Actually, "Fred.
Stan B. gave it a10:
Great holiday movie. The scrooges who are looking for another "It's a Wonderful Life" need to look elsewhere.
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