Fred Claus (2007)

When searching for a family friendly holiday film the name Vince Vaughn doesn't usually come to mind. Maybe it's the fact you don't expect to see Vaughn star in a clean holiday themed film, or you're like me and you find his consistent rambling, which appears to be his trademark, to be brutally grinding on the nerves. But it's true, Fred Claus exists and seems to have disappeared just as quickly as it appeared. Don't expect this one to be gracing many viewers Top 10 Christmas Films list anytime soon.

It should be of no surprise that Vince is back once again in another pessimistic fast talker role. This time portraying Fred Claus, the older and quite selfish brother of worldwide legend Santa Claus. Fred began his grudge towards his younger brother at quite a young age when his parents began giving his brother Nicolas more love and attention because of his generous nature and ingenious mind. Not to mention Nicolas cut down Fred's favorite tree to create the world's first Christmas tree, that didn't help matters.

Fast forward a few hundred years to the present day and Fred Claus is ironically doing exactly the opposite as his beloved brother, as a repo-man he's taking instead of giving. But when Fred finds himself in a tight situation, the only person it seems that can bail him out is his brother, but only under the condition that Fred comes to the North Pole to visit and work for the money he's once again asking his brother for. Although this might not be the best year for troublesome Fred to be assisting in the Christmas preparations since the North Pole has been put under investigation by efficiency investigator Clyde Northcut (Kevin Spacey), whose out to shut down Christmas for good. Will Fred end up being the final nail that ends Christmas or will he somehow be the gliding light that saves it all?

With such a big lineup of actors one would expect Fred Claus to be an instant classic, but sadly it only ends up becoming a mediocre holiday comedy that will become more of a dark blot on the resumes of great actors like Paul Giamatti, Rachel Weisz, Katy Bates, and Kevin Spacey who all put forth, at times, embarrassing performances. So much so that Vince Vaughn actually ends up being the most entertaining aspect of the film. The main problem with Fred Claus is the story finds no solid ground and constantly goes from screwball comedy to holiday drama, attempting to make you laugh then cry. Strangely enough I found the attempted tearjerker scenes to be better written and performed than the comedy ones, but it all doesn't mesh in a film whose comedy side almost appears to be written by a completely different and less talented person. Overall, Fred Claus isn't awful but there's plenty of better holiday films available for viewing that ultimately never make Fred Claus an option. It's a film you'll undoubtedly get a few chuckles out of and maybe even a few misty tears, but all in all it's a story that has no idea what it wants to be, where it wants to go, or how to go about doing it in a great way.

6/10