John Pasquin’s Holiday classic The Santa Claus has the ability to put Scrooge in the Holiday spirit. The film is the perfect movie for the whole family to watch and will surely bring some giggles while capturing everyone’s attention the entire time. The Santa Claus will and has been standing the test of time, as it has remained extremely relevant during the Holiday season every year since it came out in 1994.
The Santa Claus begins with a single father, Scott Calvin, who has his son, Charlie, over on Christmas Eve. Charlie reluctantly stays — it is very evident that he would rather stay with his mother. In the middle of the night, a clatter arose on the roof. Scott and Charlie ran outside to see what was causing the ruckus, and low and behold — Santa Claus was on the roof! Scott startled Santa which caused him to fall off the roof and die. Scott tried on the Santa’s coat, and they decided to finish delivering the rest of the presents together. Now, there is a clause that says anybody who should put on Santa’s coat becomes the new Santa Claus. Scott, someone who doesn’t love the holiday season has become Santa Claus, and it turns his whole life upside down. People begin noticing weight gain, he is generally a kinder man, and dresses differently. His family even begins to question his mental stability. The rest of the film follows Scott/Santa and Charlie’s adventures with their “little” secret, and how the truth unfolds to those close to them.
An amazing and noteworthy aspect to the film is the detail into making sure that Tim Allen looked like Santa Claus. How can a middle-aged, thin, brunette male turn into someone that completely resembles Santa Claus — a jolly, old, and stocky man? The costume and makeup design in the film is superb. It was almost as if they had two different men play in the movie, because they looked so different. Tim Allen plays a very convincing Santa Claus — his belly appeared completely real, his rosy cheeks blended perfectly, and even his face looked plumper.
The casting for the role was perfect for many reasons. Tim Allen is great at adapting, and can play a variety of roles extremely well. Whether he is a father, a superhero, or Santa Claus, he executes the role perfectly. John Pasquin and Tim Allen also have undeniable chemistry as Pasquin has directed several of Tim Allen’s shows/movies including Home Improvement, Last Man Standing, Jungle 2 Jungle, and Joe Somebody.
The film is especially similar to another Holiday classic, Miracle on 34th Street, in that people assumed the Santa character had mental disabilities in both films. The Santa Claus and Miracle on 34th Street both follow a young child with Santa Claus and their adventures together and the problems they face when no one believes who they truly are. Both films certainly bring out the spirit of Christmas in everyone.
Overall, I would award the film a 10/10, because it is one of those movies that never gets old, puts everyone in the Christmas spirit, and has amazing technical elements.
