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Bookmark this pageFred Claus (2007)
Director: David Dobkin
Synopsis
Fred, Santa’s deadbeat older brother, pays a visit to the North Pole in an effort to make up for his past mistakes and redeem himself. The reunion with his family does not go according to plan however, and as the lazy black sheep of the family, Fred causes chaos in the run-up to Santa’s most important night of the year.
Movie review
From Time Out London
Too good to be true, this. Paul Giamatti, Kevin Spacey, Rachel Weisz, Miranda Richardson and Kathy Bates, plus Vince Vaughn reteamed with ‘Wedding Crashers’ director David Dobkin. Way too good to be true. Early on, Vaughn’s face-smashing donnybrook with an army of charity Santas bodes well. But he’s on autopilot here, rolling out his patented hustler-with-heart schtick as narky Chicago repo man, Fred, who’s little brother happens to be St Nick. Tough to blame Vaughn: slaloming between gooey seasonal cheese and near-the-knuckle sourness, this Christmas comedy struggles to stir knockabout kiddie fun with spiky adult themes of resentment and sibling rivalry. Lost on the wrong side of ‘Elf’ and ‘Bad Santa’, the script sleighs Fred to the North Pole to help his brother with the Yuletide push, hurdling reality checks with all the grace of a three-legged reindeer. Big laughs go missing and about 30 minutes should have been cut like deadwood– preferably Weisz’s rub-a-dub London accent and Vaughn’s ‘dancing’. But there’s no beating that cast. All sausage fingers, frazzled hair and morbid obesity, Giamatti is the first Santa to admit to acid reflux and sleep apnoea. No guessing if Spacey’s glacial contempt is simply for his role as an efficiency expert trying to shut down Santa – either way, it works a treat. What’s more, 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 all the odds.Author: Jonathan Crocker
Time Out London Issue 1945: November 27-December 4 2007
User reviews of this film
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- tash said...
- Posted on Dec 06 2007 14:40 i might be goin 2 watch it 2night is it realy that good
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- char said...
- Posted on Dec 05 2007 18:08 i saw the film earlier 2day fort it was well funny id deff watch it again
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- janaid hussain said...
- Posted on Dec 05 2007 17:11 aur wasapnin, the movie was solid init it was the funniest movie ive ever watched.
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- Amy said...
- Posted on Dec 03 2007 20:43 im going to see it on saturday 8th dec does any1 no what times its going to be on?
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- amy said...
- Posted on Dec 03 2007 18:15 im goin to watch it 2nite, il let u no!
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- danielle & rick said...
- Posted on Dec 03 2007 17:13 ooo wooow the film was amazing. really good. nary wet my pants. soooo funny. ll buy it wen its out an seen it again 2nght :D. exelent.. brova producer
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- Pete said...
- Posted on Dec 02 2007 23:13 The film failed to energise a cinema full of very keen youngsters - they got two belly laughs out of the whole movie but mostly sat silent and morose. Short change then, this time around, but as there are many more holiday films in the pipeline all's not lost. The North pole village was quaint and Vince Vaughn stole all the scenes, other than when pitted against the Elves - who were great. The delightful Rachel Weisz was firing on half a valve and managed to kill a Watford? accent in a direly embarassing delivery as Vaughn's meter maid love interest. Don't take the kids - granny may love it and anyone born before the end of innocence.
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- dude said...
- Posted on Dec 02 2007 21:50 brillannttttttttttttt
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- j said...
- Posted on Dec 02 2007 21:48 brillant
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- shannon said...
- Posted on Dec 02 2007 21:47 this film is very good but we even though some ppl would not stop talking in the cinema i was good whoever made is my saint
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- jane robertson said...
- Posted on Dec 02 2007 19:20 this was a film my son ted loved, its a true family film thats great for all. i'll have to go again soon!!
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- khuram said...
- Posted on Dec 02 2007 13:30 this movie is great!! the movie is really funny and i would love to watch itagain.
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Now showing
This film is showing at these cinemas near Leicester Square, Greater London
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Cast & crew
Director: David Dobkin
Producer: David Dobkin, Joel Silver, Jessie Nelson
Cast: Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges, Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, Miranda Richardson, Kevin Spacey, Rachel Weisz, Elizabeth Banks, Kathy Bates, John Michael Higgins full cast
Duration: 116 mins
UK Release: Nov 30 2007
US Release: Nov 9 2007
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