Fred Claus

Film

Vince Vaughn in Fred Claus

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Time Out says

Tue Nov 27 2007

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

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Release details

UK release:

Fri Nov 30 2007

Duration:

116 mins

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Comments & ratings

(25 ratings)

i might be goin 2 watch it 2night is it realy that good

tash Thu Dec 6 2007
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i saw the film earlier 2day fort it was well funny id deff watch it again

char Wed Dec 5 2007
Rated as: 4/5
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aur wasapnin, the movie was solid init it was the funniest movie ive ever watched.

janaid hussain Wed Dec 5 2007
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im going to see it on saturday 8th dec does any1 no what times its going to be on?

Amy Mon Dec 3 2007
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im goin to watch it 2nite, il let u no!

amy Mon Dec 3 2007
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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

danielle & rick Mon Dec 3 2007
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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 North London (UK) 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.

Pete Sun Dec 2 2007
Rated as: 2/5
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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.

Pete Sun Dec 2 2007
Rated as: 2/5
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brillannttttttttttttt

dude Sun Dec 2 2007
Rated as: 5/5
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brillant

j Sun Dec 2 2007
Rated as: 5/5
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Fred Claus

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