Synopsis

At the risk of giving away its secret location, Scott invites his in-laws, Sylvia and Bud Newman, to the North Pole to share in the holiday festivities and be near their daughter, Carol (aka Mrs Claus) as she prepares for the eagerly anticipated birth of baby Claus. Invited along for the adventure are Scott’s extended family: son, Charlie); ex-wife, Laura Miller; her husband, Neil; and their daughter, Lucy, who, together with Head Elf Curtis, must foil Jack Frost’s crafty scheme to control the North Pole. Christmas is just around the corner and everything is running smoothly at the North Pole home of Santa Clause. Under the watchful eye of Head Elf Curtis, it looks like a bumper Christmas. But when Mrs Clause goes into false labour, Santa is put under the hammer and things start to get behind. Jack Frost siezes the opportunity to take over and sets about sabotaging the toy making machines. He wants to become Santa Clause and put his own touch on the festive season. He will trick Santa into invoking "The Escape Clause".

What The Critics Say

"The pogo vibe of the first two films is missing from the new picture, but what it lacks in bellylaughs in makes up for in reliable entertainment value - an increasingly lost art." Brian Orndorf FILMJERK.COM "Allen and Short seem to be having so much fun that their enthusiasm is entirely contagious. Let the season begin." Elizabeth Weitzman NEW YORK DAILY NEWS "Despite Martin Short's highly entertaining turn as Jack Frost, this second sequel lacks the charm of the first two 'Santa Clause' movies." Betty Jo Tucker REELTALK MOVIE REVIEWS ".... there are a few very mild pleasures, including Alan Arkin and Ann-Margret as Scott's in-laws and a loony dance number with Short backed by elves." Nell Minow MOVIE MOM AT YAHOO! MOVIES "Perfect entertainment for five-year olds and sheer torture for the unlucky parent(s) accompanying them to the theater." James Berardinelli REELVIEWS "OK, so Santa Clause 3 isn't the stuff classic Christmas movies are made of, but the franchise still manages to invoke some genuine Yuletide spirit. Hard to believe, but it's true." Kit Bowen HOLLYWOOD.COM

"This movie is either going to warm the coldest cockles of your heart, or you're going to throw up all over yourself before slipping into a diabetic coma." Kevin Carr 7M PICTURES "There's a bonus in Santa's sack this time around, with the inclusion of Alan Arkin as his in-law. Colourful and bright, funny and witty, it's a magical fantasy that will please young and old." Louise Keller URBAN CINEFILE "The characters are all two-dimensional, or maybe one, except Martin Short as Jack Frost." Liz Braun JAM! MOVIES "The movie's as icy as Jack's hair, as lifeless as its animatronic, flatulent reindeer. Even the outtakes are lame. Stay for the one where Allen chastises a co-star who can't keep a straight face. `Does my acting amuse you?' No, pal. Not in the fat suit, anyway." Roger Moore ORLANDO SENTINEL "The good news is it runs just over and hour and a half, which means parents won't have to glance nervously at their watches." Nathaniel Bell LOS ANGLES DAILY NEWS "Now, sure, this is a children's film and the plot doesn't have to be some labyrinthine twist-fest. But the makers surely owe something to the poor parents who have to sit through it - not to mention those youngsters who are old enough to see it on their own and who likely have an attention span even shorter than mine. This second sequel's horrendous pacing pretty much says "stuff 'em all". Where's the wholesome Christmas message in that?" George Plathingal SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

The Inside Story The opening paragraph on the notes from "The Santa Clause 3" say it all. Even with the success of 1994's "The Santa Clause" and 2002's "The Santa Clause 2", Tim Allen wasn’t convinced that he should don the seventy five pound Santa suit once again and go back to the North Pole for a third time. But a meeting with Disney executives changed his mind. "I didn’t think I would do another 'Santa Clause'. I’m not interested in doing the same story," says Allen. I bet Allen wishes he had stuck with that and hadn't had a change of heart. So what was it that changed his mind and drew him back for a third Santa Clause film? "We started hashing out ideas at the meeting. Then I said, 'I wonder what it would be like without Santa Claus? How weird would it be to not have this great mythical figure in the world?' That struck a chord with all of us," he said. Like many of us, Allen admits to being a big kid. "I’m like a kid. I want to see the North Pole, too. In "The Santa Clause 3", we decided we were going to shoot inside the North Pole even more and get to know more about my family and my relationship with Mrs Claus." A heavily pregnant Mrs Claus I might add, who makes a grand appearance at the start of the film with a false labour. But back to basics. There's no doubting Tim Allen is a very funny man and he's managed to keep us laughing over the years in a variety of roles, including playing Tim "The Toolman" Taylor in two hundred and two episodes of the very popular television series "Home Improvement". And it's not that he hasn't been funny in the previous two Santa Clause films. Even in this film he makes a good Santa. "Tim has a great gift for making us all laugh," says producer Brian Reilly who has worked on all three films. "From the moment Tim Allen transformed into Santa Claus in the first movie, he embodied the part. He’s funny, and he has heart, and that is what struck a chord with so many people," says executive producer William W Wilson III. "An amazing thing happens when Tim gets in the Santa suit," adds director Michael Lembeck. "He literally, totally inhabits the character. There’s something about Tim playing that role, he becomes that loveable icon." But it's not just Allen who has made the franchise a succes to date. In Lembeck's opinion, "the audience loves our honesty, our entertainment value, our dramatic content, and our comedy." While many of the original cast are back for another edition there are some new faces in this Santa story, much of which is set at the North Pole. "It's a tremendous cast. Ann-Margret, Alan Arkin, Marty Short—just to name three," says Tim Allen. "This is a great group of actors. It’s amazing to see how well Michael Lembeck put this terrific cast together." Costume Designer Ingrid Ferrin agrees noting, "It is something special when a director knows how to bring a great cast together and understands the magic that can happen between different people." One character who stands out is Jack Frost, played by Martin Short. Jack wants to take over Santa's role. "Jack feels he's just as qualified as Santa and has all this untapped potential," Short explains adding, "he just hasn't been given his moment yet." Frost oozes charm, but he's a conniving devil. "He's almost loveable in a sleazy, cheesy sort of way," explains Short. "He’s constantly sucking up to people, but none of it is sincere. I don’t think there’s an honest bone in his body." "Marty is funny, hardworking and gives it his all 100 percent of the time," says William W Wilson III. "He literally threw himself into the part." Joining Short are Ann-Margret and Alan Arkin as Sylvia and Bud, Santa's in-laws. Bringing the cast together was akin to having a family reunion according to Mrs Clause. "It really does feel like a big family reunion," says Elizabeth Mitchell. "It was great to see everybody and to hear what’s happening in their lives." And here's a bit of trivia. Mitchell gave birth to her first child just six weeks before shooting began, so playing a pregnant Mrs Clause was ideal. "It felt great to come back after having the baby and to get to wear big clothes," says Mitchell. "I was really happy." Back again is Spencer Breslin as Curtis. "Curtis got a promotion for his nine hundreths birthday, I think. Now he’s the number-one elf, and he likes the power," says Breslinr. "But although he may get a little crazy sometimes, he would never try to steal Christmas from the big guy, like Jack Frost." "Spencer is a fifty five year old man in a thirteen year old's body," laughs producer Brian Reilly. "He has such authority, and he is so good at what he does." "In the last movie, I didn’t get to go to the North Pole. I am so glad I got to go this time, because it looks so cool," says Liliana Mumy who plays Lucy. "It’s so big, and when you walk around, you keep noticing new things." William W Wilson III was happy to sing the praises of the young cast members. "Spencer and Liliana; and also Abigail Breslin, Spencer’s little sister in real life, who also has a role in the film, are such professionals. They give such honest performances in our fantasy world." When it came to shooting the film, Allen and Short gelled perfectly it seems. "It was a happy set," says Elizabeth Mitchell. "The kids in their elf ears were just adorable. Tim and Marty were hilarious. It was really fun." "Watching Martin and Tim work is kind of like watching one of those Japanese horror films, like King Kong meets Godzilla. They'’re hilarious," says Judge Reinhold. "It's really hard to maintain a straight face when they're working together. They go off the script right away. You have no idea where it’s going, but it’s always funny." "Marty and I, together in costume, created some funny moments that are never going to be shown, believe me," says Allen. "Like the banter between us when we screwed up—which happened a lot, because we’d be joking right up to the word 'action'. We laughed so hard that eventually everyone got tired of us. We, of course, thought we were the funniest things on the planet." Short was a willing participant in the amusement. "What I love about Tim is the positive energy he brings to the set," he says. "Tim is really there to have fun. I appreciate anyone who brings a sense of joy and play to his work, because that’s what it should be about." Director Michael Lembeck (who was an actor for twenty five years before turning to directing) echoes those thoughts. "Working with Tim is as delicious an experience as I can have as a professional. He and I are always busting each other’s chops and taking really loving, fun shots at one another. Tim makes me laugh all day long, but making him laugh is such a joy for me, and it also seems to put him at ease. We have a wonderful working relationship." The Verdict "If you have already seen The Santa Clauses 1 and 2 you'll probably find "The Escape Clause", the third edition in the franchise, a tad tiring. It has lost much of the zing, charm and wit that permeated the first two films and there's a distinctly flat feeling throughout its ninety two minute runtime. "The Escape Clause" really drags its feet at times and I'm sure that there will be many adults (especially those who have brought their kids along) who will feel as thought they are enduring some sort of mental torture. Thanks to "The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause", this franchise has become another commercially crass example of how exploited Christmas has become. Those who haven't had the opportunity to see the first two films will probably just get their monies worth, provided it's discount dollar day or the film is on a two for one offer. Not much Yo Ho Ho here no matter how hard everyone tries. Leave it to the kids! 2 1/2 STARS." Cast & Crew Bytes "THE SANTA CLAUSE 3: THE ESCAPE CLAUSE" stars .......
Tim Allen ["Who Is Cletis Tout?", "The Santa Clause 1 & 2", "Christmas With The Cranks" and "The Shaggy Dog"]; Elizabeth Mitchell ["Frequency", "Nurse Betty" and "The Santa Clause 2"]; Judge Reinhold ["Beverly Hills Cop I, II & III", "My Brother The Pig" and "The Hollow"]; Alan Arkin ["America's Sweethearts", "Firewall" and "Little Miss Sunshine"], Spencer Breslin ["The Cat in the Hat", "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement" and "The Shaggy Dog"]; Abigail Breslin ["Signs", "Raising Helen" and "Little Miss Sunshine"] and Martin Short ["Three Amigos!", "The Making of Me", "Mars Attacks!" and "Get Over It"] as Jack Frost.
"THE SANTA CLAUSE 3: THE ESCAPE CLAUSE" was .......
directed by Michael Lembeck ["The Santa Clause 2" and "Connie and Carla"]; edited by David Finfer ["Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey", "The Fugitive" and "Connie and Carla"]; cinematography by Robbie Greenberg ["All I Want for Christmas" and "Save the Last Dance"]; original music by George S Clinton ["Austin Powers: Goldmember", "Catch That Kid" and "Deck the Halls"] production design by Richard Holland ["End of Days" and "Agent Cody Banks 2"], set decoration by Don Diers ["Gone In Sixty Seconds", "Phone Booth", "Down With Love" and "Along Came Polly"] and costume design by Ingrid Ferrin ["The Client", "Batman Forever" and "The Santa Clause 2"]. Run Time 92 minutes Rated G [AUST] Copyright ©2006 - Buena Vista Pictures - All Rights Reserved Copyright Protected © 2006 - Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved