Divorced dad Scott Calvin has custody of his son Charlie on Christmas Eve. After he accidentally causes the death of a man in a Santa suit, they are magically transported to the North Pole, where an elf explains that Scott must take Santa's place before the next Christmas arrives. Scott thinks he's dreaming, but over the next several months he gains weight and grows an inexplicably white beard. Realizing that it wasn't a dream, Scott embraces the new, permanent role he has as Santa Claus.
''The Santa Clause 2'' (2002)
Scott Calvin has been in the role of Santa for the past eight years, and his loyal elves consider him the best one ever. But the world of the "Merry Old Soul" turns upside down when he's dealt a double whammy of news: Not only has his son, Charlie, landed on this year's naughty list, but Scott discovers that he must marry by Christmas Eve, or he will stop being Santa Claus forever.
Christmas cheer turns into holiday chaos when Scott Calvin invites his in-laws for a visit and must also contend with Jack Frost's scheme to take over the North Pole. Scott, his family, and Head Elf Curtis must join forces to foil the nefarious plot.
Cast and crew
Principal cast
Additional crew
Reception
Box office performance
The Santa Clause 2 on its opening weekend grossed more than its predecessor. The opening weekend was a personal best to date for Tim Allen. The Hollywood Reporter said its performance "exceeded expectations". The Santa Clause strongest market outside the United States was Germany, and The Santa Clause 2 had in Germany an opening weekend of $892,000, which was 50% larger than the opening weekend of the original film. In the United States, The Santa Clause 3 had an opening weekend of, which was less than the grossed by The Santa Clause 2. Box Office Mojo reported, "More often than not, second sequels in the family genre make significantly less than their predecessors." After in theaters, the third film had grossed, which Box Office Mojo said was "lagging behind its predecessors by a wide margin". In the United Kingdom, The Santa Clause 3 had an opening weekend of at, which was 40% better than the opening weekend of The Santa Clause 2. In Mexico, The Santa Clause 3 had an opening weekend of at, which was three times better than The Santa Clause 2s opening weekend.
Critical and public response
Scott Foundas of Variety called the 1994 film was "a full-on charmer pic". Foundas said the 2002 follow-up had too many writers and executives involved during the long development process, which he said led to "systematically pulverizing most of the original's simple delights". The critic said, "The Santa Clause 2 is a movie conscious, at every waking moment, of trying to out-do its predecessor." Varietys Justin Chang said The Santa Clause 3 was "a much cleaner, more streamlined ride than its overstuffed predecessor". Chang said, "Michael Lembeck directs the action with a surer touch and more consistent tone than he brought to Santa Clause 2, and effortlessly pulls off the pic's sentimental, life-affirming moments without tugging too hard."
