I wanted to think on this blog entry for a bit before writing and posting it. Seems certain folks (mostly certain extended family members whom we love) consider most of my earlier postings a bit verbose (amongst other things). Of course my response is ‘Did you read the very first posting or the subtitle to the blog’s title?’ Hey, if I want to be verbose, then that is my right, nay my duty, to do so as the center of my own little universe here, and if you don’t like it, then PLLBBBBBBTTPPP (virtual raspberry) to you! ;)
For the sake of brevity, this posting will be short, or at least shorter. Otherwise, I’m sure you all will miss the point. Just like the so-called AP Movie Writer, David Germain, with his review this past week of “The Santa Clause: The Escape Clause”. Reading his review again after seeing the movie, I asked myself, did you even see the movie? Did you go into the movie with an objective manner, or did you have a chip on your shoulder for being assigned to go review a family movie. It seems he merely tolerated the first two Santa Clause movies.
I don’t know what this reviewer’s problem is, or for that matter, the bulk of the reviewers that had reviews linked or posted to that wondrous site Rottentomatoes. Actually, I think I do know what the problem is, and though I’m not some self-important, self declared modern-day bourgeois bohemian, I think it is important to provide a fair counter to that grossly unfair review.
The Mrs. and I went to see the movie Friday evening for the first parents-only date night in a long while. I had read the review earlier in the day, and so naturally had a skeptical attitude going into the movie after spending the $17 for two adult tickets and some $14 on popcorn and drinks. I hate the highway robbery that theatre chains charge for the privilege of seeing a movie in their messy theatres… and to take your whole family these days nearly requires a second or third mortgage loan. So, that coupled with the bad review read earlier, I was feeling like this movie has to really deliver to be worth the expense.
And in my mind, deliver it did. But, the third movie takes a different approach than the previous two movies in Tim Allen’s Santa Clause story. The previous two movies take a nostalgic look at various myths and aspects surrounding Santa Claus. In other words, it is an adult viewpoint that is shown basically remembering the magic of the Santa Claus aspects of Christmas as a child. “Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause” looks at the problems and stresses of the adult world and then puts them back into perspective through the simplicity of a child’s world and viewpoint.
The movie is a nice, delightful tale. It is not an Oscar winning performance, but I don’t think it was made to be one though. The people who are giving it lousy reviews need to take a reality check. The acting and story line are well balanced between the various actors and actresses who take part. The regulars (all of whom contribute to the story) that return include Tim Allen as Scott Calvin / Santa Claus, Elizabeth Mitchell as Carol Calvin / Mrs. Claus, Judge Reinhold as Neil Miller, Wendy Crewson as Laura Miller, Curtis Breslin as Curtis, and Liliana Mumy as Lucy Miller. Eric Lloyd is there again as Charlie Calvin, but his role is insignificant and could have been done away with (much as the part of Bernard the Elf from the earlier two was). Newcomers include Martin Short as Jack Frost, and Alan Arkin and Ann-Margret as Carol’s parents. Plus, all the folks on the Council of Legendary Figures are present again in their minor roles. With all these actors and actresses, many of separate fame and reputation, they did a good job in their respective roles and played off each other effectively. The only concern I had was Ann- Margret seemed to be “condescending and enduring” her part for much of the film.
But, it was nice to see everyone taking part in a film that was clearly fun to do and be part of, as well as one that no one would have to be ashamed of saying they were part of due to it being a bad influence on families or children or adults. I venture to say that if some of the lens filtering effects and musical scoring were toned down in "The Santa Clause" and "The Santa Clause 2: The Mrs. Clause", the effect would be the same as what is seen in "The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause". Again, simplicity here actually seems to be a key element of this movie.
I won’t share with you the plot or anything like that. There are plenty of spoilers out there. And that is part of the problem with so many reviewers out there... they seem to think they need to tell you what happens in the movie (flavored with their own prejudice of course). I would rather you go see it for yourself before you make a pre-judgment on the movie. Is it worth the price of tickets? I don’t know. I’m probably not the one to ask on that, because as I said, I have a problem with the price of tickets and concessions for any movie in the theatre. Will it be worth the investment of the DVD when it comes out? Sure. I guess I am advocating you go see it in the theatre then. If nothing more, to show that decent, family oriented films still do draw in the box office. The last thing we need is for that paragon of virtue, Hollywood, to stop making any films that are family friendly.
Perhaps individuals like Mr. Germaine are spoiled by the fantastic worlds of the big fantasy franchises like Lord of The Rings and Harry Potter and all the R rated stuff created as eye candy for grown-ups who want some reality escape. So, I ask again, did you miss the whole point? Or are you too wrapped up in the sophistication of the world to realize that often the answers to seemingly difficult things really do lie in doing simple things?
1 year ago
7 comments:
Thanks for the review, Cat. I was lukewarm on the first two, and had decided against seeing this one. Based on your recommendation, we'll at least watch the DVD when it's released. Our family budget won't accomodate six people going to the theater more than once a year, so the film has to be REALLY good. The last time was Star Wars episode three, and frankly, I would have been okay waiting for the DVD on that one. But our two teenage boys convinced us that they wanted to join in on the conversation at school the next day, so we went on opening night--stood in line for four hours. I'm pretty sure we won't be doing that with Santa Claus III.
I hear ya, Roper... last movie we tried taking all the kids to was Cars... That was a fiasco. With two young children, we were constantly up, out, and back in as they didn't want to stay seated. And previous to cars, I think the last movie we tried as a family was Chicken Run...
Santa Clause III in the theatre would be a definite family recommendation (just as the first two were) if budget is not a concern. It is worth the expense of a date night, though, if you compare it to going to dinner at your typical sit down restaurant.
I think the film industry is destroying itself bit by bit, and for more than just the reason Hollywood mostly makes movies not worth seeing anymore. The studios invest so many millions of dollars on making a movie and then so many millions of dollars to pay the actors and actresses if they have celebrity status, and that means making the theatres showing the films charge more for tickets. Ticket prices keep a lot of people away from the theatres because people can just wait for the DVD release and pay a little more for a one time sunk cost for unlimited viewing at home instead of a sunk cost for each viewing at the theatre. This in turn makes people (and reviewers) demand better and better quality for the price they pay at the box office. And the whole thing is just a vicious circle. Simple way to get more people seeing movies in the theatre is to lower ticket price.
Movie theatres are kind of like gas stations in that regard. They don't make a lot of money off the individual ticket, just like the gas station only makes a very nominal profit per gallon sold. They make their money off the concessions sold, just as the gas station makes its real money off the non-gas items customers buy.
Okay because of your post, I went and saw it... here's my impressions... it was...
Horrid.
Okay it wasn't abominable, but it was a disjointed mess. It had its moments, but honestly, it relied upon you having seen the other movies, and when it finally got interesting, it had to more or less throw away the whole lead up to the movie in order to be interesting.
It tried to be too many things and honestly didn't lead up to any of them... they just kinda clobbered you with plotdevice after plot device... The whole 'redemption' of Jack Frost came out of nowhere.
The best part of the movie, imo, was listening to the family squabbling during the themepark section. You could tell that Disney just put a microphone out and recorded comments all around their amusement parks for 10 minutes... I did think it was somewhat gutsy to make the portrayal of a themepark in such a negative light, considering Disney is the chief perpetrator of such nonsense.
I did think the tie back to family values at the end was good, I liked the comment about how "we are a family and we argue and that's okay" was nice, but to get to that point was um... well... not necessarily worth the journey. I honestly lacked a lot of sympathy for the characters. I thought the wife was being unreasonable, and I thought Santa showed about as much emotional depth as a starfish... there were a lot of parts just for kids, like the farting reindeer, which were decidedly unfunny. It was as though they would try too hard to be funny... and the dialog was often vapid and served no purpose... like Tim Allen's lackluster line, "You just hit me in the face with a shovel!" (which was what the whole audience could see... and needed no pointing out by pointless dialogue)
Many of the characters were kinda disorienting after all this time... the weird divorced relationship was bizarre.
The Canada gags were funny, though that whole plot was hair-brained and made Santa seem like a big doofus. So the movie spent a lot of time trying to be both serious and slapstick and the mixed genre was very hard to engage.
The kids thought it was fun. Ithought they spent a lot of time trying to exploit the charms of the North pole, but because the movie STARTED THERE, there was no mystery or build up to the place, so it was so commonplace that it felt flat and unfeeling.
My kids liked the movie and they don't analyze movies the way I do. I readily admit, being a writer has ruined me on weak plots and such entertainment.
That said, I thought the movie was fun and for a family that is not overly cynical, the movie is better than anything else in theatres... though I'd just wait until it came out on video.
--Ray
So, Ray, I guess if you wanted to be succinct in your assessment, from an adult's standpoint, the movie jumped the shark a few times too many? ;)
I guess the adult in me would have to agree... but part of the fun of the movie as an adult is to suspend the level of believeability from adult realism to child-like idealism.
After all, what would the Great One who is Yellow and who is a Square and who does wear Pants and is a Sponge and whose name is Bob say?
Probably something like:
"Aw, Tartar Sauce! Ray didn't like that movie!"
No doubt! Or maybe "Aye aye, Mr. Krabs!" ;)
Mrs. Cat Herder and I saw Elf for the first time last night on TV. The movie critic I mention in my review had indicated he thought it was a good movie.
I wonder if he was being sarcastic about it being more worth people's time and money to see Elf or if he really thought it was a good movie. It was stupid, and there was absolutely nothing that would have put it even close to the same level of quality as The Santa Clause III, regardless of what people think of the latter.
Will Ferrell is just plain not funny (I never found him funny to begin with even back in his SNL days), and the movie Elf just seemed to be an excuse to get some of the more liberal members of the SAG together and try to tell a story that had no meaning while Will Ferrell acts like a donkey's rear.
Boy are we glad we never wasted money on that movie in the form of tickets or the DVD (even when on discount sale at Target!)!
Will Ferrell has rarely been funny to me. I do want to see Stranger than Fiction, however.
I won't see this movie until it is on DVD. I imagine my reaction to it will be somewhere in between Cat and Ray.
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