VIEW PHOTOS: Fred Claus L.A. premiere
WATCH VIDEO: Fred Claus premiere video

PREMIERE'S REVIEW (posted 11/8/07)

Don't be misled by its star, Vince Vaughn — known for his characters' generally and hilariously ribald takes on the world at large. Fred Claus is a family film and delivers everything you'd expect from a film titled Fred Claus. Silly, heartwarming, and fun, director David Dobkin's new spin on the Santa tale is a great way to spend a decidedly PG-rated afternoon.

Tired of living in younger brother Santa's large shadow, Fred Claus (Vaughn) is estranged from his family, living in Chicago, and working as a repo man. When one of his get-rich-quick schemes lands him in the slammer, Fred must call on his brother to bail him out. In an act of tough love, Santa (Giamatti) will only spring Fred if he comes to the North Pole to help him and the elves prepare for Christmas. Secretly, he hopes to straighten him out and reunite the family. Santa and Mrs. Claus (Miranda Richardson) even go so far as to invite Fred's longtime girlfriend (Rachel Weisz) to the North Pole for an intervention. To thoroughly complicate matters, the sniveling Clyde Northcut (Kevin Spacey), a government efficiency agent, arrives and threatens to shut down Santa's operation should anything go amiss.

Naturally, Fred's unruly presence puts a wrench in the toy works: Elves suddenly abandon their posts and start a dance party; Fred and Santa feud in public (the scene gives Vaughn an improvisation opportunity that he takes full advantage of); and when Fred takes issue with the age-old "naughty or nice" practice, Santa's whole operation nearly collapses, and Christmas is in jeopardy. Of course, in true Christmas-story fashion, Fred Claus wraps up with a bow on top: Fred and Santa save Christmas and learn "valuable life lessons" in the end. Shameless? Yes. But with enough Vince Vaughn to keep his fans entertained, plus action and adorable elves for the kids.

— Laura Repstad