A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

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Title: Fred Claus

Date Viewed: 12/9/07

Details:

Vince Vaughn

Paul Giamatti

Miranda Richardson

Rachel Weisz

Kathy Bates

Trevor Peacock

Kevin Spacey

Director: David Dobkin

Score: -

The Review: Even blessed icons may have siblings with feet of stickiest clay. That doesn't make either of them any more interesting.

This B-movie waste-of-celluloid starts out with hagiographic flashbacks to the childhood of St. Nick (Giamatti: soon to be known as Santa Claus). It develops that he has a jealous, troublesome, slacker brother (Vaughn) and doting parents (Bates & Peacock) -- big whoop. Somewhere along the line, they get special dispensation to live forever -- curious idea. But then the bad brother and the accountant from hell (Spacey) team up to put Santa out of business -- yawn.

A few (damn few) clever ideas buried in an arctic avalanche of mediocrity. Bad metaphor? Bad movie. Avoid.

(9-Feb-08)

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