# Anyone up for Fred Claus? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 8, 2007, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-up-for-fred-claus/425730 "2007-11-08T23:56:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2007, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-up-for-fred-claus/425730/21 "2007-11-10T21:17:10Z")
OK. I didn’t hate it. It wasn’t hilarious, but it had a chuckle or two. It won’t go on my “must see holiday movie” list, but I can say that I’ve come away from a movie feeling worse. Elizabeth Banks looked adorable in her little elf costume! I still have a mega-crush on her. It was trite and cliché - but that is a given in a holiday flick. I don’t know what they did to make Santa’s hands all sausage like, but it was kind of creepy. I know Santa is supposed to be fat, but this just looked odd. I would say that at most, it is a renter. ---
**Author:** ![TupeloHoney](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a88e57/32.png) [@TupeloHoney](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TupeloHoney)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2007, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-up-for-fred-claus/425730/22 "2007-11-12T01:54:59Z")
I’ll probably check it out. I’m into Christmas movies and there are lots of great actors in it. ---
**Author:** ![Surbey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@Surbey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surbey)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2007, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-up-for-fred-claus/425730/23 "2007-11-12T07:20:48Z")
I saw it and it wasn’t bad. Its definitely not the greatest movie ever but Vince and Paul do a good job in it. Some parts were funny and Vince’s delivery is pretty good. I’ll admit that the premise was a little hokey but it wasn’t bad. Certainly played it safe but I wouldn’t call it a career ender by any means. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2007, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-up-for-fred-claus/425730/24 "2007-11-12T14:40:17Z")
I saw it- if your a fan of Vince Vaughn’s schitck, you’ll like it. But no comedy of this type needs to be close to two hours long, ever. And why does every single movie have to add a family or girlfriend subplot? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2007, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-up-for-fred-claus/425730/25 "2007-11-12T15:51:52Z")
I’ve seen a lot worse. It was pretty standard, predictable, safe and familiar but it wasn’t as tedious or as witless as most Christmas comedies tend to be. It was about on the same level as _Elf_, if that’s any guide. One thing I found irritating was the whole sequence where Fred was racing to try to deliver all the toys before “sunrise” on Christmas Eve and he has to keep his eye on what time it is. In this movie, it is apparently the same time anywhere you go in the world and the sun comes up everywhere at exactly the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Surbey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@Surbey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surbey)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2007, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-up-for-fred-claus/425730/26 "2007-11-12T18:57:01Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] I’ve seen a lot worse. It was pretty standard, predictable, safe and familiar but it wasn’t as tedious or as witless as most Christmas comedies tend to be. It was about on the same level as _Elf_, if that’s any guide. [/QUOTE] Yeah, that’s about what I’d rate it too. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2007, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-up-for-fred-claus/425730/27 "2007-11-12T19:18:55Z")
[QUOTE=lissener] This is a banner year for Christmas movies, what with _The Santa Clause 3, Deck the Halls_, and _Christmas Do Over_. I have no doubt that they are all going to be life changing masterpieces. [/QUOTE] I think _The Santa Clause 3_ was so bad people forget that it already came and went **last year**. ---
**Author:** ![TJVM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b38774/32.png) [@TJVM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJVM)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2007, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-up-for-fred-claus/425730/28 "2007-11-12T20:05:50Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m calling this what it should be called: Vince Vaughan’s Career Suicide. Surely that award goes to [Psycho](http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1084964-psycho/) , and he recovered. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2007, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-up-for-fred-claus/425730/29 "2007-11-13T03:09:41Z")
[QUOTE=Thudlow Boink] My reactions upon first seeing the trailer for this movie back in summer were that it looks (a) horrible, (b) like a lame mishmash of cliches from other Christmas movies/specials, and (c) an attempt to purge the last bit of magic and wonder from the Santa Claus myth. Nothing I’ve seen since has made me change my mind, and I now mute the TV and turn my head whenever commercials for this film come on. [/QUOTE] Funny, my reaction was just the opposite. I saw the trailer and thought “hey that looks pretty funny.” Fast forward a month or two (last weekend) and I watched the trailer online and thought “what the hell was I thinking? That looks SO stupid!” So, thankfully I came to my senses before I wasted the $10 a ticket on it. By the way what do movie tickets cost in your area? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2007, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-up-for-fred-claus/425730/30 "2007-11-13T06:12:53Z")
Best Christmas(-ish) movie: _The Hebrew Hammer_. _A Christmas Story_ and _Bad Santa_ top contenders. ---
**Author:** ![cerberus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cerberus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerberus)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2007, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-up-for-fred-claus/425730/31 "2007-11-13T06:21:03Z")
Yet another **Vince Vaughn as Semi-likable Asshole/Screw-up** production, only recombined with the **Crappy Dysfunctional Family Holiday** genre. Good times… :rolleyes: If they’re going to pull this shit, they could at least have Jennifer Anniston in it. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2007, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-up-for-fred-claus/425730/32 "2007-11-13T07:25:24Z")
Have you seen it? ---
**Author:** ![Atrael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Atrael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atrael)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2007, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-up-for-fred-claus/425730/33 "2007-11-13T15:21:49Z")
I saw it this past weekend. It wasn’t bad. I liked the idea of the older brother to Santa. There were some predictable bits, and of course the ending was obvious, but I enjoyed it for a simple holiday movie. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-up-for-fred-claus/425730.md?page=1)